Dr Art Kruckeberg 92nd Birthday Celebration

Happy Birthday Art Kruckeberg! 

Dr Art Kruckeberg and assistant Roland (adopted son)
and friends celebrated his 92nd Birthday at Kruckeberg Botanic Garden

Friends, Family and Kruckeberg Garden Foundation celebrated Dr Kruckeberg's 92nd Birthday 
yesterday at the garden. 


Dr Art, spent the afternoon reminiscing and "holding forth" on his career and topics of interest.
Art talked about lots of subjects, including the future of the garden that he and his wife Mareen created at their home in Richmond Beach. He said they bought the property in 1958, and started gardening "the very next week." He also pointed out the building the party was held in, a small house that serves as an office and home for Roland (above), was originally a run down garage. His father-in-law remodeled it and resided there until his death.

Dr Kruckeberg is a professor emiritus of Botany at the University of Washington and author of many important botanical and gardening texts.

Art's favorite plants featured at the party

One tree that the Kruckebergs planted long ago at the garden is now huge. It is a Sequoia tree that was measured yesterday at 3ft level to be 19ft in circumference!

California Sequoia tree
sequoia semperviron

Lovely fountain sculpture was created in
dedication to Mareen Schultz Kruckeberg.
It is located right next to her greenhouse.

He and his wife Mareen Kruckeberg developed their property into a magnificent botanical garden over the decades. Almost all of the plantings, both native and exotic were grown from seed. Mareen started the MsK Nursery there and began selling some of the plants propagated on site.

MsK Nursery
Hrs -Open Friday-SundayMarch 1 to October 31: 10 am—5 pm 

The Kruckeberg Botanic Garden is now a City of Shoreline Park as of 2008. It is a very unique garden, nestled within the Richmond Beach neighborhood. 

Sign at Park Entrance20312 15^th Ave NW
Shoreline WA, 98177
http://kruckeberg.org/

And the Kruckeberg Botanical Garden welcomes Spring!
The garden offers a great array of plantings to enjoy. Many are starting to bloom now. But the garden is fascinating any time of year.


Many spring plants are on view, blooming and for sale.

Rhodadendrons are already in bloom at
Kruckeberg Botanic Garden

Delicate Faun Lily grows near the
house amidst an array of Cyclamen

The garden has three distinct areas. The Upper Garden, in the front yard; the Green house area, which leads down the path to the lower "Meadow." The garden features many "Champion Trees" which are either the largest in the City or State.

An Oregon Ash is a City "Champion Tree"
designated in the Community Backyard Wildlife
program

Grove in lower meadow area

Dr Kruckeberg's work on the garden features his interest in promoting native plants. He has written several texts and books on NW Natives and was one of the founders of the NW Native Plant Society.

Tall Oregon Grape  featured in
lower meadow area

Many of the lovliest species to be seen at Kruckeberg Garden are very small and close to the ground, so remember to step carefully and look closely for treasures near your feet.

Cyclamens are found throughout the garden. They have many different
patterned leaves and colored flowers. According
to Mareen Kruckeberg, the seeds are carried by
ants and that's one way they spread!

Flowering Tree near Garden house

So Happy Birthday Art Kruckeberg! We are so proud to have you as a citizen of Shoreline and enjoy your legacy in the garden!

More Plant Sales Sprouting This Weekend and Beyond

So many great plant sales to visit in the area, but it's virtually impossible to have too many, right?
(Kind of like, impossible to have too many earrings or scarves!)

Taylors Checkerspot Butterfly a Rare Find in the State

So check them out. Many are benefits and others support the supply of great gardens in the area,
especially providing native plants that promote wildlife habitat.


Herald-Net has a great list for Snohomish County _
http://heraldnet.com/article/20110505/LIVING03/705059981/1122/NEWS01


WSU Extension Plant Sale Resources -
http://king.wsu.edu/gardening/


• 1 - Kruckeberg Botanic Garden Annual Mothers Day Sale - Shoreline (I know I already posted this, but it starts today for the general public and goes thru Sunday.) http://kruckeberg.org/


• 2 - Tadpole Haven Native Plants Nursery "Open Day_- Woodinville, 
Saturday -10am-4pm http://tadpolehaven.com/

gymnocarpa fern -
available at Tadpole Haven

• 3 - King County Master Gardeners "Get Growing Plant Sale" -  May 7th + 8th
http://www.mgfkc.org/events/2011-plant-sale University of Washington
Center for Urban Horticulture
• 4 - Sustainable Shoreline Plant and Reusable Items Sale - Sunday, 5/9, 10-3, Corner of Linden Ave N and 188th St 


• 5 - Washington Native Plant Society Sale at Bellevue Botanical Garden -


• 6 - Prince of Peace Lutheran Church Plant Sale - Sat, 5/8 - 9-3 http://www.shorelineareanews.com/2010/04/prince-of-peace-community-plant-sale.html


• 7 - Go Native Plant Sales - (SUNDAY featured at Sustainable Shoreline Sale) based in Shoreline (ongoing http://gonatives.com/index.htm)


• 8 - Seattle Tilth Edible Plant Sale, Seattle  -
Come to Seattle Tilth's Edible Plant Sale and take advantage of the largest selection of organically, sustainably and locally grown vegetable plants in the Puget Sound region. The Edible Plant Sale is on Sat. & Sun., May 7 and 8, 9 a.m.-3 p.m at Meridian Park (4649 Sunnyside Ave. N, Seattle 98103). 

Native Plant Awareness Week

So Many Wonderful Native Plants to Celebrate!  
So many Native Plant Sales! 


