September Garden Pictures

Echinops ritro September 2012

Hydrangea arborescens September 2012

Paeonia suffruticosa September 2012

Sorbus forrestii September 2012

Pieris japonica 'Variegata' September 2012

September 2012 in Seattle was warmer & much drier than normal.  The mean temperature was 62.7F/17.1C.  The normal mean temperature is 61.3F/16.3C.  Total precipitation was 0.03 inches.  Normal precipitation is 1.5 inches.  The highest temperature was 90F/32.2C, the lowest 46F/7.8C.  There were 5 days with light rain, 9 days with fog, 4 days with haze, 4 cloudy days, 11 partly cloudy days & 15 fair days.  This followed an August that was also warmer than normal & with no measurable precipitation.  The last significant rain fell on July 20.  The landscape became very dry & dusty.  Air quality was poor.  Numerous wildfires were reported in the the State of Washington, east of the Cascade Mountains.

The Wildlife News reported on September 23, 'The immediate cause of the fires is ignition and plenty of dry fuel, but the dryness itself after June is explained by a persistent and huge ridge in the polar jet stream over the Western United States.  This has kept all but thunderstorms at bay in the West, but pushed storm after storm over SE and Central Alaska, causing record summer flooding up there. Changes in the jet stream are one of the things that you would predict with the Arctic Ocean melting as it has. There is no longer the temperature differences between the polar side and southern side of the jet to keep it relatively tight and symmetrical.  The result is the development of huge and persistent troughs in the jet stream carrying strong rainstorms coupled with equally large and scantly moving ridges of dry, dry weather. With the Arctic melt, the current situation of extremes might be irreversible.'

Pollinator Pathway

The lavishly landscaped Seattle University is at the west end of the Pollinator Pathway.  

This is the School of Law at 12th Avenue & E Columbia Street. September 2012  

The view west down the Pollinator Pathway (E Columbia Street) to Seattle University, 

with Swedish Medical Center on 1st Hill behind it. September 2012

Pollinator Pathway (E Columbia Street) with Helleborus x sternii 

& Oxalis oregana. September 2012

 

Pollinator Pathway (E Columbia Street) with Calluna vulgaris 'Wickwar Flame' 

& Hebe topiaria. September 2012

Pollinator Pathway (E Columbia Street) with Lavandula angustifolia & 

Armeria maritima. September 2012

Nora's Woods at the east end of the Pollinator Pathway (E Columbia Street)

with Mahonia nervosa. September 2012

The Pollinator Pathway runs along E Columbia Street in Seattle from Seattle University at 12th Avenue to Nora's Woods, a city park at 29th Avenue.  The idea here is to move pollinators between these 2 green spaces, which are about 1.5 miles (1.9 kilometers) apart.  Small gardens are planted in the space between the sidewalk & the street on land owned by the City of Seattle, but under the control of owners or residents of the adjacent properties.  This is a harsh environment for plants, which are subject to damage from pedestrians, dogs, bikes, baby strollers, cars & especially passengers getting in & out.  According to the website, 'The Pollinator Pathway is a plan being developed by artist and ecological designer Sarah Bergmann to provide a model of support to the foundation of the food web. The Pollinator Pathway balances an emphasis on native plants useful to pollinators with plants chosen for beauty and structure. The project uses between 70-90% native plants for each garden.'  

On a sunny Friday afternoon in late September 2012, John & I walked this route in both directions, starting from 12th Avenue, in about an hour.  There were not a huge number of pollinator gardens, but we found 1 or 2 in most blocks.  The most common plants we saw in these gardens, which could be in sun or shade, depending upon whether street trees were planted, were Armeria maritima (Thrift), Calluna vulgaris (Heather), Hebe topiaria, Helleborus x sternii, Lavandula angustifolia (English Lavender), Polystichum munitum (Western Sword Fern) & Sedum 'Autumn Joy'.  The route took us over Cherry Hill, through the Central Area & into Madrona.  I should mention that this route, although pleasant, includes areas with higher-than-average crime rates.  I didn't feel comfortable with the idea of walking it alone.  Nora's Woods is a thickly-wooded lot with an amazing number of native plants, an excellent destination in itself.

