Category Archives: Uncategorized

If you’re thinking about a stroll through the Medicinal Herb Garden, put on the flip-flops and start walking. It’s pretty colorful right now. Here are some very recent photos of the latest plants to flower, but there’s much, much more … Continue reading →

The spring rush is finally beginning to ease a bit. Spring at the Medicinal Herb Garden can be a blur. It’s busy and exhilarating but a little nerve-racking at the same time. In a public garden that is on view … Continue reading →

It’s getting harder to keep up with everything that is flowering. The pictures in this post are a fraction of what has come into bloom.  Recent warm weather and a little rain have been ideal. Compared to the last two … Continue reading →

As an attentive observer of birds, it pains me that my little point-and-shoot camera, perfectly fine for flower shots, cannot do justice to the beautiful birds of the Medicinal Herb Garden. Luckily, Emile Pitre, Associate Vice President at the UW … Continue reading →

I recently had the chance to talk to UW entomologist Evan Sugden. In addition to teaching traditional entomology classes, Evan teaches a class on scientific beekeeping. It’s not just because I get a jar of delicious honey at the end … Continue reading →

I’ve been busy planting recently. It’s been a good mix of rain and sun and though it cooled off a bit today, we haven’t had the protracted cold of the last few springs. Knock on wood. It’s tough when plants … Continue reading →

Most of the yard attached to the house where I live belongs to the city. Past landowners have fenced it in, creating a de facto private space. My housemates and I have a large vegetable garden in the side yard, … Continue reading →

I first encountered a xeriscape garden in 1990, while living in Austin, Texas. Xeriscaping is gardening with plants that require very little or no watering. It certainly made sense in a hot, dry (though humid in summer, ack!) place like … Continue reading →

What can I add, really? Here’s some of what is currently flowering (or interesting) in the Medicinal Herb Garden. Not bad for April.                 nootka rose, fringecups columbine and fairy bells nodding in … Continue reading →

The Medicinal Herb Garden is lucky to belong to an international seed exchange network. Many hundreds of botanic gardens around the world participate and each garden produces a catalog of its available seeds, called an Index Seminum. By agreement, all … Continue reading →