One that is commonly seen in spring and adds so much to the woodland ecosystem is Salmonberry. Here is one in bloom. In early summer look for bright "salmon colored" berries. Pick one that's on the red side and it will be a little sweet.

Salmonberry at St Edwards State Park
ph credit-Janet Way

Monday is the beginning of Native Plant Awareness Week. Celebrate by attending and supporting the many Native Plant Sales that are coming up. And here's a resource list for many of them -
http://www.gardenhelp.org/plant-sales/greater-seattle-area-plant-sales-in-spring-2010/

Washington Native Plant Society hosts one as a fundraiser. 

http://wnps.org/chapter_info/chapter_sales.html

Spring Native Plant Sale

by the Central Puget Sound Chapter of the Washington Native plant Society (CPS/WNPS) is on Saturday, May 7^th  2011, 10 am – 4 pm, at theBellevue Botanical Garden, 12001 Main St., Bellevue.

Our sale will have over 150 species including ground covers, perennials, shrubs and trees that are ideal for our ecology. Botanical and gardening books will be for sale and WNPS experts will be available to answer questions. Help sustain biodiversity by using native planats in your garden.

Information: 

http://wnps.org/chapter_info/chapter_sales.html, 206-527-3210, lindaellis@wnps.org

The Salal chapter of the WNPS is also having a sale that day in Olympia.

Deer Fern (blechnum_spicant)
ph credit- WNPS

For an excellent listing of Washington Native Plant Species check the WNPS website -

http://wnps.org/photogallery1.html

And next weekend, as anyone in Shoreline area knows is the big Kruckeberg Botanical Garden Mothers Day Plant Sale! 

Dr Arthur Kruckeberg
cr-UW

Kruckeberg Botanic Garden, 20312 15th Ave NW, Shoreline, is having their annual Mother's Day Plant Sale and Open House 

 - from Thursday, May 05, 2011 through Sunday, May 08, 2011. 

(Thursday is a special members sale day.)

The sale is a 24-year tradition that combines three wonderful things: Great plants to purchase in the MsK Rare and Native Plant Nursery, a beautiful spring landscape in the Garden, and fun educational activities for your family.

The Nursery's largest selection of the year is available during the sale and the staff has set aside special, limited quantity plants to bring out. With hundreds of species in stock, including 270 Northwest native species, you are sure to find something great. As always, all proceeds support the Garden.

Dr Kruckeberg just celebrated his 91st Birthday! 

MS K Nursery at Kruckeberg

Visit 

 http://kruckeberg.org/

Native Plant Appreciation Week is May 1-7; check out our website,  http://wnps.org/npaw/events.html#King  , for family friendly and free lecture programs, walks, field trips, hikes and a garden tour. There are activities all around the state offered by local WNPS Chapters.  Also offered are workshops Diversity in the Desert May 15 and Know Your Grasses June 15-17, both at the UW. Look for additional events extending through May and June.

The Washington Native Plant Society is a non-profit organization that supports and provides educational lectures, classes, workshops and field trips, Stewardship training, restoration projects and research to conserve and sustain our local ecology through native plants.

Dr Art Kruckeberg is one of the founding members of WNPS and his wife Mareen made a life work to create the MSK Nursery at the Krukeberg Botanical Garden in Shoreline.

The site is now a City of Shoreline Park and is a treasure for all who care about native plants and wildlife habitat.

Mareen Kruckeberg

Marty Wingate Headlines KBGF Annual Meeting

MSK Nursery area of Kruckeberg Garden

Author Marty Wingate with KBGF Boardmember

Kruckeberg Botanic Garden Foundation held their annual meeting last night at Shoreline City Hall. The guest speaker was noted urban horticulture expert Marty Wingate. She is author of 3 books and is featured in Seattle PI and on KUOW gardening hour on "Weekday". 

Marty gave a fun and fascinating talk about some of the native plants at Kruckeberg Botanic Garden

that have made a big impression internationally.  She has led many gardening tours in Europe and is enthusiastic about the Kruckeberg Garden. 

She talked about the history of NW native plant discoveries and how they gained fame in many countries, especially England and Scotland. For instance she gave the long history of different botanical names given to the Douglas Fir since the 18th Century.

New Boardmembers were also voted in at the general meeting.

Some of KBGF Board

Plaque near front gate of garden shows
designation as a City Park

Olmsted Historian and Author to Speak at Kruckeberg Botanic Garden’s Annual Meeting

Olmsted Historian and Author to Speak at Kruckeberg Botanic Garden’s Annual Meeting

http://ShorelineAreaNews.com

Please join us on Thursday, January 21 for the annual Kruckeberg Botanic Garden Foundation members meeting and program. The meeting will take place at 7 pm at the Shoreline Historical Museum, located at 749 N 175th St, Shoreline 98133.

Joan Hockaday, author of Greenscapes: Olmsted’s Pacific Northwest, will discuss the indelible influence the Olmsted landscape architecture firm had on municipal, residential, institutional, and landscape design in our region. Greenscapes was published in 2009 by WSU Press and includes all private, campus, and park work of the Olmsted firm in the Pacific Northwest at the turn of the 20th century. Copies of the book will be sold and signed.


Joan is a historian specializing in American garden and plant history. Her first book was The Gardens of San Francisco (Timber Press, Portland, 1988). Joan has served on the Washington Park Arboretum editorial board for almost a decade and she is a Friends of the Olmsted Parks board member.

The lecture is free and open to the public. For more information, contact the Kruckeberg Botanic Garden at 206-546-1281