- i n~ Summer 1987 — n — rr- Vol. 4, No. 3 Center for Urban Horticulture / Washington Park Arboretum / University of Washington CENTER NEWS Summer — A Pause for Reflection As I write this headline on a balmy April day, I remember almost exactly three years ago — the day we moved into Merrill Hall, the first of our new CUH buildings. The excitement, the (anticipation, and the plans, all were there. We ■e now completing our busiest year yet. It nas begun to work, and you’ve all helped to make it possible. Thanks! Yes, we’ll slow a bit so you (and we) can pause to smell the flowers. But there will be continual activities. Summertime seems to be the time for you to join us in tours (we think you like summer seminars) — check our class schedules for some exciting one-day affairs. And our Washington Park Arboretum tours are offered more frequently. In this issue, we are going to incorporate a little more information (we think we have some extra space). So sit back, grab a “spot” of herb tea (preferably iced), and enjoy the flowers. And join us whenever possible . . . — John A. Wott 9 Visiting Dr. Poul Sondergaard, director of the Ar- boretum at the University of Bergen, Norway, is presently at CUH as part of a faculty ex- change program. Dr. Sondergaard has been instrumental in collecting and introducing any new plant species into the Scandina- 'an countries. Our Growing Facilities R. D. Merrill Hall officially opened in May 1984. Soon following was our 200-seat Con- ference Hall, and the Martha L. Isaacson Hall. The McVay Courtyard is now in place, and the new entry garden is taking place. The J. F. and Neva B. Douglas Conservatory and Greenhouses are being re-bid, hoping for summer construction. Plantings and fences have been installed along the front entrance. Inside, the Elisabeth Carey Miller Library is completing the cataloging of its ever expand- ing collections, extending hours, increasing staff, and being visited by several hundred patrons each month. The Otis Douglas Hyde Herbarium’s policies are now completed and its collections are expanding, including a spe- cial project with the Rhododendron Species Foundation. Our Conference Facilities were used by over 35.000 people last year. Ten plant societies hold regular programs here; many others have been here for special events. Nearly 11.000 persons attended our classes, lec- tures, and tours where we counted faces. Our academic research efforts have ex- panded into water-relation studies, urban street tree light and soil problems, urban ecol- ogy, plant selection and adaptation studies, and urban people-plant relationships. The opening of the Graham Visitors Center in Washington Park Arboretum attracted an en- tirely new array of visitors — weekend open- ing hours, more volunteers, more tours, more conference facilities. Our interpretive displays have just begun at the Visitors Center. And we must not forget the multitude of Vol- unteers (You!) who have helped us in our programs as well as in various organizations. Elisabeth C. Miller Library News The library will be adding a part-time cata- loger and a clerical assistant, thanks to a gift from Pendleton and Betty Miller. Several gift books (too many to list them all) have been received: Rocky Mountain Alpines and “Hortus, a Gardening Journal — (gifts of Pendleton Miller); Plant Breeding, an eight- volume set by Luther Burbank, and Cassell’s Popular Gardening (gifts of Emily Snyder Reid); a subscription to “American Rose” and the Combined Rose List 1987 (gifts of the Seattle Rose Society Foundation). The library has also received a copy of John Brookes’ Room Outside, given in memory of Marvin Black. Library hours will be shortened again this summer to concentrate on continued cata- loging, processing, and making an inventory of the book collection, and to install addi- tional shelving. Please call CUH to check open hours if you are planning a visit during the summer. Summer interns Two student interns will spend their summer at the Center for Urban Horticulture. They are Linda Shotwell, an ornamental horticul- ture major from California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo, and Bill Cos- tello, a plant science major from Rutgers Uni- versity in New Jersey. Bill