November 2017

THE PRESIDENT’S CORNERTrevor Cameron, Everegreen Arboretum President

State of the Arboretum AddressHappy November to all the friends and members of Evergreen Arboretum and Gardens! Now that Autumn is in full swing some frosty nights aren’t too far away. It is time to get all our gardens prepared for winter. We have enjoyed another busy and successful season at the Arboretum and look forward to getting more accomplished before the year is done…… and on into 2018!

As you will read below, we just had our annual planning session in October. It was amazing to me to go over all of things we accomplished in 2017 and even more amazing to see the enthusiasm in the room when we talked about things we still want to do. I will let you know your Board of Directors is both dedicated and resolute in their desire to continue to grow membership, expand educational opportunities in the gardens, and improve the plant collections. We as a Board could not have accomplished what we did this year nor could we plan to accomplish all the things we want in the future without your support. Your memberships each year are essential to keep the Arboretum going. All the volunteer’s help we receive on Volunteer Days help keep the gardens looking top notch. All the folks that volunteer their time to help at all the community events we are involved in are vital to get the word out about Evergreen Arboretum and Gardens – our local hidden treasure! I thank our dedicated Board of Directors for all they do – but on behalf of the Board I thank all of you for volunteering for the Arboretum. We simply could not do much of what we accomplish each year without all of you!

As we head towards 2018, I encourage everyone to get involved as much as they can. We welcome fresh input and perspective to the group and I invite anyone interested in joining us at a board meeting to do so. Come help out at a Plant Sale Work Party and meet some great people on the crew. Join us on a Volunteer Day in 2018 or as we like to say “Come Get Dirty with Us!”. Help us plan and prepare for the Family Fin Event next summer, or the Everett Home and Garden show in March, or the Sorticulture Festival next June at Legion Park. Short on time and still want to help? Consider becoming a member to support the group. Already a member? Up your membership level to increase support to the gardens. Many folks like to make a charitable donation around the holidays – consider Evergreen Arboretum and Gardens as a worthy cause to help! We are a non-profit and all of your donation is tax deductible. Let’s all make this year the best ever for Evergreen Arboretum and Gardens!

All visitors will see our new Arboretum Entrance Sign installed near the front entrance soon. You can see it for the first time right here. Thank you to the Parks Department for their assistance with this project – especially Susan DiPietro and Kim Mattson, graphic designers for the Everett Parks Department. All of us on the Board of Directors thanks them for their work on the sign – it turned out absolutely beautiful and we will be proud to display it at the Arboretum for years to come!

Now back to the gardens. Even though old man winter is coming soon, it is still a fabulous time for a stroll through the Arboretum. There is still fall colors galore to enjoy and as with all seasons there will be something to surprise you in the gardens. I hope to see you on an Arboretum walkabout soon!

Trevor Cameron, PresidentEvergreen Arboretum and Gardens

Report from Our Annual Planning Session

In October each year the Board of Directors has an extended meeting in which we reflect back upon the year’s accomplishments and look to make future plans and goals. Our annual planning session was on October 10th and was a huge success. Thank you to Libbie Soden, Sandy Milam, Hap Wertheimer, and Renee Greenleaf – all dedicated Executive Board Members – for making this night a success. They put in many hours of planning to get an excellent agenda set to ensure the night would be both focused and fruitful.

The Board discussed all things Evergreen Arboretum and Gardens and hence we got a consensus of good of priorities heading into a new year. We heard loud and clear from all what should be important to the group – education, fundraising for the gardens, improvements to volunteer days/work parties, and the continued revitalization of existing gardens. We look to up our game and make the Plant Sale 2018 version the best ever by improving plant selection at the sale while also improving logistics. We look for new avenues to promote our Arboretum in the community and expand educational opportunities – especially with kids – the next generation of gardeners and Arboretum lovers. Finally, we look to improve maintenance in the gardens with our partner, the Everett Parks Department. We are developing a new year-around plan with the help of Parks to keep the gardens looking fabulous on into the future.

The group is also focused on looking into internal operations as well. We will be spending some time over the winter getting more exact in our own job descriptions – essentially who is responsible for handling what. We have so many things going that we want to ensure all things are covered for the good of the Arboretum and its members. The Board hopes that “new blood” as they say continues to get involved and contribute fresh ideas and energy. As we discuss Committee Chairs, Garden Champions, and Event Chairs year to year,

the Board continues to try and form more teams that can share the responsibilities and successes. We are looking to install an “Art Champion” like we have “Garden Champions” (folks who are responsible as stewards to watch out for particular garden areas in the Arboretum). We see this “Art Champion” as vital to preserving the extensive sculpture collection we currently have, promoting it in the community, and working towards continuing to expand the collection on display at the Arboretum.

I thank all who attended the planning session and contributed their ideas for the good of the Evergreen Arboretum and Gardens. We have much to work on and I look forward to an exciting and eventful 2018 in the gardens!

The Volunteer BBQ – 2017 Edition!

