wn www.urbanhort.org HORTICULTURE UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON AUTUMN 2001 2 SPECIAL EVENTS 3 TOBY BRADSHAW SPEAKS OUT S DROUGHT TIPS FROM EXPERTS 5 CRANE FLY. DON'T BOTHER ME 6 CURRENT MADRONE RESEARCH 7 RARE PLANT CARE AND CONSERVATION 8 NEWS FROM NHS AND THE ARBORETUM FOUNDATION 9 NEWS FROM CUH AND WPA 1 1 VOLUNTEER NEWS & OPPORTUNITIES 1 2 CLASSES AND PROGRAMS 1 7 EVENTS CALENDAR 1 9 REGISTRATION FORM The Center Burns With enough gasoline you can burn down anything, even a horticulture center. At 3 a.m. on Monday May 21 the Earth Libera- tion Front ended life as we knew it when it set fire to the office of geneticist Toby Bradshaw and burned down the Center for Urban Horticulture’s original and largest building, Merrill Hall. Today only the foundation remains of this building that housed CUH offices, research labs, library, and herbarium as well as the WSU King County Master Gardener and Urban Food Gardener offices. Though Dr. Bradshaw was the target (see article on page 3), more than 40 people were directly affected, losing years of research, personal and professional papers, books, precious mementos, and a sense of security. Faculty, staff, students, and volunteers are only now determining the true extent of the losses. Long hours were spent throughout June and July trying to clean soot and smoke from items salvaged from the building. Even after cleaning, the smell of smoke lingers. Damage to library books and files will take months to determine. Many of the books are coming back from freeze-drying and cleaning looking more like accordions than manuscripts. Thousands of people who depend upon the Center’s library and programs for their gardening information have been left bereft by the firebombing and destruction of Merrill Hall. Those of us who worked in Merrill Hall and have built the Center into what it was on May 21 are still suffering from shock, and have been set back years in our work. Support comes from the Legislature, UW, and Friends The State Legislature promised $4.1 million to begin rebuilding Merrill Hall, (continued on page 2) yv/^*y‘VV\.' vvvv .•* , * The Urban Hort Newsletter has a new look. This new design by UW Publications Services is intended to bring you information on current SA research, good horticultural information, and the same wealth of educational programs and events as in the past. Please mail us your comments or e-mail us at urbhort@u.wa$hington.edu. CENTER FOR URBAN HORTICULTURE AUTUMN 2001 2 dates & times: Friday September 14, 2:30 to 6 p.m.; Friday Evening Reception & Lecture, 6:45 p.m.; Saturday September 15, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. location: NHS Hall, CUH fee: The Friday evening event will cost $1 5 for NHS members, $20 for non-members Timed ro take advantage of the fall planting season, this plant extravaganza features Washington states premier specialty growers who offer a huge variety of popular, unusual, and hard-to-find plants. These growers are available for advice, consultation, and encouragement! Friday evening’s reception features a rare plant auction, wine, and cheese reception. Richard Hartlage will speak on “Bold Visions for the Garden ”. dates & times: Two-Part Workshop: Wednesday November 28, 7 to 9 p. 9 a. m. to noon instructor: Designer David Sessions location: Douglas Classroom, CUH fee: $70; pre-registration required, class size limited m. and Saturday December 1, We are delighted to present a very special two-part class taught by David Sessions. David is a floral, interior, and garden designer who twice yearly creates the floral displays at New York’s Rockefeller Center when he’s not traveling to clients around the country. Unearth your hidden treasures from the tool shed, attic, garage, or garden. Transform them into centerpieces, wreathes, door swags and wall hangings that truly reflect the gardener in you. Spend an evening and morning with one of the country’s most creative designers and come away with a new appreciation of all the treasures you already own and didn’t know it. Wednesday evening is a lecture. Come back with your garden tools on Saturday morning for a hands-on workshop. Learn how to transform your winter-dormant tools into holiday decorations. Continued from page 1 The University Provost’s office and College of Forest Resources gave generous support as the devastated CUH faculty, students, and staff fought hard to finish spring term classes, programs, and projects while cleaning up the mess surrounding them. Hundreds of volunteers pitched in to clean irreplaceable library books, slide collections, lab