Sassafras in the Washington Park Arboretum

Sassafras albidum var. molle Washington Park Arboretum November 2011

Sassafras albidum var. molle Washington Park Arboretum November 2011

 Sassafras albidum var. molle Washington Park Arboretum November 2011

 Sassafras albidum var. molle Washington Park Arboretum November 2011

Sassafras albidum var. molle Washington Park Arboretum November 2011

Sassafras albidum var. molle Washington Park Arboretum November 2011

A friend took me to see Sassafras albidum at the Washington Park Arboretum.  I was glad because I had never seen Sassafras & didn't know where to look.  I was quite impressed by the beauty of the foliage & the thicket of canes.  My friend pointed out that the leaves come in 4 shapes: 1 lobe, 2 lobes (both right-hand & left-hand mittens) & 3 lobes. I realized I had seen the leaves before when they were brought to a garden group meeting.  Gabriel Rochard wrote, 'One of my favourites. I've discovered it in a nursery in France, a great Lauraceae and beautiful in Fall.'  In Native Trees, Shrubs & Vines, William Calluna writes, 'While you need to take a certain rambunctiousness into account with sassafras, in the right situation, like the boundary between lawn & field or field & forest, it is interesting in carriage, flower & leaf, & I highly recommend it.'  In the city, I can see sassafras between properties, or at the boundary between lawn & alley.  I would fear to let it loose in our Northwest forests.  Calluna also writes, 'I have had some trees in my yard that grew contentedly as a single trunk, while others were readily thicket forming.'  As a medium tree with a single trunk, it would be appropriate almost anywhere.

From the US Forest Service: Sassafras albidum is common on abandoned farmlands throughout its range. Sassafras is a common component of bear oak (Quercus ilicifolia) scrub on dry sites along the Coastal Plain. In dry pine-oak forests, sassafras sprouts prolifically & is a dominant shrub producing extensive thickets where few other woody plants can establish. In the northern parts of its range, sassafras occurs in the understory of open stands of aspen & in northern pin oak (Quercus ellipsoidalis) stands. On poor sites, particularly in the Appalachian Mountains, sassafras is frequently associated with black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) & amp; sourwood (Oxydendron arboreum). In old fields with deep soils, sassafras commonly grows with elms, ashes, Acer saccharum & Liriodendron tulipifera.

August Garden Pictures

Anemone x hybrida August 2012

Asclepias speciosa August 2012

 
Calluna vulgaris 'Wickwar Flame', Hebe x pimeleoides 'Quicksilver' & Pratia pedunculata August 2012

Eryngium planum & Sedum selskianum August 2012

Eucomis comosa 'Can Can' & Lilium 'Black Beauty' August 2012

August 2012 in Seattle was warmer than normal & very dry. The mean temperature was 67.9F/19.9C.  The normal mean temperature is 66.1F/18.9C.  There was only a trace of rain on 2 days, no measurable amount.  Normal precipitation is 0.88 inches.  The highest temperature was 94F/34.4C, the lowest 50F/10C.  There were 11 days over 80F/26.7C, 4 of them over 90F/32.2C.  The record high temperature for Seattle in August is 99F/37.2C.   There were 3 days with fog, 3 days with haze, 5 cloudy days, 14 partly cloudy days & 12 fair days.  It was dry & increasingly dusty.  A few very hot days alternated with a few cooler days with highs of 70F/21.1C on 3 days.  Irrigation was essential.  Watering the potted plants was a major chore.  I did very little work in the garden because it was mostly too sunny & warm.

Fothergilla major

Fothergilla major at Washington Park Arboretum October 2011 

Fothergilla major at Washington Park Arboretum November 2011

 Fothergilla major at Washington Park Arboretum October 2011

In Seattle we seldom see Fothergilla major (Large Fothergilla).  This is a pity because it's an impressive shrub that tolerates some dryness.  More common is Fothergilla gardenii (Dwarf Fothergilla) which is lovely, but much smaller & needs regular water through the summer.  You can find Fothergilla major at the top of the Woodland Garden & along the East Drive, just north of the Pacific Rim Garden, at the Washington Park Arboretum in Seattle.  William Calluna, author of Native Trees, Shrubs & Vines, writes that Fothergilla major is native to ridge tops & dry slopes in the southern Appalachian Mountains from North Carolina & Tennessee to Georgia & Alabama.  It is rare in the wild.  It has brilliant fall foliage, lovely flowers & a pleasing form.  It can reach 15 feet in height & spread 12 feet.  It is hardy to USDA Zone 4, recommended for USDA Zones 4 through 8. Fothergilla major 'Mount Airy' is a smaller form with reliably good fall foliage color.

Dick Sperry Picnic Area

South Fork Stillaguamish River August 2012 

South Fork Stillaguamish River August 2012 

South Fork Stillaguamish River August 2012 

South Fork Stillaguamish River August 2012 

South Fork Stillaguamish River August 2012 

South Fork Stillaguamish River August 2012

The Dick Sperry Picnic Area is located beside the Mountain Loop Highway in the Mt Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest in Snohomish County, Washington.  There are 4 picnic tables with grills right at the edge of the South Fork Stillaguamish River.  A more beautiful spot to picnic could hardly be found.  It is easy to climb the short distance down to the river.  The picnic area is nicely shaded & bordered with lush native vegetation.  This is a wonderful place to sit & contemplate the noisy serenity of moving water.

