Bird-Watching Getaway, Guided Bird Walk, and Much More

The Garden Show preview party is just four days away!

There's still time to buy tickets for our annual Opening Night Party at the Northwest Flower & Garden Show, next Tuesday, February 7! The treasures are piling up for the silent auction portion of the event. You'll be able to bid on unique horticultural experiences such as a garden party with Ciscoe Morris, a private tour of Dan Hinkley's garden at "Windcliff," a botany expedition to the Siskiyou Mountains, and a garden package tour to Victoria, B.C. In keeping with the Birdsong theme of the event, we'll also be offering a birdwatching getaway at the Peaceful Pelican B&B in the birding hotspot of Palacios, Texas, and a guided bird walk for eight in the Union Bay Natural Area with Seattle Audubon Master Birder Neil Zimmerman.

Thanks to our event sponsors: Saltchuk Resources, Inc., PACCAR, Manson Construction, Holland America Line, K&L Gates, Berger Partnership, Chateau Ste Michelle, Northwest Flower & Garden Show, Seattle Audubon Society.

Cedar waxwing (Photo courtesy Thomas Sanders)

Plants and Birds of the 2012 Display

As we reported last month, our display

garden at the Garden Show (February 8 through 12) is a collaboration with the Seattle Audubon Society showcasing some of the beautiful bird species and habitats found in the Arboretum. Replicas of bird species will be used to demonstrate the nesting and feeding behavior of some of our most beloved avian dwellers. We're also creating a special online publication profiling the birds featured in the garden, as well as many of its bird-friendly plants. Garden Show visitors with smart phones will be able to access our website from the Exhibit Hall floor and learn about the habitat needs of each bird - and also listen to audio tracks of bird songs and sounds. The Birdsong Plants & Birds online feature is now up and running. 

Cover of the winter issue, featuring a hybrid hellebore.

A Review of New Books for the Northwest Gardener

In the latest issue of the Washington Park Arboretum Bulletin, the Miller Library's Rebecca Alexander reviews a host of new books about edible gardening in the Pacific Northwest. Titles include "The Resilient Gardener: Food Production and Self-Reliance in Uncertain Times," and "Backyard Bounty: The Complete Guide to Year-Round Organic Gardening in the Pacific Northwest." All of the books reviewed can be found at the library. Full article. 

Thanks to Our Sponsors! 

The winter 2012 Bulletin is made possible by: 

Molbak's,

Northwest Flower & Garden Show

Wells Medina Nursery

The Berger Partnership

Quick Links

Native Plant Art Exhibit

The Miller Library will host an exhibit of Northwest native plant illustrations and photos from March 2 to 29, to coincide with the "Conserving Plant Biodiversity in a Changing World" conference (see below).