glass, computers, and thousands of precious items salvaged from destroyed offices. Many businesses and individuals donated lunches, time and services to simply help get people through the long days. All the community support has given us an invaluable morale boost that has helped us through these difficult months, and for that we are very grateful. Thank you. Looking to the Future Librarian Val Easton and her staff are working hard to reopen an interim, scaled down Miller Library in CUH’s Isaacson Hall. It is anticipated that the doors will open in late fall. Please check the library’s web site at www.millerlibrary.org for updates. The Plant Answer Line will reopen to answer gardening questions, and the Master Gardener clinics will eventually reopen at CUH as well. Until October 1, Master Gardener clinics are held Mondays from 4 until 8 p.m. in the University Village Shopping Center at Ravenna Gardens. Herbarium specimens will be housed temporarily in the basement of Isaacson Hall. Staff, faculty, and students are housed on the east side of Douglas Conservatory in trailers moved in shortly after the University of Washington fire. Others have relocated to the College of Forest Resources on upper campus. Work has already begun to rebuild Merrill Hall. The search for an architectural firm to lead the design process started in July and the Miller/Hull Partnership was selected in August. Hopes are to create a building that embodies the finest in “green architecture” design principles. This is a fitting goal for a Center devoted to sustaining natural ecosystems and human-altered landscapes. Please join with us as we rebuild. Bradshaw Speaks Out THE EARTH LIBERATION FRONT TARGETED RESEARCHER TOBY BRADSHAW FOR HIS WORK ON HYBRID POPLARS. WE ASKED DR. BRADSHAW TO REPLY TO THEIR ACCUSATION THAT HE “RELEASES MUTANT GENES INTO THE ENVIRONMENT.” We Need Your Help The Center for Urban Horti- culture needs your support as we rebuild. Please send donations to the Urban Hort Recovery Fund, c/o The CFR Development Office, Box 352 1 00, Seattle, WA 98 I 95. The late Carl Sagan had a gift for helping the public to understand and appreciate science. He is sorely missed. Sagan had this to say in his book The Demon-Haunted World: We’ve arranged a global civilization in which the most crucial elements — transportation, commu- nications, and all other industries; agriculture, medicine, education, entertainment, protecting the environment; and even the key democratic institution of voting — profoundly depend on science and technology. We have also arranged things so that almost no one understands science and technology. This is a prescription for disaster. We might get away with it for a while, but sooner or later this combustible mixture of ignorance and power is going to blow up in our faces. Sagan’s prophecy came true in a sickeningly literal way for us when the Earth Liberation Front firebombed Merrill Hall. I was targeted by the ELF firebomb because they allege that I am “the driving force in G.E. [genetically engineered] tree research,” and that as part of my research I “unleash mutant genes into the environment that is [sic] certain to cause irreversible harm to forest ecosystems.” But members of the ELF are as ignorant as they are malevolent. I have never genetically engineered a tree, much less released one into the environment. My work in plant genetics, including trees, has relied upon traditional cross-pollination coupled with studies of DNA. My only goal is to better understand how the natural world works. Like all my scientific colleagues, I hope this leads to practical applications that benefit humanity and our environment. But it is simple curiosity that motivates me, and scientific discovery that gives me the greatest thrill. Let me be clear about plant genetic engineering. I strongly endorse the genetic engineering of plants for research. For the past twenty years, genetic engineering has been a standard method used by thousands of plant biologists who investigate the function of genes. Without genetic engineering we would not know the details of how plants respond to light, produce flowers, or tolerate cold and drought. I plan to use genetic engineering for my own research, and have recently obtained some genetically engineered (GE) aspen hybrids from Steve Strauss and Rick Meilan, colleagues of mine at Oregon State University. These GE trees were produced by isolating a gene that we hope will affect the number of branches, and make the crown more efficient at capturing sunlight. The “branching” gene was isolated from a hybrid aspen, then