Table Of Content

Washington Park Arboretum BULLETIN Published by the Arboretum Foundation Fall 2005 $5 -University of Washington- The Washington Park Arboretum Bulletin is a benefit of Arboretum Foundation membership. The University of Washington manages the Arboretum’s For information on membership or advertising oppor- collections, horticultural programs, facilities and tunities, contact the Arboretum Foundation education programs through the University of at 206-325-4510 or [email protected]. Washington Botanic Gardens. -Washington Park Arboretum- 206-543-8800 voice / 206-616-2871 fax Office hours: 8 am—5 pm weekdays The Arboretum is a 230-acre living museum displaying www.uwbotanicgardens.org internationally renowned collections of oaks, conifers, camellias, Japanese maples, hollies and a profusion David J. Mabberley, M.A. (Oxon.), Ph. D. (Cantab.), of woody plants from the Pacific Northwest and Director, University of Washington Botanic Gardens around the world. Aesthetic enjoyment gracefully co¬ exists with science in this spectacular urban green space on the shores of Lake Washington. Visitors -Seattle Parks and Recreation- come to learn, explore, relax or reflect in Seattle’s largest public garden. The City of Seattle owns the Arboretum’s land, including the buildings. Seattle Parks and Recreation is respon¬ The Washington Park Arboretum is managed cooper¬ sible for routine maintenance within the Arboretum atively by the University of Washington and Seattle and manages and operates the Japanese Garden. Parks and Recreation; the Arboretum Foundation is its major support organization. 206-684-4556 voice / 206-684-4304 fax Ken Bounds, Superintendent -Graham Visitors Center- Open 10 am—4 pm daily; Washington Park Arboretum Bulletin holidays, noon—4 pm. Lee Cuninggim Neff, Constance Bollen, Closed Thanksgiving and the Friday after, Editor Graphic Design Christmas and New Year’s Day. Biyan Taulbee, Joy Spurr, Photography The Arboretum is accessible by Metro bus #43 from Arboretum Foundation (unless otherwise noted) downtown Seattle and the University of Washington campus Editorial Board -Arboretum Foundation- Tom Berger, The Berger Holly M. Redell, Director The Arboretum Foundation is a nonprofit organization Partnership, Landscape of Development, Pacific established in 1935 to ensure stewardship for the Architects Science Center Washington Park Arboretum and to provide horticul¬ Val Easton, Writer Richie Steffen, Coordinator tural leadership for the region. The Foundation provides Polly Hankin, Edmonds of Horticulture, Elisabeth funding, volunteer services, membership programs and Community College C. Miller Botanical public information in support of the Arboretum, its Daniel J. Hinkley, Garden Heronswood Nursery David Streatfield, UW Dept. plant collections and programs. Volunteers operate the Joan Hockaday, Author of Landscape Architecture gift shop, conduct major fund-raising events, and further Steven R. Lorton, Former Brian Thompson, Elisabeth their gardening knowledge through study groups and Northwest Bureau Chief, C. Miller Library, CUH hands-on work in the greenhouse or grounds. Sunset Magazine Cass Turnbull, Plant Ciscoe Morris, Horticulturist Amnesty Founder 2300 Arboretum Drive East, Seattle, WA 98112 Myrna Ougland, Martha Wingate, Writer 206-325-4510 voice / 206-325-8893 fax Heronswood Nursery [email protected] Pam Perry, Parsons Public Botanical Editors www.arboretumfoundation.org Relations Randall Hitchin, Registrar, Office hours: 8:30 am—4:30 pm weekdays Christina Pfeiffer, University of Washington Gift shop hours: 10 am—4 pm daily Horticultural Consultant Botanic Gardens Jan Pirzio-Biroli, Jan Pirzio-Biroli Officers of the Arboretum Foundation Arboretum Foundation Martha Wingate Board of Directors Deborah Andrews, Executive Director Neal Lessenger, President Mary Ann Odegaard, Judy Phillips, Vice President Vice President Fall 2005 Volume 67. Issue 3. Susan Black, Vice President John Johnston, Treasurer Doyle Douglas, Della Balick, Secretary © 2005 The Arboretum Foundation. ISSN 1046-8749. Vice President Fred Isaac, Immediate Past President TENTS fo 2 Native Abundance—Deborah Andrews *| Salalberry, the Once and Future Fruit—George Schenk 3 Combinations Unlocked: The Whys 20 & Wherefores of Favorite Plant Native Plants: Where to Find and Buy Combinations, #11 Adorning Granite— Them—Nancy Davidson Short Duane Kelly 24 A Native Plant Classroom: The West 0 Celebrating Silver: The Creation of the Mercer Elementary Courtyard—-Marilyn South Seattle Community College O'Neill and Ingrid Stipes Arboretum—Van Bobbitt 26 Garden Mushrooms—-Joy Spurr 9 Hollies—A Personal Journey— 28 Walt Bubelis On Mushrooms and Squirrels— Mary Johnston \ 1 Moving the Hollies: Whither & Why?