will spend most of his time on curatorial projects at the Ar- boretum, while Linda will work with the Cen- ter’s continuing education program. FREE PUBLIC LECTURE SERIES These one-hour lectures are offered as a service to the public and cover a wide range of horticultural interests. Brown-Bag Garden Talks First and third Wednesdays of each month, 12:10 to 12:50 p.m., at the HUB (Student Union Building), University of Washington. Informal lectures, walks, and demonstrations for hobby gardeners. Bring your lunch and a friend. Jointly sponsored by the Center for Urban Horticulture and the Washington State University Master Gardeners. Culinary Botany: New and Unusual Fruits and Vegetables July 1 by Brant Rogers, W.S.U. Master Gardener and coauthor of A New World of Fruit and Vegetables Attract Birds to Your Garden and Create a Backyard Wildlife Sanctuary July 15 by Stephen Penland, urban biologist, Wash- ington State Department of Game A Campus Tree Walk \ August 5 by Van Bobbitt of the Center for Urban Horticulture Landscape Water Dynamics: Everything You Wanted to Know About Your Dry , Brown Lawn but Were Afraid to Ask August 19 by Roger Kjelgren of the Center for Urban Horticulture The Master Gardener Second Friday of each month, 7:30 p.m., at the Center for Urban Horticulture. Practical gardening information presented by the Washington State University Master Gardeners. A Beginner’s Guide to Herbs July 10 by Courtenay Bell Wouldn’t it be nice to have an herb garden just outside your kitchen door? Now you can turn that dream into reality. Come and learn the basics of selecting, growing, and using culinary herbs. Year-Round Vegetable Gardening August 14 by Jean Colman Year-round vegetable gardens are possible in the mild, maritime Northwest. Find out which vegetables are hardy enough to survive the winter. Learn how to build and use cloches for frost protection. Soils and Nutrition Seminar Jointly sponsored by the American Rose Society and Center for Urban Horticulture When: August 28, 29, and 30 Where: Center for Urban Horticulture Registration: $75, includes instructional materials, coffee and snacks, Friday evening reception, and Saturday luncheon. Registration forms may be obtained from the Center for Urban Horticulture. Pre- registration is required by July 24. This is part of a nationwide series of semi- nars sponsored by the American Rose So- ciety to promote advanced knowledge of horticultural science among both rosarians and other horticulturists. Topics to be covered include soil components and structure, soil management, amend- ments, soil testing, irrigation, fertilizers, and nutritional problems. Instructors are Dr. Robert Stevens, exten- sion soil scientist with Washington State University, and Timothy Hohn, curator of plant collections at the Center for Urban Horticulture. Hort Forum Twenty-three representatives from fifteen horticultural organizations spent three hours on a February morning at CUH in a discus- sion program learning about each other’s or- ganizations. The group ‘brainstormed’ four questions — “What are the best ways to get new members,” “How to prevent member burnout,” “The best ways for fund raising,” and “How can we cooperate with each other?” A brief summary was sent to each representative. It was generally decided to pursue a quarterly program and encourage other organizations to join in a further ex- change of ideas. Clark Stewart, Seattle Rose Society, is commended for helping to orga- nize this event. M Mailing List Update If you would like to continue receiving this newsletter, check the date on your address label. If your label is dated prior to June 1, 1986, your name will be removed from our list UNLESS you return the form (below) now, or call 545-8033. Hort Field Day Please keep my name on the mailing list. Attach mailing label or write: Approximately 100 high school age voca- tional horticulture students tried their skills at nine landscape maintenance events at the Hort Field Day, April 21, 1987. Co-sponsored by Washington Association of Landscape Professionals, a dozen of their members planned, conducted, and scored events. Nine Puget Sound area schools participated. It was a wonderful exchange between students, business people, and