The Annual Volunteer BBQ was conducted following our last work party of the year on October 21st. It was our chance for 2017 to say “Thank You!” to all the wonderful folks who have helped the Arboretum throughout another year of volunteer activities and special events. This year he had a surprise for our final volunteer day of the year – a wonderful group of Brownie Scouts came to help us out! These first graders were members of Daisy Troop #41516 out of the Everett/Mill Creek/Bothell area – Service Group #222. The Brownies were completing their Take Action Project for their Welcome to the Daisy Flower Garden Journey. These young ladies jumped right in and assisted with some vital cleanup of the storage area and started planting some goodies for the Pant Sale 2018 edition. We appreciated their service and were happy to feed them for their efforts!

All of the folks who help Evergreen Arboretum and Gardens accomplish so much each and every year are truly incredible! YOU represent the Arboretum so well in the public events we are involved in like Sorticulture and the Everett Home and Garden Show. YOU are the wonderful docents who host tours in the gardens. YOU are part of the huge team of people who come week after week and make the Annual Plant Sale a huge success every year. It is YOU who comes and gets dirty with us at the monthly work parties to help maintain the gardens. YOU support the Arboretum Raffle each year. Thank YOU all once again for your continued support. All of us on the Board of Directors are proud to serve with all of you and support the Arboretum!

Finishing the South Area Plan (SAP)

The Board is both excited and eager to complete the SAP project – finally! We are nearing the start date and look to see action later this month. It has taken much longer than anticipated but remember good things come to those who wait! We thank the City of Everett Parks Department and the leadership of Lori Cummings, Russell Dance, and Geoff Larson for all their help in partnering with our group in this project. We have seen the final bid and budget and it is looking like it will happen soon. This project will still include the revamping of the West perimeter, the installation of a new path and benches around the south area, the addition of some new sculpture plinths including the massive “Siblings” sculpture by James Madison, and of course some new garden beds and irrigation in the south area. More plants for all to visit and admire! One of the most important things to us will be the completion of the Commemorative Oak Leaf Plaque Wall. So many of you have donated to this cause to make the SAP project happen….. and we can’t wait to show you the finished product! We appreciate your patience and will count on showing off the new south area and commemorative wall very soon.

The Arboretum – A Certified Backyard Wildlife Habitat

The Arboretum has always been about wonderful display gardens and educating visitors about gardening and plants. In a broader sense it is essentially about nature education and the symbiosis in gardening between plants, animals and our environment. The Board of Directors wants to formalize this designation for the Arboretum and thus has applied for both local and national Wildlife Certification. We have all the elements necessary for this in the Arboretum – native food sources, water, and shelter for nesting. Our hope is that visitors to Evergreen Arboretum and Gardens appreciate the gardens of course but also note and respect all the creatures who forage and nest in the gardens. One stroll along the Native Plant Walk this time of year will show you what we mean – birds darting here and there, and yes even those Squirrels stashing some fall bounty for winter nourishment. We love sharing the gardens with all wildlife and are excited to go through the process of making the Arboretum a prime example of a Certified Backyard Wildlife Habitat for everyone to enjoy.

Mark Your Calendars – Holiday Family Workshop Coming Soon

The holidays are always a fun and special time to spend with family – so bring the kids down for an exciting Family Fun workshop at the Arboretum! On Saturday, December 2nd, we will have a special kids event from Noon to 2 pm in the Horticulture Classroom at the Arboretum. The projects and activities will be geared for children ages 6 to 10 years old and parents are encouraged to participate with their child or children. Attendees will have several items to take home to use as holiday gifts and/or decorations. This Family Fun event is free to member families. Not a member? The class will be $35 for your family which also includes a one-year Family Membership. Come on down and join Hap Wertheimer, class instructor and Arboretum Board Member, for this outstanding event and help support Evergreen Arboretum and Gardens!

Come Get Dirty With Us!

Arboretum Volunteer Days have been completed for 2017 and the new schedule for 2018 will be coming soon. Beginning in March of next year we will be running them on the first Wednesday and the third Saturday of each month from 10am-noon. We would love to have anyone interested in helping join us. These work parties are necessary to continue to keep the gardens looking top notch. Come and pitch in while you talk plants and gardening with other volunteers. Enjoy the fresh air and your beautiful Arboretum. Be sure to bring gloves, tools, a bottle of water and your smiles. We hope to see you in 2018 and thank you in advance for your help!

Special Thanks to the Scouts

Our Arboretum had some special helpers down in October – the Scouts! They graciously helped with some fall projects in the gardens. The Scouts were celebrating Centennial Scout Day, a truly momentous occasion marking 100 years of success across the country. We feel both lucky and humbled a couple of the troops chose helping out at Evergreen Arboretum and Gardens to honor this centennial day of service

in the community. Thank you to Troop 114 and Pack 21! They worked hard and helped with weeding, clean-up and mulching in many areas of the Arboretum. It was amazing to see all they accomplished in a few hours – a testimonial to the work ethic and leadership of these fine young men. Thank you to Craig Callies, City Horticulturist and Board Member, for arranging this wonderful work party and to all the other Arboretum Board Members and volunteers that showed up and offered guidance and supervision. It is groups like the Scouts, helping in the community, that make a huge difference and we thank them for joining is in 2017. We hope we partner with the Scouts again in the future - it was truly our pleasure!