— 30 Randall Hitch in In a Garden Library: Quite a Pile of Books: Northwest Authors Outdo 14 Propagation of the Genus Ilex— Themselves—Brian Thompson, Bulletin Barbara Selemon Book Review Editor ABOVE: Ilex bioritsensis, a rarely grown holly species native to China and Taiwan, will be featured in the newly restored Arboretum Ilex collection. For further information about the future of the Arboretum’s hollies, see the article on page 11. ON THE COVER: This shrubby mountain ash, Sorbus reducta, is native to western China. It grows only 12 to 18 inches tall, has pink fruit and bronze-tinted foliage late in fall. Since it spreads by underground runners to a distance of 3 feet, it can be useful as a ground cover in sunny areas (zones 6-10). It may be seen in the entiy court at the Center for Urban Horticulture. (Photo by Richie Steffen.) Fall 2005 <*> 1 Native Abundance his edition of our Bulletin brings weekly plant sale (Tuesday mornings, with a pleasant reminders of the beauty and small selection available daily on the cart at abundance of plant life in the Pacific the Graham Visitors Center entrance). You’ll Northwest. These include a couple of delightful find starts and young plants propagated from (and practical) surprises: a colorful collection the Arboretum collection, including native trees of culinary ideas for salal berries and a survey and shrubs. Greenhouse volunteers also of native plant resources for the region’s provide plants for the Foundation’s popular gardeners. spring and fall plants sales, so look there too. This native abundance brings to mind some Autumn beauty abounds at Washington of the attractions and resources here at Park Arboretum as nights grow cooler and Washington Park Arboretum. Have you visited days shorter. Visit the Arboretum for a magnif¬ the recently installed Native Knoll? This native icent show of local color (some provided by understory restoration project provides wildlife non-native plants, to be fair). Don’t forget to habitat by replacing invasives with valued bring out-of-town guests for a glimpse of the native plants. Planning and gardening for Native Northwest’s most extensive plant collection Knoll were done largely by the Arboretum and a walk along the recently restored Duck Foundation’s Native Plant Study Group (another Bay shoreline, o* area horticultural resource). Brochures are avail¬ able at the Graham Visitors Center. If you’re looking for some native bounty for your own garden, stop by the Arboretum Deborah Andrews, Executive Director, Foundation’s Pat Calvert Greenhouse for its Arboretum Foundation The pinnate leaves of Sorbus commixta, native to Korea and Japan, open bronze in early spring, then change to light green, and finally become vivid red to yellow in fall. Trees grow 20 feet wide and 20 to 30 feet tall. To observe this tree in the Arboretum this autumn, visit grid coordinates 23-4E, 24-4E, 24-5E, 25-4E. 2 Washington Park Arboretum Bulletin COMBINATIONS UNLOCKED The Whys & Wherefores of Favorite Plant Combinations #11 Adorning Granite By Duane Kelly / Photos by Alice Heck Kelly arely in life do things garden 10 years ago. Tom Iversen of turn out as we expect. Kemper/Iversen Ltd. (Seattle) The development of designed the garden and oversaw one’s garden invariably supports the structural work and major this conclusion. plantings. Our garden faces west The major structural and earth- and is fairly evenly divided into an moving work was done in our upper and lower level. A major In the Kellys’ garden, these striking granite steps are framed by a colorful, multi-textured tapestry. INSET: The rosettes of this dusky pink sedum are a pleasing complement to the gray of the granite. Fall 2005 3 feature of Tom’s design was eight granite sedums, then plop them around the steps. I steps, cut in generous proportions and diy immediately visited two or three nurseries and laid, connecting the lower and upper gardens. spent at most $40 (this was 10 years ago) Located in the center of the garden and buying any sedum (Sedum species, also called connecting its two levels, the steps had the stonecrop) that caught my fancy. effect of dividing the garden into four Today those granite steps are perhaps the quadrants or “rooms.” The planting plan for most visually striking element in the garden. these rooms emerged from long conversations The humble sedums form a colorful, multi- among Tom, my wife Alice and me. The textured tapestiy that frames the stone. The