the university. Name. Address. City- -State- -ZIP- MAIL TO: Continuing Education, Center for Urban Horticulture, GF-15, U of W, Seattle, WA 98195. CALENDAR OF EVENTS JUNE Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Noon-4 p.m. WPA 14- Master Gardener Clinic 1 p.m. WPA ^Sundays at One 7 p.m. CUH 15 Lapland’s Flora 16 12:10 p.m. HUB 1 7 Herbs 18 19 Noon-4 p m. WPA 20 Master Gardener Clinic 1 p.m. WPA Children’s Tour TVoon-4 p.m. WPA 21 Master Gardener Clinic 1 p.m. WPA Sundays at One 6 p.m. CUH 22 Mycological Society 23 10 a m WPA 24 A.F. Perennial Study Field Trip 10 am. WPA Explorers’ Walk 7:30 p.m. WPA 95 A.F. Herb Study 26 9:30 a m. WPA* 27 Kids’ Class Noon— 4 p.m. WPA Master Gardener Clinic 12-4 p.m. WPA 28 Master Gardener Clinic 1 p.m. WFA Sundays at One 6 p.m. CUH 29 Mycological Study 9 am. -Noon CUH* 30 PRO HORT Diagnosing Urban Tree Problems f JULY Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 12:10 p.m. HUB 1 Culinary Botany 2 3 Noon— 4 p.m. WPA 4 Master Gardener Clinic 1 p.m. WPA Children’s Tour Noon-4 p.m. WPA 5 Master Gardener Clinic 1 p.m. WFA Sundays at One 6 Sam. CUH* 7 Specialty Nursery Tour 7 p.m. CUH* Improving Your Landscape 7 p.m. CUH* 8 Floral Design 9 am. CUH* Q PRO HORT Weed l.D. 7 p.m. CUH* Improving Your Landscape 7:30 p.m. C UH 10 Beginner’s Guide to Herbs 10 am. CUH* H Perennial Garden Tour 10 am. CUH* Improving Your Landscape Noon-4 p.m. WPA Master Gardener Clinic Noon-4 p.m. WPA 12 Master Gardener Clinic 1 p.m. WPA Sundays at One 13 14 12:10 p.m. HUB 15 Backyard Wildlife 7 p.m. CUH* Floral Design 16 17 Noon-4 p.m. WPA 18 Master Gardener Clinic 1 p.m WPA Children’s Tour Noon-4 p.m. WPA IQ Master Gardener Clinic 1 p.m. WR^l Sundays at One > 20 21 10 am. WPA 22 Perennial Study Field Trip 10a.m. WPA Explorers’ Walk 7 p.m. CUH* Floral Design 23 24 10 am. CUH* 25 Garden Tour of Mercer Island Noon-4 p.m. WPA Master Gardener Clinic Noon-7 p.m. CUH* 26 Puget Sound Bonsai Noon— 4 p.m. WPA Master Gardener Clinic 1 p.m WPA Sundays at One 27 28 7 p.m. CUH* 29 Floral Design 30 31 AUGUST Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Noon-4 p.m. WPA Master Gardener Clinic 1 p.m. WPA Children’s Tour Noon-4 p.m. WPA 2 Master Gardener Clinic 1 p.m. WPA Sundays at One 3 4 12:10 p.m. HUB 5 Campus Tree Walk 9 am. CUH* 6 PRO HORT Low Maintenance Landscape 7 9 am. WPA* 8 Summer Pruning Noon -4 p.m. WPA Master Gardener Clinic Noon-4 p.m. WPA 9 Master Gardener Clinic 1 p.m. WPA Sundays at One 10 11 12 13 7:30 p.m. CUH 14 Vegetable Gardening Noon— 4 p.m. WPA J5 Master Gardener Clinic 1 p.m. WPA Children’s Tour Noon-4 p.m. WPA 15 Master Gardener Clinic 1 p.m. WPA Sundays at One 17 18 12:10p.m. HUB 19 Water Dynamics 20 21 Noon-4 p.m. WPA 22 Master Gardener Clinic Noon-4 p.m. WPA 23 Master Gardener Clinic 1 p.m. WR^ Sundays at One 24 25 10 am. WPA 26 Explorers’ Walk 27 28 8 a m — 4 p.m. CUH* 29 Soils and Nutrition Noon-4 p.m. WPA Master Gardener Clinic H J0-11 am. CUH* 30 Boils and Nutrition * loon-4 p.m. WPA Master Gardener Clinic 1 p.m. WR^ Sundays at One CUH = Center for Urban Horticulture WPA = Washington Park Arboretum HUB = Husky Union Building * = Fee URBAN HORTICULTURE COURSES JVew Class for Kids: ^Starting Plants from Seeds and Cuttings Children ages 6-10 are invited to discover the world of plants. Explore what plants need and how they grow. Participants will start new plants from seeds and cuttings. Bring a small jar with you to class; all other materials will be provided. INSTRUCTOR: Peggy Campbell DATE: Saturday, June 27, 9:30-11:00 a.m. FEE: $10 (includes materials) Improving Your Landscape Does your garden suffer from overgrown plants, poor design, or too much shade? Join us for this practical approach to garden reno- vation. Lectures, slide show, and site exam- ples will help you evaluate and harmonize your landscape to your lifestyle. One of the lectures will be devoted to participants adopt- ing class techniques to improve their own gardens. Saturday field trip will be devoted to visiting selected sites and discussing what changes can be made and how these changes Avill affect the garden. Instructor: Pat Roome DATES: Tuesday July 7, Thursday July 9, 7 to 9 p.m. and Saturday July 11, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. FEE: $30 Specialty Nursery Tour Come with Van Bobbitt and Becky Johnson from the C.U.H. staff as they visit small, spe- cialty nurseries in the Seattle area. These nur- series, some of which are available by ap- pointment only, specialize in perennials, alpine plants, old-fashioned roses, garden pottery, and some of the hard to get garden plants. Transportation will be provided from The Center for Urban Horticulture (one pick- up in Bellevue). TOUR LEADERS: Van Bobbitt and Becky Johnson DATE: Tuesday, July 7, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. FEE: $15 (includes transportation) Beginning Floral Design In this course you will become acquainted with the most important techniques in ar- ranging fresh flowers. You will learn four basic styles. Each week you will learn a different style and will be able to bring home a new arrangement. Begin with a one-sided, then a round, an oval, and finally, a stylized round summer bouquet. After learning these basic concepts you will be able to better arrange your own garden flowers in an artistic, ex- pressive manner. INSTRUCTOR: Julie Mattie DATES: Wednesdays, July 8, 15, 22, and 29, 7 to 9 p.m. FEE: $55 (includes $35 material fee) REGISTRATION FORM Urban Horticulture Courses COURSE FEE NAME(S) TOTAL $ CHECK ENCLOSED FOR $ Checks payable to University of Washington. No bank cards. Registrations filled in order received. Limited class enrollment; classes fill rapidly, so register early. Refunds: Requests must be in writing or in person. Requests received 7 days or less from first class meeting have a $3.00 handling fee deducted. No refunds after first class meeting. NAME. Phone: Day Evening DDRESS Street City State ZIP Mail payment and registration to: Urban Horticulture Courses, GF-15 University of Washington Seattle, Washington 98195 A Gift of Learning: Give a Gift Certificate in the amount of one of the courses. Call Jan Davis for details (545-8033). Small , City Garden Tour Kevin Nicolay will lead a tour of three unique small gardens in the Seattle area. Visit a walled courtyard garden on Queen Anne Hill featuring foliage plants of interesting colora- tion and old-fashioned varieties of flowering plants. Next view a Wallingford brick-paved cottage, garden which wraps around a crafts- mans’ bungalow. Finally, enter a garden oasis in Madison Park filled with roses and interest- ing perennials. Transportation provided. TOUR LEADER: Kevin Nicolay DATE: July 11, 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. FEE: $13 (includes transportation) Garden Tour of Mercer Island Mercer Island contains some of the nicer gar- dens in the Seattle area. Come with us as we visit private gardens and learn about the unique variety of plants and garden designs that may generate ideas for improving your own landscape. Transportation will be pro- vided from the Center for Urban Horticulture (one stop on Mercer Island). TOUR LEADERS: Van Bobbitt and Becky Johnson DATE: Saturday, July 25, 10 a.m. to 2 pm. FEE: $13 (includes transportation) Summer Pruning Not all pruning has to be done during the dormant season. Summer is a good time to remove water sprouts, perform light thinning, and prune spring flowering trees and shrubs. An introductory lecture will cover the best techniques for pruning trees and shrubs, proper tools, and how to select a professional arborist for the large scale tree work. After a pruning demonstration, participants will have an opportunity to prune a shrub and a small tree. INSTRUCTOR: Phil Renfrow DATE: Saturday, August 8, 9 a.m. to noon FEE: $15 C.U.H. PROGRESS IN RESEARCH Urban Air Pollution and Plants — Can They Survive? The potential effects of air pollutants on plants have been recognized for many years, especially in urban areas. However, the em- phasis of monitoring and control programs has been on urban human health. As a result, the extensive character of air pollution effects have not been appreciated until recently. In order to reduce pollutants in urban indus- trial areas, manufacturers were forced to re- duce what pollutants they could (especially particulates and incompletely burned hydro- carbons) and push what they could not re- duce higher up into the air to get it away from ground level, where the