Intro to Botanical Names Part Two: Pronunciation By Cynthia Welte In the first blog article on botanical names, we looked at how plant names are constructed. Now … time to get brave and say them out loud! A note on my phonetic spellings: the Æ or æ symbol is an “a” as it is pronounced in cat or Seattle. Accented syllables are in all caps. This isn’t in any way official but is how it makes sense to me. Plant…
Intro to Botanical Names Part One: Understanding Names By Cynthia Welte Those of us who work closely with plants are frequently asked why we use the long, hard-to-remember scientific names instead of simpler common names. To illustrate why, what comes to mind when I ask you to picture a cedar tree? You might be thinking of any of a dozen conifers. But if I’m talking about Thuja plicata, there is only plant I could mean: the Western red cedar (also…
Ethnobotany at the Garden By Barb Williams Ethnobotany is the study of how people of a particular culture and region make use of indigenous (native) plants. The native plants sprinkled throughout the Bellevue Botanical Garden remind us that us that the Coast Salish people lived in this area for thousands of years and skillfully developed a plant technology to support their daily needs. Containers were necessary to hold and carry a multitude of items. Native Americans discovered that the inner…
Here is a fun and simple way to make a wreath without having to do a bunch of wiring! This style of wreath is also very easy to re-use with fresh greens. We taught this method at our wreath class in 2019 at the Bellevue Botanical Garden and it worked out really well. We had a family at the wreath class and the child who was about 8 years old was able to make a wreath as well. We would…
Wanted: Garden Escapee, English Ivy By Angela DiLorenzo English Ivy (Hedera helix) garners oohs and ahhs clinging to the sides of English cottages and adorning arbors. However, in our Northwest coast forests and parklands, it is a menace. Ivy draws us in with its lovely trailing vines and evergreen properties. We eagerly purchase hanging pots and planters full of lovely variegated vines to beautify our homes. Eventually, the annuals die, and perennials over grow their pots. A convenient backyard…
Planning – and Planting – for Pollinators By Cynthia Welte Home gardeners can do a lot for pollinator species by providing access to shelter, food, water, and nesting space. The Urban Meadow at the Bellevue Botanical Garden is an example of a pollinator-friendly planting. Next time you walk at the Garden, look at the plants and layout for ideas for your garden. Urban and suburban gardens are not too small to create habitat! Many pollinators have a small range, so…
By Deborah Wilk, LMFT “There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature – the assurance that dawn comes after night, and spring after winter” -Rachel Carson Spring is here! And this season of new beginnings is certainly welcome right now. Birds are singing, trees are blooming and flowers are adding great bursts of color in every direction. With so many other aspects of our daily lives feeling upside down, Nature provides comfort by behaving just as we…
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