modified in my laboratory by flipping it around so that it would be read in the wrong direction when engineered into a tree. This “backwards” gene was designed ro reduce or elimi- nate expression of the tree’s own branching gene, providing clear evidence whether the gene does, or does not, affect branching. We are just beginning to study these 80 GE aspens. Basic research aside, there are legitimate scientific and public concerns about the planting of GE (“transgenic”) crops and trees in our fields and forests. These concerns need to be (continued on page 4) CENTER FOR URBAN HORTICULTURE AUTUMN 2001 CENTER FOR URBAN HORTICULTURE AUTUMN 2001 Continued from page 3 addressed and the ultimate decisions about their commercial use made using transparent political and regulatory processes that draw upon science. I feel so strongly about the value of informed public debate that, more than a year ago, Steve Strauss and I organized a symposium on GE trees that was held in July at Skamania Lodge. We invited speakers with the widest possible range of viewpoints, including environmental groups with strong positions against GE trees, ecologists, economists, ethicists, corporate scientists, government regulators, and geneticists. The goal was to find common ground among the disparate viewpoints, and identify a research agenda for the future to which all can agree. It is ironic, but not surprising, that the ELF and similar groups violently opposed to genetic engineer- ing targeted our symposium for “direct action.” Apparently the ELF is equally vehemently opposed to the freedom of scientific inquiry and exchange of ideas among well-intentioned parties on all sides of the debate. Instead of engaging in rational dialogue, the ELF sets firebombs to promote its vacuous slogan: “You cannot control what is wild.” Their notion that genetic engineering represents some sort of unprecedented assault on the environment by humans is absurd. Humans, like all other life forms on earth, actively manipulate their environment to promote their 4 own survival, often at the expense of other organisms. The simple acts of weeding a flower bed, hybridizing two rhododendrons, planting a non-native perennial in an urban landscape, or building a house are everyday examples of humans controlling what is wild. But we are as much a part of nature as leaf-cutting ants that cultivate fungi in underground gardens, hummingbirds that move pollen between different plant species, fruit bats that disperse seeds far from their point of origin, or termites that build elaborate air-conditioned mounds in which to live. Indeed, genetic engineering of plants was “invented" by bacteria millions of years ago, and many wild plants carry genes inserted into their chromosomes by the sam e Agrobacterium now used by plant geneticists to shuttle transgenes into GE crops and trees. Perhaps ELF members and their sympathizers should expend the effort it takes to understand the complex intricacies of biology, rather than trying to enforce their narrow, fundamentalist worldview by setting firebombs. As Sagan points out, “Both science and democracy encourage unconventional opinions and vigorous debate. Both demand adequate reason, coherent argument, rigorous standards of evidence and honesty.” I believe we should have the freedom to pursue knowledge and participate in open debate without the fear of an anti-science jihad. For more information on Dr. Bradshaw’s research, click on http://faculty.washington.edu/toby/. ropl 3TS are deciduous trees with heart-shaped leaves. Poplars have tiny seeds attached to fine, cottony fibers, which can be carried great distances on air currents-hence, the name “cottonwoods”. Look for cottonwoods along virtually any riverbank in Washington and Oregon, and along 1-5 and 1-405 because the opportunistic tree grows quickly in disturbed sites. Their ability to grow in disturbed areas is one reason poplars are grown like a crop by a number of pulp and paper makers. They also are easy to grow and easy to breed for characteristics that make high quality paper. Poplars can be readily propagated — sometimes referred to as “cloning” — using cuttings. Cuttings a foot long and one-half inch wide from a poplar tree with the desired characteristics can be planted and will take root and sprout new shoots. Oregon State University Drought Tips from the Experts During May, the Sustainable Community Landscapes consortium hosted a panel discussion to talk about preparing and managing landscapes during drought periods. Panelists included Peter Dervin of the Washington Association of Landscape