blueprint was detailed, chock full of those sedums were the garden’s least expensive round squiggles landscape architects like to plantings and can be found nowhere on the draw to represent plants. And Alice and I were blueprint. Tom’s tossed-off planting sugges¬ soon to learn that all those little circles made tion, intended, I suspect, to get me out of his a sound: ka-ching, ka-ching, as our budget hair as much as to improve the steps, has disappeared. proved to be as solid as the granite. When the steps were installed, their size, the coloring of the stone, and their central Successful Sedum Selections location combined to make an impressive At least ten varieties of sedums grow feature. But something wasn’t right; the granite around the steps. I’ve lost some of the plant looked harsh and naked. When I said tags, but varieties I know I have include something felt missing, Tom suggested I get Sedum spurium ‘Schorbuser Blut’ (or ‘Dragon’s me to the nursery, buy a bunch of low-growing Blood’), S. ‘Ruby Glow,’ S. spathulifolium Mark Harman Certified Arborist 4000 SW Myrtle Street The Berger Partnership PS Seattle, WA 98136 Landscape Architecture 937-7428 Fax 937-4939 1721 Eighth Ave. N Seattle, WA 98109 STONEHEDGE 206325.6877 . TREE EXPERTS, INC. ^rC*****?.i A Total Tree Service with Quality Workmanship bergerpartnership.com www.stonehedgetree.com r Steamboat Island Nursery DIG uncommon trees, shrubs, vines, perennials, grasses, annuals Floral & Garden 19028 Vashon Hwy SW and temperennials Vashon, WA 98070 also pnw native plants 8424 Steamboat Island Road Olympia, Washington 360 866-2516 206-463-5096 - e-mail: [email protected] 206-463-4048 fax www. ol ywa. n et/stea m boat/ web: dignursery.com email: [email protected] Open Sat & Sun 10-5 or by appointment 4 ^ Washington Park Arboretum Bulletin ‘Cape Blanco,’ S. spathulifolium ‘Carnea,’ and This continual low-level attention is all the S. spurium ‘Variegatum’ (or ‘Tricolor’). There’s sedums require to look their best, adorning the occasional addition; a friend just gave me the granite steps. two pots of S. rupestre ‘Angelina,’ which I Over the last decade, I have completely intend to find room for. Not all varieties have changed the plantings in the garden’s beds succeeded; S. makinoi ‘Ogon,’ a new form that at least three times. And as I write this I came on the market from Japan several years have more new ideas, which I am trying to ago, has petered out. repress. The steps, however, are one of the This planting has required little mainte¬ few areas of the garden that I have not nance. The steps receive only a little spillover monkeyed with. That granite, fringed with water from the irrigation system, but that’s all sedums, has proved to be just fine as is, sedums require, as they come from thank you veiy much. o* mountainous, well-drained terrain. They thrive on their hot western exposure. I’ve never fertilized. Duane Kelly and his wife Alice founded Weeding is simple and unavoidable. In the Northwest Flower & Garden Show 18 order to traverse the garden, I have to walk years ago. His company also produces the San on the steps, which means the only way I Francisco Flower & Garden Show every March. could ignore the weeds is by being blind. So He is a long-time supporter of the Arboretum weeding consists of picking out invaders— Foundation and in the mid-1990s sewed a mostly violets and oxalis—as I walk up and two-year term as President. In his spare time down in transit to other parts of the garden. he writes plays. WellsAVedina N U R S E R Y JpJAere Sarcfeners Sroa> 5 Acres of Superior Quality Plants Perennials • Annuals • Shrubs • Roses Rhododendrons • Japanese Maples Reference Library • Knowledgeable Staff • Display Gardens Demonstration Containers 425.454.1853 8300 NE 24th Street • Just off 520 in Medina, WA Fall 2005 5 CELEBRATING SILVER: The Creation of The South Seattle Community College Arboretum By Van Bobbitt never knew this existed!” exclaim covered much of what became the SSCC many first-time visitors to the South campus. It had been filled. And when the Seattle Community College (SSCC) arboretum project was approved, the college’s Arboretum. Yet this 11-acre garden has existed heavy equipment-operation classes were using some 25 years and includes two rose gardens, the area as a training site. Their machines a perennial garden, and an outstanding dwarf would stir up great clouds of dust and further conifer collection. Some have dubbed it “West compact what was described as “unusable clay.” Seattle’s hidden treasure.” In an attempt to improve the soil, SSCC and King County