Join us tomorrow as we scrabble with the Weasel in the Arbie.

Tomorrow is our regular second Saturday work-party in the Arboretum.

It will also be Ellen Wanless's last day. 

If you haven't signed up and wish to come, please feel that you can. I will have extra sandwiches. You all are most welcome. I would love to have as many of you as possible to have fun and work with Ellen as she spends her last day with us.

Bonus,the Garden Center will be open from 11 to 3!

If you don't know Ellen, you should. She is a gracious and charming lady. She holds her undergraduate degree in art but like many of us, is a horticulturalist at heart. Upon moving to Washington state, she went on to Edmunds LHO Program and received her degree in Horticulture there. Her father was an engineer and I believe that is where her rigorous scientific mind developed. Ellen and Bill operate Brooke Wanless Gardens, a very successful local gardening business. Bill, her dear spouse has also contributed his time monthly these past year to the Arboretum as a Certified Arborist. Bill and Ellen deserve much credit for their generosity of time and effort in our Arboretum. 

Ellen has spent the last 3 years working with the CoHort on 2nd Saturdays. She has focused her efforts on the Lamiastrum galeobdolen removal.She did some valuable research at UW for us before agreeing to tackle this major effort in the Arboretum.

 Last year Ellen and I gave a talk at the Annual IPM workshop Sponsored by Seattle Public Utilities and funded by the Local Hazardous Waste Management Program in King County; held on campus. Our talk focused on the L. galeobdolen and the efforts taking place in the Arboretum by the Cohort. In our research for the project, we found that our cousins in England call this plant Weasel Snout!

From then on of course, that is what we just had to call it.It was just too good a name to pass up.

Join us tomorrow as we scrabble with the Weasel in the Arbie, and celebrate Ellen.

Yours in the trees,

Claire

My Sunday Volunteer

From the South Seattle Community College Arboretum Programs Coordinator

A few Sundays ago, I  was visiting the Arboretum with a friend. It was a gorgeous afternoon. I began the tour on my usual path from the Entry Garden to Sensory Garden. As we made our way through to the Helen Sutton Rose Garden I  saw a lady seated in the Arbor and a fellow with her.  This fellow was busy, vigorously pulling on down our Wisteria Vine!
Surprised and a bit alarmed, I walked over and quietly introduced myself, explaining to him my role in The Arboretum at South Seattle College and then asked him what he was up to.


 He was very happy to complain to me that he was rather upset about the state of the vine.
"Oh my Yes" I agreed with him. It was wild and the laterals were running everywhere. Cats Turnbull of Plant Amnesty Cass Turnbull jokes, "Wisteria is Latin for work". 

I told  him that the vine was on our  'to do' list, explaining that we were temporarily short handed.  We relieved on students, interns and volunteers for the Arboretum gardens. Fine pruning was usually saved for students.

As I said, it was a beautiful day. And as folks love to do,we began 'visiting'. Chatting in general about the vine, the arboretum and other things. I soon discovered that we had friends in common. I knew the pastor at their church in West Seattle. And  they knew of Helen Sutton and were acquainted with Margaret (Peggy) Culler! These two women, who have now passed on, were instrumental in the development of the Arboretum and Botanical Garden we know today.

Don't folks love to make connections? Whose yo' daddy and all that. When I asked if they knew "Peggy",  his wife  replied " is that Margaret you are talking about"? Why yes! Peggy was a long time supporter of the Arboretum and South Seattle Community College. establishing rapport, making connections. Now, my new friends (vandalizing the garden) and I were  having a very nice visit together.

Suddenly my light bulb came on! Yes, dear readers that does happen! It occurred to me to ask if they would like to volunteer and help with the vine. I respectfully queried my Sunday gentleman visitor on his pruning experience ( he is probably about the age of my dad, somewhere in his 80's) So, he gives me this 'look', as you might imagine. You know  that look, the  'what do you mean do I know what I am doing?' look.  Well still; I had to ask about his pruning knowledge.

We worked it all out and this kind couple Mr. Bob and his dear wife, came back later to care for the vine. He did a  splendid job! He took all (well most) of the laterals down to their hands (the shortened lateral looks like a hand after several years of pruning).  All I had left to do was hoist the bag to the clean green container.

It 'pays' to go to the Arboretum on my off days. I never know what I am going to find there. Somedays I might find a sweet 'Sunday Volunteer'.

New Degree Option at South Seattle Community College LHO Program!

SSCC's Landscape Horticulture Program will be implementing several curriculum
changes in the coming school year. One of the changes includes dropping the
degree in "Landscape Management" and adding a degree in "Sustainable Land
Management." This new option will have more emphasis on environmental
sustainability. Below is overview of the new degree.

Technical Specialty Courses - Core Horticulture Curriculum – 28 credits
LHO 100 Careers in Horticulture 1
LHO 109 Integrated Pest Management - IPM 3
LHO 135 Introduction to Irrigation & Drainage 3
LHO 137 Landscape Management 3
LHO 150 Horticulture Science 3
LHO 152 Soils 3
LHO 242 Permaculture 3 3

Select 3 plant ID courses –9 credits (part of 28 Core Credits)
LHO 115 Fall Plant Identification 3
LHO 116 Winter Plant Identification 3
LHO 117 Spring Plant Identification 3
LHO 119 Native Plants for NW Landscapes 3
LHO 120 Perennial Plant Identification 3

B. Landscape Maintenance Track (Certificate Requirements)
LHO 105 Fundamentals of Landscape Design 3
LHO 108 Weed ID & Management 3
LHO 140 Introduction to Arboriculture 3
LHO 155 Pruning 3
LHO 240 Ecological Restoration: An Intro. 3

Related Instruction (Required) 10 credits
IFS 100 Industrial First Aid 1
ENG 105 English Composition 3
MAT 110 Math for Technicians 3
PSY 240 Psychology of Human Relations 3

TOTAL CERTIFICATE CREDITS: 50

LANDSCAPE HORTICULTURE
ASSOCIATE OF APPLIED SCIENCE DEGREE

Sustainable Land Management Track "B"
Complete 1-Year Certificate Requirements 50
Technical Specialty Courses – Degree Requirements 31 Credits

B. Sustainable Land Management Track 31 Credits

Core courses for track B (25 credits)
LHO 197 Internship (or equivalent work exp.) 2 minimum
LHO 155 Pruning 3
LHO 210 Plant Problem Diagnostics 3
LHO 236 Advanced Irrigation Systems Design 5
LHO 238 Maintenance Estimating and Bidding 3
LHO 240 Ecological Restoration – An Introduction 3
LHO 241 Ecological Restoration – Project Planning
& Implementation 3

Required Track B Core Courses 25

Choose additional electives from the list below, with approval of faculty
advisor, to bring total horticultural courses (core + electives) up to 31-34
credits (Minimum)

LHO 105 Fundamentals of Landscape Design 3
LHO 111 Greenhouse Operations 3
LHO 112 Nursery Operations 3
LHO 160 Garden Renovation 3
LHO 189 Introduction to Landscape Construction 3
LHO 215 Plant Propagation 3
LHO 237 Adv. Irrigation Diagnostics & Repairs 5
LHO 255 Edible Trees, Shrubs and Vines 3
LHO 272 Landscape Construction Project Fall 4
LHO 273 Landscape Construction Project Spring 4

Track B core courses + horticultural electives 31-34

Related Instruction—A minimum of 10 credits in two of the following areas:
• Visual, Literary & Performing Arts
• Individuals, Cultures & Societies
• The Natural World 10 credits

TOTAL (50 cert. + 31-34 hort + 10 related instruction) 91- 94 credits