Professionals (WALP), Nota Lucas and David McDonald of Seattle Public Utilities, and Tom Hinckley, UW Plant Physiologist and the Director of the Center for Urban Horticulture. The panelists discussed a variety of scientific, legal, and social issues. Questions asked of the panelists included: (1) What should people know about watering priorities for this year? (2) What are the biggest impediments to water conservation and how can this be addressed? (3) What kind of soil preparation and/or management will reduce landscape water needs? The panelists agreed that although Seattle won’t likely have mandatory water restrictions this year, other regional utilities are experiencing problems. Reducing consumption now will help to prevent future problems. Since cost and education are driving forces in the landscape industry we must find a way to balance these factors. Teaching people about integrated pest management, natural lawn care, and how to understand and emulate natural systems is a key to creating healthy landscapes. The panelists came up with the following list of tips to reduce water use and improve landscape health: DROUGHTTIPS • Cluster plants according to their water needs. • Mulch with a thick layer of wood chips or compost. As a general rule, use woody mulches for woody plants and non-woody mulches for herbaceous plants. • Use a mulching mower with sharp blades and adjust the mowing height for turf type. • Use soaker hoses or drip systems rather than overhead sprinklers. • Water early in the morning or late in the evening to reduce evaporation. • Watering infrequently but deeply is generally better than frequent, shallow irrigation. • Use rain sensors or water budgets to maximize the effectiveness of irrigation systems. • Enhance a plant’s natural water conserving ability by gradually reducing irrigation prior to a drought. Reduced growth or early senescence may occur, though the plant should survive. Crane Fly, Don’t Bother Me! SHARON J. COLLMAN, P E S T I C I D E SI I P M OUTREACH COORDINATOR FOR E PA REGION 10 To water quality folks, crane fly larvae are indicators of good stream health. However, a homeowner with a lawn problem will quickly blame crane flies and, often without thinking, apply pesticides to bring about control. The European crane fly was introduced into the U.S. in 1969 and quickly gained public notice when the larvae stripped many lawns bare. It is common for newly arrived pests to be very damaging in the early years because they arrive without their co-evolved predators and parasites. Being newcomers, crane flies received lots of media attention. Thirty years later, the natural enemies such as soil microorganisms, and birds have found crane flies and now we only have normal ups and downs in crane fly numbers. We also know more about the pest crane flies. These are not to be confused with the many crane fly species that are beneficial in streams, or work as decomposers of organic matter on land. Research experience has shown that healthy turf on good soil can withstand high populations of crane fly larvae. At the Washington State University and Oregon State University Research and Extension Centers, turf scientists Gwen Stahnke and Tom Cook have found populations as high as 60 to 80 larvae per square foot in their plots with no significant damage (and turf researchers are very serious about their turf). They recommend that, in most cases, homeowners should spend their efforts on improving lawn health. In most cases, proper fertilization will help the lawn outgrow any damage. If homeowners check their lawns during late winter and early spring, they will have plenty of time to intervene if the crane fly starts to get out of hand. These researchers have also found that the eggs and 0 continued on page 6) For more information about the Sustainable Community Landscapes group and upcoming meetings, visit their web page at http:lldepts, washington.edu/mulchl CENTER FOR URBAN HORTICULTURE AUTUMN 2001 CENTER FOR URBAN HORTICULTURE AUTUMN 2001 Continued from page 5 young larvae are very susceptible to dry soil conditions in the fall. One recommendation is to withhold water to lawns during mid August to mid September. A far more serious problem has developed. With pest crane fly’s high media profile, the public has come to know, and to blame, crane fly for ANY lawn problem. Consequently, excessive and unneces- sary pesticides are being applied and they are showing up in urban streams. The common pesticides used on crane flies have been diazinon (which has caused several bird kills) and dursban. To improve communication