Metro embarked on a cooper¬ A Student-Initiated Project ative project. Metro provided labor and The college’s Landscape Horticulture machinery to grade the land. They covered Program first contemplated the development the entire area with 18 inches of sewage of an arboretum in 1972. However, it was a sludge and seeded ryegrass. Despite this and student petition that spurred the Seattle the addition of topsoil, much of the arboretum Community College board to approve the suffers from heavy, poorly drained soil. arboretum in July 1978. In spite of a shoestring budget and terrible The advantages of the site included impres¬ soil conditions, the arboretum began to grow. sive views of downtown Seattle and the Steve Nord, former horticulture instructor, proximity of the West Duwamish Greenbelt, the spearheaded the effort. He never missed a largest contiguous woodland within the city of chance to share his vision of the arboretum Seattle. But the site also posed a major with students, college administrators and challenge—terrible soil! A gravel pit once prospective donors. LEFT: A visitor, admiring the Helen Sutton Rose Garden; in the foreground, the yellow rose is ‘Henry Fonda.’ CENTER: Bob Fincham (left) cuts the ribbon at the Coenosium Rock Garden on June 2, 2005; Van Bobbitt (right) assists. RIGHT: Visitors stroll the Coenosium Rock Garden after the dedication. (Photos by Michael May.) 6 *n Washington Park Arboretum Bulletin Support & Development sensoiy theme. Students recently critiqued it According to Nord, the original concept as a “hodgepodge” in need of an “extreme was to develop “gardens of the world.” But makeover.” Regardless of its faults, this garden the gardens-of-the-world concept gave way to is favored by visitors, because of its sheltered other ideas, as the reality of funding set in. location, ample seating areas and semi-formal The theme of each new garden was influenced pond with water trickling over rocks. in large part by its funding source. For Helen Sutton Rose Garden. This rose example, SSCC obtained a City of Seattle garden was dedicated in 1985 and named in Community Bloc Grant in 1982 to develop a honor of Helen Sutton, a strong supporter of “sensory garden” that would especially appeal the college and the arboretum since their to those with impaired vision. And other inceptions; Mrs. Sutton still chairs the individual donors wielded varying degrees of Arboretum Committee and sits on the SSCC influence over the arboretum’s development. Foundation’s board of directors. This is one of Through the years, though, the arboretum has two rose gardens in the arboretum. Some benefited from the strong financial and in-kind question the wisdom of such high-mainte- support of many individuals, businesses and nance gardens, but they are favorites of service organizations, particularly in the West summer visitors and provide students lots of Seattle community. pruning practice in February. Since the SSCC Arboretum’s primary mission Acer Garden. A young planting with a was to serve as an outdoor classroom and variety of maple species, this area focuses on laboratory for horticulture students, all of the Acer palmatum cultivars. This garden is still gardens in the arboretum have been installed evolving and has not yet realized its potential. by students in SSCC landscape construction It was built with generous donations from classes. Much of the irrigation system was West Seattle service clubs, Julius Rosso Nursery developed by students under the guidance of and Briggs Nursery. instructors. Pruning and landscape manage¬ Sequoia Grove. Specimens of giant sequoia ment classes help maintain the arboretum. The (Sequoiadendron giganteum), coast redwood garden renovation classes have updated many CSequoia sempewirens) and dawn redwood gardens in recent years. And there’s not a day (Metasequoia glyptostoboides) reside here. in the academic year when you won’t find Anna Mason Perennial Garden. Donor students using the arboretum for study or Nancy Mason wanted this area to be reminis¬ hands-on learning. The SSCC Arboretum cent of her mother Anna’s old-fashioned currently consists of the following gardens: perennial garden. Herbaceous perennials are Entry Garden. This was the first garden combined with forsythia, lilac, mock orange, completed and the most formal, consisting of and deciduous azaleas to remind us of the extensive paving, rectangular planting beds gardens our grandmothers might have grown. and a central lawn. The beds were originally Gazebo and Mabel Davis Garden. The used for seasonal color displays but, due to Federated Women’s