people are. This was not a final solution, because it created a re- gional problem which would intensify over the years as our industrial and human activi- ties increased. Air pollution in cities such as ours is not likely to be dramatically reduced in the near future. The industrial life of the city is closely tied to the production of by-product wastes, which are released into the air and water or buried in the soil. The easy pollutants have been ad- dressed first. Now it is our cars, home heating, electricity, and general manufacturing capac- ity that are at stake, and the costs of control are high. What can we do? The urban horticulturist can take the following steps toward protecting plants from air pollution damage: (1) learn to recognize the symptoms of air pollution damage; (2) become familiar with the current information on specific plant sensitivities to pollutants; (3) encourage legislators to place more emphasis on pollution studies; and (4) support pollution control measures. — Deane Wang Continuing Education Staff John A. Wott, professor Van M. Bobbitt, coordinator Jan Davis, program assistant (CUH) Dan DeWald, program assistant (WPA) Rebecca Johnson, program aide Tom Kuykendall, graduate assistant Telephones CUH— 545-8033 9:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m. weekdays WPA— 543-8800 10:00 a.m.— 4:00 p.m. weekdays Mycorrhizae and Drought Tolerance — Hope for Container Plants? Much of the research on the importance of mycorrhizae for tree establishment and growth has been directed toward commercial tree production, but the research also has implications for the management of urban trees. Mycorrhizae are a beneficial associa- tion of roots and fungi which can alter the structure, nutrient concentration, growth reg- ulator chemistry, water use, and photo- synthesis of plants. Enhanced drought tolerance of plants with mycorrhizal roots was the initial indicator of the beneficial nature of the plant/fungus rela- tionship. There are three possible direct mechanisms by which the fungus could alter the water status of roots and thus increase drought tolerance: (1) increased root area for the collection of water; (2) increased trans- port of water to the root by fungal hyphae in the soil; and (3) reduced drying out of the root due to the mantle of fungus covering the root. Our lab is interested in the effects of the mycorrhizae on the capacity of a root to trans- port water from the soil to the shoot. If root water conductance is increased in mycor- rhizal roots, the increased drought tolerance of a plant could be independent of the soil volume available to explore for water. This would be important for plants with restricted soil volume, including container grown plants. — Barbara Smit-Spinks Root Growth — When in the Northwest? When do roots grow most actively? Early spring is commonly thought of as a period of rapid root growth for trees and shrubs in tem- perate climates. W.S.U. Extension Bulletin 0675, Transplanting Woody Plants, states: “Root growth is most active fall through early spring when the soil temperature is above freezing. Less root growth occurs in the late spring and summer.” This apparently is not true for oak (Quercus) and honey locust ( Gleditsia ) growing in the Puget sound area. Our research conducted in 1983 and 1984, showed that root growth for these two trees was most active during the summer months. Minimal root growth oc- cured before June. Does this pattern apply to other trees? From our observations of other deciduous species, we feel it does. — James R. Clark Paving Paradise: Can Plants Survive Life with A Commuters? " When you think about parking lots, you probably think about asphalt, not plants. Yet increasingly, as people pay more attention to the environment, parking lots include plant- ings of various kinds. But while it’s easy for parking lot operators to install plantings, that’s only the beginning. Plants must be cared for and maintained, and there the problems begin. In a recent study of four Metro parking lots, a series of errors, made at various stages of the design and implementation processes, was responsible for future maintenance prob- lems. Inappropriate plants were a major problem. In one traffic island, for