Cool Spider Photographed at Kubota Gardens

This spider is fascinating from this angle. She looks scary from this close, but she's more scary to other bugs who fly by.

Unknown spider seen at Kubota
ph credit - Michael Oxman

If you know the name of this one, let us know and we will add to the post.

According to the "Abstract" of: An Annotated Checklist of the Spiders of Washington by Rodney L. Crawford
http://www.tardigrade.org/natives/crawford/index.html
from the Burke Museum 

A checklist is presented of 760 spider species currently known from Washington State; 393 are first verifiable records from Washington, 14 are first records from the United States, and 4 are first records from North America.

The Burke Museum has an extensive collection of spiders and other insects.  It is located at the University of WA campus and is a great place to visit during this holiday week with the family.

Cool Caterpillar Found in Kubota Gardens

Arborist Michael Oxman sends the stripey caterpillar from Kubota Gardens.


Nature is so interesting!

Cool Caterpillar on Kubota

Anybody know the name? Or what kind of moth or butterfly it turns into?

Thanks Michael for your sharp eye.

Hummingbird at Kubota Gardens

At the Japanese Maple Festival held at Kubota Gardens, Seattle, Architect, Pat Whempner captured this image of an Anna's Hummingbird enjoying the rare sunny day shimmering in the light. 

Hummingbird at Kubota Gardens
ph credit - Pat Whempner

Visit Kubota Garden, a Seattle Park. Open at 10AM.
 Free Public Tour of the Garden at 10 a.m.  Meet in the parking area
http://www.kubota.org/index.htm

Skunk Cabbage - The Lamp Lights of Spring

Skunk Cabbage is in Bloom!

Western Skunk Cabbage 

Lysichiton americanus

in bloom along Mapes Creek
in the Kubota Garden Natural Area
ph credit - Michael Oxman

At Kubota Gardens it is just one of many beautiful sights.  Kubota Gardens is a historic Seattle Park,
which is also supported by a foundation.
http://www.kubota.org/

Hydrangeas at Kubota Garden

Mapes Creek is located in Southeast Seattle, dropping off the ridge at the south end of Beacon Hill and flowing northeast thru the garden and into Lake Washington at Henderson Street.

In 1927 Fujitaro Kubota bought five acres of logged-off swampland in the Rainier Beach neighborhood of Seattle and began his garden. A 1907 emigrant from the Japanese Island of Shikoku, he established the Kubota Gardening Company in 1923. Fujitaro was a man with a dream. Entirely self-taught as a gardener, he wanted to display the beauty of the Northwest in a Japanese manner and was soon designing and installing gardens throughout the Seattle area. The gardens on the Seattle University campus and the Japanese Garden at the Bloedel Reserve on Bainbridge Island are public examples of his work.

In May, they are having a plant sale on the 7th; the first ever Japanese Maple Festival on the 14th; and a work party on the 21st.

In 1927 Fujitaro Kubota bought five acres of logged-off swampland in the Rainier Beach neighborhood of Seattle and began his garden. A 1907 emigrant from the Japanese Island of Shikoku, he established the Kubota Gardening Company in 1923. Fujitaro was a man with a dream. Entirely self-taught as a gardener, he wanted to display the beauty of the Northwest in a Japanese manner and was soon designing and installing gardens throughout the Seattle area. The gardens on the Seattle University campus and the Japanese Garden at the Bloedel Reserve on Bainbridge Island are public examples of his work.

In 1927 Fujitaro Kubota bought five acres of logged-off swampland in the Rainier Beach neighborhood of Seattle and began his garden. A 1907
emigrant from the Japanese Island of Shikoku, he established the
Kubota Gardening Company in 1923. Fujitaro was a man with a dream.
Entirely self-taught as a gardener, he wanted to display the beauty of the
Northwest in a Japanese manner and was soon designing and
installing gardens throughout the Seattle area. The gardens on the
Seattle University campus and the Japanese Garden at the
Bloedel Reserve on Bainbridge Island are public examples of his work.

Skunk Cabbage in Paramount Park
ph cr - Janet Way

All over our area it is a beautiful indicator of spring, but also a key indicator species of a wetland area.  Wetlands are indicated officially by three factors,
according to the criteria of the Army Corps of Engineers;

• wetland plants, presence of water, and wetland soils.

Skunk Cabbage in Paramount Park Wetlands
4/10 ph cr - Janet Way

Wetlands are vital to our water quality and wildlife habitat. They retain huge amounts of groundwater and runoff in our watersheds. They are an important indicator of the health of our watersheds.
If you find a Skunk Cabbage in bloom, it a reason to be happy about something going right.

Paramount Park is a headwaters wetland area on Littles Creek, a tributary of Thornton Creek.

Golden Crowned Kinglet in Kubota Gardens

Golden Crowned Kinglet at Kubota Gardens

photo credit- Michael Oxman

Tree Man Michael Oxman caught the image of this little Golden Crowned Kinglet
 recently at Kubota Gardens in Seattle. 


The Cornell Lab of Ornithology says they are very active birds who prefer coniferous forests,
which is clearly donimating at Kubota and the Arboretum.


Here is a link to their site.
Kubota Garden. http://www.kubota.org/

Michael is a certified ISA Arborist and Tree Activist in Seattle. He is very concerned about the impact of upcoming  budget cuts on Seattles Urban Forest and Parks. 


Apparently the 20 acre  Kubota Gardens is being maintained this winter by only one staff member.


Here is also a close up of the beautiful moss covered stone in the  frozen pond.

Rock on Ice Covered Pond at Kubota Gradens

photo cr - Michael Oxman