Club of West Seattle high maintenance costs, were converted to funded construction of the gazebo, and it was ornamental grasses. Recently, the grasses have built in 1986 by the volunteered labor of “the gradually given way to combinations of shrubs husbands.” It provides a covered seating area and herbaceous perennials. with a view of the downtown Seattle skyline. Sensory Garden. Originally created as a Milton Sutton Conifer Gardens. This garden emphasizing textural, fragrant and garden has two distinct parts that straddle a edible plants, it has lost its focus over time. gravel road. One side is built adjacent to a New plants were added without regard to the streambed and combines many larger conifers Fall 2005 7 with complementary shrubs and ground conifers for gardens in Western Washington. covers. On the other side of the road is a After Nord retired, the Finchams, Steve collection of dwarf conifers combined with Hilderbrand, landscape construction instructor, heaths and heathers. It is one of the most Yuki Kato, landscape design student from colorful sections of the arboretum in winter. Japan, and I began to develop a design and H. Chris and Erma Erickson Garden. Erma action plan for this garden. It took six years Erickson dedicated this garden to her husband to complete, with landscape construction Chris in 1995. It is planted with birch, pine classes tackling a new phase each year. and heath to simulate the feeling of Mr. The Finchams generously donated all of Erickson’s birthplace, a small mountainous the conifers in the Coenosium Garden. island in Noiway. Their friend, Rick Lupp, owner of Mount This garden stems from Tahoma Gardens—an alpine specialty nursery— Malmo Garden. the late Jean Malmo’s desire to memorialize donated a large number of alpine plants. her husband Clark and his father Charles, both Hilderbrand and his students worked overtime prominent Seattle nurserymen. They were in spring 2005 to have the garden completed rhododendron hybridizers, so that is the focus by its dedication in June. The dwarf conifers of this planting. In addition, Jean Malmo offer year-round appeal, because of their various contributed many plants in the early days of forms, textures and colors—blues, greens and the arboretum. For instance, she donated 125 golds. Many, such as Platycladus orientalis Bosnian pines (Pinus heldreichii) that were ‘Morgan’ (syn. Thuja orientalis ‘Morgan’), offer planted throughout the arboretum to provide seasonal color changes. It is yellow-gold most much-needed structure. of the year but turns an intense orange-bronze A small winter garden is with the arrival of colder temperatures in Winter Garden. taking shape near the front of the arboretum. November, and returns to yellow-gold with A witch-hazel collection already existed, but March’s increasing warmth. the garden-renovation class decided to create What does the future hold for the SSCC a real winter garden in 2004. Taking cues from Arboretum? The Coenosium Rock Garden filled the Joseph A. Witt Winter Garden at Washington the last undeveloped land in the arboretum. Park Arboretum, they added Garry>a species, Major renovations of older gardens are being winter jasmine (Jasminum nudiflorum), considered. And the Seattle Chinese Garden is Cyclamen coum, Stewartia monadelpha and being built adjacent to the arboretum. When other selections for winter interest. completed, the Chinese Garden is to be the Coenosium Rock Garden. Dedicated in largest Chinese garden in North America. Along June 2005, this is the crown jewel of the SSCC with the SSCC Arboretum, it will put the Arboretum. It aims to be the best public collec¬ campus “on the map” for tourists and garden- tion of dwarf conifers in the region, and it lovers. The future looks exciting. The South also contains a scree garden, many non-conif- Seattle Community College Arboretum is open erous alpine species, and a naturalistic water to the public seven days a week from dawn feature. This garden was first conceived by to dusk. Please visit. Dianne and Bob Fincham with former horti¬ culture instructor Steve Nord. The Finchams Van Bobbitt is Horticulture Instructor and operate Coenosium Gardens, a mail-order Arboretum Coordinator, South Seattle Com¬ nursery in Eatonville, which specializes in munity College. For a map and directions dwarf conifers. They wanted to develop a to the arboretum, visit http://www.south- garden that would help both students and the seattle.org/campus/map.htm. For additional gardening public appreciate the value of dwarf information, call 206-764-5393. 8 Washington Park Arboretum Bulletin