example, ivy was used as a ground cover, with photinia and red osier dogwood. For safety reasons, the plants couldn’t be more than three feet tall. But the dogwood grows to more than four feet, so it had to be lopped off periodically to the right height. Why were those particular plants chosen in the first place? In many cases certain plants were called for in the design and others were substituted. This happens frequently becaus^ specified plants may be in short supply at thl time they’re needed. The landscape designer is no longer involved after his designs are approved, so someone else — probably someone with little expertise in plants — ap- proves the substitutions. Another problem with parking lot plantings was the result of soil compaction. When as- phalt is laid down, 95 percent compaction of the soil is required. Also, since landscaping is the last thing to be done when parking lots are installed, generally installers jackhammer the asphalt, add a little topsoil, and put in the plants. Since the topsoil isn’t very deep, the plant is essentially in a container. Once plantings are done, you are sort of stuck with them, because it’s very costly to rip them out and start over, and when money is in- volved, people listen. — Christina Pfeiffer Urban Horticulture Presents WASHINGTON PARK ARBORETUM For those who haven’t noticed, the glass and wood frames of the old greenhouses have been removed and soon will be replaced by new, modern glass and framing. The Ar- boretum Foundation has approved funding for the major plant rejuvenation projects — the Brian O. Mulligan Sorbus Collection and the Joseph A. Witt Winter Garden. And the Graham Visitors Center now has both Satur- day and Sunday visiting hours. More volun- teers are needed to help on weekends. Sunday in the Arboretum (at press time) is still tentative for the second Sundays in June, July, August and September. During these Sundays, the Arboretum proper, including Lake Washington Boulevard, will be closed to vehicular traffic. The public will be encour- aged to stroll through the Arboretum. Please call the Graham Visitors Center for con- firmation and details. A new group of volunteer guides has com- pleted spring training and has been added to our growing volunteer corps. Our spring Sat- urday tours for children were overwhelmingly received. Watch for expanded programs in the future. TOURS Visit Seattle’s cool, lush, inner-city oasis — the Washington Park Arboretum — during the long, hot summer. See the white-flowered climbing hydrangea, which snakes its way to the tops of several large evergreens, the fern- like foliage and pink powder puff flowers of the silk tree, the fragrant, summer-blooming Rhododendron auriculatum, and much more. To help you discover the Arboretum’s beauty, we have arranged the following guided tours. Sundays at One Every Sunday from 1 to 2:30 p.m. during June, July, and August. A refreshing place to spend a hot Sunday afternoon. Free — no reservations required. Saturday Children’s Tours First and third Saturdays of each month from 1 to 2:30 p.m. For grade school-age children who are accompanied by an adult. Upcom- ing tours are June 6 and 20, July 4 and 18, and August 1 and 15. These tours are free, but space is limited, so call early for reservations. Explorers’ Walks From 10 a.m. to noon on the fourth Wednes- day of each month, June 24, July 22, and August 26. In-depth botanical exploration^ with the Arboretum’s plant experts. Free — n" reservations required. Special Group Tours Special guided tours of the Arboretum can be arranged for schools, scout groups, garden clubs, and other organizations. Please make arrangements at least three weeks in advance. All tours begin at the Donald G. Graham Visitors Center, 2300 Arboretum Drive East. For more information call 543-8800. IVolunteers ! Don’t forget! We depend on you! The Graham Visitors Center at the Washington Park Arboretum urgently needs help at the reception desk and the gift shop. Positions are available weekdays and weekends. If you are energetic and like working with the public call Dan DeWald at 543-8800. u Son 3^ 00 - H 12 DC % O | X D o S ro o CO • Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage Paid Permit No. 62 Seattle, WA