First Annual Bulb Fest a Huge Success!

On Saturday October 14th, the Arboretum hosted our first ever Bulb Fest. Our hope was to have some families join us for bulb planting in various locations throughout the gardens. We were able to plant over 500 Daffodils a number of other specialty bulbs at the Arboretum thanks to everyone’s help! We can’t wait to see them bloom in 2018 – there will be stunning yellow flowers for all to enjoy in early spring. We located them in spots where our hope is that they will be back year after year for visitors to enjoy. A number of unique bulbs were planted in the Rock Garden as well compliments of Ted and Sandy Milam. Thank you to Hap Wertheimer, event chair, for making this event happen and all

the other volunteers who showed up to help…… and special thanks to all the folks who came down and participated. We had 9 new families join the Arboretum which is awesome! All who helped got to take home some bulbs for their own gardens as well. We look forward to planning this event again for 2018 and continuing this as an annual fall tradition for the Arboretum, our members, and our community.

Captivating Cultivating Classes….. Free at Evergreen Arboretum and Gardens!

Come and learn about all things horticulture from our guest instructors at the Arboretum….. Classes are on the 3rd Saturday of each month from noon to 1 pm unless otherwise noted. Please RSVP by calling 425-257-8597 or online at contactus@evergreenarboretum.com.

Saturday December 2nd – Holiday Workshop for Kids and Parents Noon to 2 pm

Bring your holiday spirit and creativity to this two-hour Family Fun workshop. Go home with several gifts for the holidays. Projects are appropriate for kids ages 6 to 10 and parents are encouraged to participate with their children. FREE class for members, Non-members pay $35 which also covers a one-year Family Membership to the Arboretum. Instructor – Hap Wertheimer - Arboretum Board Member.

Saturday January 20 th – Waking Up Your Garden Noon to 1 pm

Prepare to care for your garden for the coming season. Learn about fertilizing, pruning, weeding, and other maintenance concerns that get you a jump on preparing your yard and landscape beds for the coming growing season. Expect a short walk around the Arboretum as part of the class. Instructor – Craig Callies – Arboretum Board Member and City Horticulturist.

Saturday February 17th – Winter Pruning Workshop 10 am to 2 pm

Come to this special hands on pruning workshop and learn proper pruning techniques from Arboretum President Trevor Cameron. We will focus on deciduous plants including Japanese Maples. Bring your pruners and questions and join us for the whole session or stop in for part of it. There will be a $20 class fee for all non-members – the class is free to all members. Registration also covers one-year individual membership to the Arboretum. Remember all the money from memberships goes right back to the Arboretum for continuing

improvements! Instructor – Trevor Cameron – General Manager of Sunnyside Nursery in Marysville and Arboretum President.

Take a peek at the classes coming for 2018 on our website. We are excited as we head towards hands on classes involving demonstrations and even some planting at some of them. Watch the weather and dress appropriately as many of seminars will be outdoors in the Arboretum. We look forward to sharing our love of horticulture and the Arboretum with you!

Tis the Season to Be Thankful

As the holidays approach it is always time to reflect back and realize all the things we are thankful for. At the Arboretum we are thankful for so many things each year and this year is no different. First we thank the City of Everett Parks Department for all the help we receive and for its guidance as we head towards the future. Our group could not function without the help of Lori, Russell, Geoff, Craig, Dee and all the parks staff..... And we would have nowhere to volunteer if they didn't let us help in the Arboretum! Second we thank all of you - the generous members and friends of the Arboretum. Without your support we could

not continue to grow with the gardens and usher in another generation of Arboretum admirers. Third we thank all the wonderful volunteers. It is incredible how many hours of volunteer time are donated to help the cause. Stop and admire how much all the volunteers accomplish each year through hard work and dedication and remember it is most appreciated! Finally, I would like to personally thank all of the Executive Board and the Arboretum Board of Directors for being so generous with your time. How many meetings can we do in a year? You have all accomplished so much again this year all I can say is "Thank You!" once again. Please know that I am honored to serve as your President. And….. last but certainly not least special special thanks to Jana Hyde Neugebauer for putting this newsletter together for the Arboretum each month. I simply get to write and send her some pictures and she turns it into the award-winning newsletter you receive. Thank you for taking the time to do this for us Jana we appreciate you so much!

WE WISH EVERYONE A HAPPY AND SAFE HOLIDAY SEASON!

Thank you to all of our faithful members that have renewed their membership for 2017! If you have not renewed, it is never too late to join and help support Evergreen Arboretum and Gardens. If you join now we will extend the membership through February 2019. You will essentially get 16 months of membership at the price of the yearly rate.