Hickory in the Washington Park Arboretum

Carya ovata Washington Park Arboretum October 2011

Carya ovata Washington Park Arboretum October 2011

Carya ovata Washington Park Arboretum October 2011
 

Carya ovata Washington Park Arboretum October 2011

I knew nothing about Shagbark Hickory, or Hickories in general, until I came across this small grove in the Washington Park Arboretum.  But that is a wonderful thing about the arboretum.  Any day you look at tags on trees & shrubs, you learn something new.  I photograph the tags, as well as other parts of the plants.  But you could also take a notebook & pencil.  I found Carya ovata quite attractive in bark, form & foliage.  You can find them between Azalea Way & Lake Washington Boulevard, near the ponds.

From Wikipedia:
Carya ovata, the Shagbark Hickory, is common in the eastern US and SE Canada. It is a large deciduous tree growing up to 27 m tall, and will live up to 200 years. Mature Shagbarks are easy to recognize because they have shaggy bark. The nuts are edible with an excellent flavor & can be used as a substitute for Pecan (Carya illinoensis). The genus Carya includes 17–19 species: 5-6 species in Asia, 19-20 in North America. Hickory wood is used for smoking cured meats. Hickory is popular for barbecue in the SE US as Hickory grows abundantly in the region, and adds flavor to the meat. The nuts of some species are palatable, while others are bitter and only suitable for animal feed. Shagbark and Shellbark Hickory, along with Pecan, are regarded by some as the finest nut trees.

Nancy on the High Line

The High Line New York City July 2012

The High Line New York City July 2012

The High Line New York City July 2012

The High Line New York City July 2012

The High Line New York City July 2012

After a brief rain shower on Sunday, I walked the High Line in New York City. The plants were lush and vibrant and the landscapes changed every few hundred feet. People were strolling casually, taking in all the sights and sounds, or leisurely relaxing on the reclining seats or benches along the way. Some Japanese youth were dancing on the lawn. The views of the city were magnificent, coupled with the beautiful landscape architecture of the High Line. I intuitively slowed my pace and took it all in.  It is an amazing urban garden.

That description & all of the photos were sent to me by my friend Nancy while she was still on vacation in New York City on July 31, 2012.  It was all so wonderful that I asked her permission to post it to this blog.  The High Line is probably the most renowned recent landscape project in the world & I haven't seen it for myself.  

If you don't know the story, here is a brief history from the High Line website: The High Line was built in the 1930s, as part of a massive public-private infrastructure project called the West Side Improvement. It lifted freight traffic 30 feet in the air, removing dangerous trains from the streets of Manhattan's largest industrial district. No trains have run on the High Line since 1980. Friends of the High Line, a community-based non-profit group, formed in 1999 when the historic structure was under threat of demolition. Friends of the High Line works in partnership with the City of New York to preserve and maintain the structure as an elevated public park. Section 1 (Gansevoort Street to West 20th Street) opened to the public in June 2009. Section 2 (West 20th Street to West 30th Street) opened in June 2011.

July Garden Pictures

Hebe recurva July 2012

Hydrangea paniculata July 2012

Ligularia stenocephala 'The Rocket' July 2012

Nigella damascena 'Alba' July 2012

Rubus idaeus July 2012

July 2012 was cooler & wetter than normal.  This followed a June that was very cool & wet.  In fact, the year to date has been quite wet.  As of July 31, total precipitation was 26.4 inches.  Normal precipitation to this date is 19.8 inches.  Plants continued to grow larger than normal.  It was not necessary to irrigate until the end of the month.  The mean temperature was 64.3F/17.9C.  The normal mean temperature is 65.7F/18.7C.  Total precipitation was 1.04 inches.  Normal precipitation is 0.7 inches.  The highest temperature was 83F/28.3C, the lowest 49F/9.4C.  There were 2 days with heavy rain, 2 days with rain, 12 days with light rain, 11 days with fog, 6 days with haze, 10 partly cloudy days, 13 cloudy days & 8 fair days.  There was heavy rain accompanied by an electrical storm on 1 day.  This was a rare & exciting experience in Seattle.

Thomas Street Gardens P-Patch

Thomas Street Gardens July 2012

Thomas Street Gardens July 2012

Thomas Street Gardens July 2012

Thomas Street Gardens July 2012

Thomas Street Gardens July 2012

Thomas Street Gardens P-Patch looks more like a cottage garden, than a typical Seattle p-patch.  The garden is located on Capitol Hill at 1010 E Thomas Street, just west Broadway Avenue E.  It is used as a park by people walking through the nearby business district, who often sit on the bench created by Lambert House youth.  The entry gate & tool shed are other notable features.  The garden was professionally designed & established in 1997.  There are 35 plots on 3,200 square feet owned by the Seattle Department of Parks & Recreation.  An old apartment building was removed specifically to make room for a p-patch in this densely populated area.  At the time, some decried the loss of affordable housing.