about crane flies, researchers, educators, and regulators in the Pacific Northwest (Environmental Protection Agency, Washington State University and Oregon State Univer- sity researchers and Cooperative Extension agents, Washington and Oregon Departments of Agricul- ture, and other area specialists) are collaborating to share information via a new website. The website covers basic information on crane fly identification and management, current research reports, techni- cal references, photos and information on how to join a discussion list on pest crane flies. This infor- mation is available at http://whatcom.wsu.edu/cranefly. Where lawn damage is observed, check carefully. It is possible the lawn is suffering from lack of water, drought or heat intolerant grasses or from lawn diseases — many of which also can be controlled by good lawn care. “Target the pest, and protect the rest”. 6 z 1 o 73 H n c r H C 33 m > C H C Z Z SJ o o 19 PAYMENT O Check (payable to University ofWashington ) O Visa O MasterCard O American Express CREDIT CARD NUMBER EXPIRATION DATE NAME ON CARD GENERAL INFORMATION NAME ADDRESS CITY STATE ZIP DAY PHONE EVENING PHONE FAX EMAIL Mail payment and registration to: Urban Horticulture Courses University ofWashington Box 354115 Seattle, WA 98195-41 15 You may also register in person at: Union Bay campus 3501 NE 4 1st Street Mon.-Fri., 8:00 a.m. to 5:00p.m. Registrations are filled in the order received. Enrollment is limited. Classes fill rapidly, so register early. CENTER for URBAN HORTICULTURE REGISTRATION FORM UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON CENTER FOR URBAN HORTICULTURE The CUH mission is “to apply horticulture to natural and human-altered landscapes to sustain natural resources and the human spirit." • Continuing and Public Education May was a month of incredible contrasts. The Seattle City Council and UW Board of Regents both voted unanimously to approve the Arboretum Master Plan. The Center hosted the College’s annual scholarship meeting, surrounded by beautiful gardens and perfect weather. My life changed forever on May 21 at 6 a.m. when my wife woke me up saying “Tom, CUH is burning!” She had left out the rest, which was “It is all gone.” As I drove to the Center I tried to convince myself that it was minor. I wondered if I had left something on that caused the fire. Nearing the Center what emerged through the trees were the telescoping antenna of five tv trucks, 33 fire trucks and a mountain of spaghetti-like fire hoses. The faces of staff said it all: This was very bad! And it was. Merrill Hall was damaged beyond repair. Merrill Hall is the main building for CUH. It housed the Miller Library, research labs, faculty, staff, student and cooperative extension offices. In my office, computers and backup files, notes, books, 1000 slides, hundreds of records, theses and dissertations, 30+ years of work, were gone. But we move forward. The Center is composed of remarkable people. Our supporting community came together to react, to reclaim and to renew. Volunteers from within and outside the University have enabled us to recover and have provided precious support of untold magnitude. Their work, their faces and their altruism will be remembered as we rebuild. TOM HINCKLEY, DIRECTOR, CENTER FOR URBAN HORTICULTURE • Douglas Research Conservatory • Elisabeth C. Miller Library • Otis Douglas Hyde Herbarium • Undergraduate and Graduate Education • Union Bay Gardens and Natural Area • Rare Plant Care and Conservation • Washington Park Arboretum • Sustainable Community Landscapes CENTER FOR URBAN HORTICULTURE Tom Hinckley, Ph.D., Director 350 1 NE 4 1 st Street Box 354115 Seattle. WA 98195-41 15 206-685-8033 (phone) 206-685-2692 (fax) www.urbanhort.org WASHINGTON PARK ARBORETUM John Wott, Ph.D., Director 2300 Arboretum Drive East Box 358010 Seattle, WA 98195-8010 206-543-8800 (phone) 206-543-8893 (fax) http:lldepts.washington.edu/wpa/ URBAN HORTICULTURE NEWSLETTER. VOL. 18. NO. 4 CUH/WPA Continuing & Public Education Staff: Sue Nicol, Outreach Coordinator Jean Robins. Program Coordinator Sandra Kirchner, Outreach Assistant Monica Ravin, Education Coordinator Assistant ( Youth & Community Outreach) Shawna Hartung, Arboretum Education Assistant CUH/WPA Building & Rentals Management Staff: Becky Johnson, CUH Facilities Manager Ray Larson, CUH Assistant Facilities Manager for URBAN HORTICULTURE College of Forest Resources University of Washington 3501 NE 4 1 st Street Box 354115 Seattle, WA 98195-4115 AUTUMN 2001 NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID SEATTLE, WA PERMIT NO. 62