A recent example is the replacement of two
Japanese maples on the east shoreline. For years,
these trees have been suffering in the dense,
waterlogged soil along the shore. When seeking
to address this issue, rather than try to change the
Garden for the plants, we changed the plants for
the Garden. In their place, we planted weeping
varieties of katsura (Cercidiphyllum japonicum
‘Morioka’), which is adapted to wet conditions
and hopefully will thrive in this area. Moreover,
the original plans included a half dozen weeping
willows (Salix babylonica)—pioneer trees that
have almost all been removed. We hope the
katsura, though a new addition and adaptation to
the collection, will honor this intention.
As we get a better handle on how site conditions
are changing with time, we also look forward
to the increasing availability of plant material
that may be better suited both to the physical environment
and the aesthetics of our Garden.
For example, warmer, drier conditions have
made varieties of evergreen oak more popular
in the Pacific Northwest. Various evergreen
oak species, including Quercus glauca and Q.
phillyreoides, are “workhorse” shrubs and small
trees in gardens all over Japan and would be a
wonderful addition to our Garden.
Gardens are never “done.” They are living,
active spaces, and their growth and change is
part of why they mean so much to us. At the
Seattle Japanese Garden, we creatively manage
and adapt to that change in order to preserve the
original vision of the designers. Here, one can
experience a treasure unique to certain gardens:
the timelessness of unceasing change. m
Pete Putnicki is the head gardener at the Seattle Japanese Garden.
Help Preserve
the Vision of the Garden
Photo: Aurora Santiago
Join our Camellia Circle and embrace the idea of constant
renewal within the Seattle Japanese Garden. Our donors are
committed to maintaining the beautiful design we were gifted
and stewarding it into the future with thought and care.
For more information, contact Lee Benner, Development
Director, at lbenner@arboretumfoundation.org or 206-325-4510.
16 v Washington Park Arboretum Bulletin