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!

Happy Birthday Dr Art Kruckeberg! Celebration and Fundraiser TONITE, at City Hall

A Great Shoreline Treasure and Incredible Resource in Our Community 

photo credit - UW Botany

Shoreline and the Kruckeberg Botanic Garden Foundation is celebrating the 90th Birthday of Dr Arthur Kruckeberg. The Botanical Garden he and his wife the late Mareen S Krukeberg founded in now a Shoreline City Park.

photo credit - KBGF

The Shoreline City Council honored him with a Lifetime Achievement Award.  He is a Professor Emeritus of Botany at UW and a founding member of the Washington Native Plant Society. He has authored  many authoritative books on botany such as;

Gardening with Native Plants of the Pacific Northwest. University of Washington Press, 1st ed. 1982; 2nd ed. 2996.

Natural History of Puget Sound Country. University of Washington Press, 1991.

His actual Birthday was March 21st but the community is celebrating today.

Happy Birthday Art!  What an amazing legacy!

photo credit - KBGF, MsK Nursery

GARDENPARTY 2010 THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS INVITES YOU TO AN  EXTRAORDINARY EVENING IN SUPPORT OF THE  KRUCKEBERG BOTANIC GARDEN FOUNDATION.  JOIN US TO CELEBRATE DR. ARTHUR KRUCKEBERG’S  90TH BIRTHDAY AND TO HONOR HIS LEGACY AND  EXCEPTIONAL GIFT TO THE COMMUNITY. Thursday April 8, 2010 6:00 – 8:00 pm Shoreline City Hall Libations & hors d’oeuvres will be served. Tickets: $90, $250, $500 per person. All tickets must be purchased in advance. There will no tickets available at the door. Purchase Tickets: Ticket Levels   Sadler Oak $90.00  Garry Oak $250.00  Tanbark Oak $500.00    Make a non-attending donation in honor of Dr. Kruckeberg:   All net proceeds from GardenParty benefit the work of the Foundation to support and maintain the Garden and expand its educational programs for the community.

International Women's Day-Honoring Women Who Work to Protect Our Environment

March 8th CelebratesInternational Women's Day.

The Charter of the United Nations, signed in San Francisco in 1945, was the first international agreement to proclaim gender equality as a fundamental human right. In 1911 it was officially declared in Copenhagen at a Conference.

Today, I'm celebrating by honoring local women who've worked to protect and restore our environment and many who've served in elected office. Many women in the Shoreline and Seattle area have contributed greatly to protecting our environment and making a difference.

Starting with Hazel Wolf, an environmental champion I'm featuring some of our many women activists, visionaries and elected officials.

Hazel Wolf lived to be 101 and lived an incredible life. She was longtime secretary of Seattle Audubon and is credited with many achievements including forming more Audubon chapters than anyone else in the society's history. She worked to save many important places such as Thornton Creek parks and Hamlin Park.

Peggy Gaynor is a visionary landscape designer. She has worked on and designed many beautiful projects in the Seattle area including Cromwell Park, Thornton Creek Water Quality Channel, Ravenna and Madrona Creek Daylighting projects. These projects have made a huge difference for water quality and community.

Maryn Wynne is Executive Director and co-founder of Shoreline Solar Project. The organization founded in 2003, has held the largest renewable energy fair in the Northwest for the past 7 years. She is also Director of the Shoreline Chamber of Commerce's Green Business Program.

Mareen Kruckeberg noted horticulturalist and co-founder with her husband Arthur Kruckeberg of the Kruckeberg Botanic Garden and MsK Rare Plant Nursery. The garden and nursery are now a Shoreline City Park.

Mamie Bolender who is co-founder of Lake Forest Park Stewardship Foundation, has been a long time champion of watersheds and conservation in Lake Forest Park. This past weekend she led a huge workparty for Ivy-Out at Grace Cole Nature Park.

Martha Rose is a visionary builder from the Shoreline area who has championed Green Building Practices.

Her company, Martha Rose Construction is making a name for itself with beautiful homes in the Seattle area including the newest project called Fish Singer Place.

Women current and former Elected Officials from the Shoreline Area :

Senator Patty Murray, Senator Maria Cantwell (Former Congressmember), St Rep Maralyn Chase, Rep Ruth Kagi, Senator Darlene Fairley, Rep Nancy Rust (Chair of Environmental Committee), Rep Grace Cole (namesake of Grace Cole Nature Park), Rep Patty Butler, KC Councilmember Carolyn Edmonds, KC Clmbr Maggie Fimia, KC Clmbr Audrey Grueger, Shoreline Mayors Connie King (first mayor) and Cindy Ryu (First Korean-American Woman Mayor in US), Shoreline Clmbers Cheryl Lee, Linda Montgomery, Maggie Fimia, Janet Way, Doris McConnell, and Shari Tracey.

The Cities of Shoreline and Lake Forest Park have made protecting our environment a core value, due to the efforts of all of these women. I am honored to be a part of this history. Together we have increased parklands, created strong environmental codes and policies including the Shoreline Sustainability Strategy.

There are of course hundreds of women who have made a big difference here over the years, and thousands who do everyday. I would be remiss if I did not mention a few more. Wendy Dipeso has served recently as the Shoreline Chamber Chair and co-founder of Sustainable Shoreline. Boni Biery heads up the Shoreline Backyard Wildlife Project and serves on the Shoreline Parks board. Juniper Nammi, Rika Cecil, Miranda Redinger and Kris Overleese are Shoreline City Staff who work everyday on advancing environmental quality in Shoreline. Ruth Williams is Vice President of Thornton Creek Alliance and is working to name Thornton Creek Park #6 after Alice Bryant, a well known peace activist. Vicki Stiles is the long time Director of the Shoreline Historical Museum. There are obviously too many that I don't have room to mention here, but whom I wish to honor as well.

Finally, I'd like to mention important women from WA State history, including our current Governor Chris Gregoire, May Aukwright Hutton, Emma Devoe Smith and of course Alice Paul (Iron Jawed Angel) (from NJ) who spearheaded the final effort for Women's Suffrage in America.

Photo Credits - Hazel Wolf, Seattle PI, Janet Way, Kruckeberg Garden, Shoreline Area News