Winter-Spring 2006 Botanical Garden University of California Berkeley Newsletter

Vol. 31, Numbers 1 & 2 Published by the UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA BOTANICAL GARDEN at Berkeley Winter/Spring 2006

BBU N I V E R S I T Y o f C A L I F O R N I A

N E W S L E T T E R

OTANICALOTANICALGGARDENARDEN

When I arrivedas Director in thesummer of 2003, Iknew that some-thing had to bedone about theentrance if we wereto move forwardand be accepted asthe premiere gardenthat I knew we rep-resented. By nowyou are hopefullyaware of the results;however, I think it isworth reflecting onthe process both as ahistorical documen-tation of the event aswell as to seek

lessons for future efforts to undertake such projects. To begin,it was necessary to analyze some of the obstacles that subvert-ed previous efforts. Briefly, I recognized these to be primarilythe lack of control over budget combined with proposals thattriggered campus regulatory roadblocks. As a result, prelimi-nary plans exceeded funding.

The new plan began by first setting a relatively modesttarget for fund raising and the budget was established accord-ingly. The fact that everyone I spoke with agreed on theneed, indeed urgency, to address the entrance was encourag-ing, and the campaign was launched by the end of 2003under the direction of Janet Williams, our Marketing andDevelopment Officer. With the overwhelming support of the

The University ofCalifornia

Botanical Garden wasestablished inBerkeley in 1890 andfor much of its first30 years was repre-sented by a statelyglass conservatory inthe style now seen inthe Conservatory ofFlowers in GoldenGate Park. Thisstructure, located onthe central campus,gradually deterioratedand was abandonedin the 1920’s whenthe collection movedto its current site inStrawberry Canyon. The collection, which is now one of theoldest gardens in the country, also grew to be one of the mostspecies diverse collections in the country; it is not unreason-able to describe it as venerable.

Unfortunately, the grandeur of the conservatory was nottranslated to the “face” of the new location. It has long beenrecognized that the external appearance, especially the frontentrance, of the Garden did not do justice to its quality andsignificance, and over the past several decades, repeatedattempts have been made to address this situation. Visitorshad to overcome first impressions when they entered througha rusty chain-link fence into the old sloped asphalt parkinglot. Unfortunately, for a variety of reasons, previous attemptsfailed to build a proper entrance befitting the Garden. (continued on page 2)

The entrance gate is flanked by concrete columns with exposed aggregate for visual interest.Vehicles enter through a separate gate to the right of this image.

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New Entrancein Place!

2 University of California Botanical Garden at Berkeley

many community members who cared, resulting in almost250 private gifts and significant gifts-in-kind, we enteredinto a detailed planning process within a year. The goal wasto design and build something within the existing realisticbudget. Working closely with campus, we engaged an archi-tect, Reed Dillingham and Associates, and involved campusoffices in all steps of planning in order to avoid unexpectedregulatory obstacles. By February 2005, the long awaitedground breaking actually commenced.

The assigned campus project manager, Kate Bolton a tal-ented landscape designer, then worked closely with us on theselection of a contractor, Sposeto Engineering, and on deal-ing with further details throughout the construction phase.It proved valuable to stay intimately involved in all stages ofconstruction as it proceeded;because of the aging facility andlack of detail on what existedbelow the ground, unforeseen

problems were unavoidable, and adjustments became com-monplace. For example, unanticipated utilities—gas andelectrical—were frequently located during excavation, andexcessive ground water required major modifications to facilitate drainage.

Process and componentsThe process comprised two major components: the hard-

scape and planting. The hardscape consisted of the entranceportal, the internal plaza and finally, the rockwork that sup-ported the planting. The portal was defined by a pair ofimposing columns topped with a hand crafted redwood trel-lis that formed a distinctive visitor entrance while an electricgate and driveway was designed for vehicular traffic, the firsttime that these two disparate functions were separated. Theelectric vehicle gate is noteworthy from both a safety andfunctional standpoint: for the first time, vehicular move-

NEW ENTRANCE (continued from page 1)

ment can be controlled remotely, without having to manual-ly open and close large gates.

The goal of the design was to have a distinctive entrancethat would make a bold statement while fitting into the gen-eral motif of the natural canyon. This new entrance portalwas positioned further back from the roadway to create roomfor vehicular pull-off as well as a space in which to congregatein front of the Garden. The gate was flanked by a woodenfence that incorporated a façade to conceal the old kiosk andvisitor window; we learned that any major change to thekiosk itself would trigger serious issues regarding the use oftemporary buildings, in addition to escalating costs. A new,larger, visitor window improved access to the kiosk and theinner side of the building was remodeled to include a properroof and dormer windows.

The internal plaza was designed to be welcoming and

RIGHT: Large boulder in thelower plaza is a valuable focalarea. BELOW: First week ofconstruction, February 2005.

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Winter/Spring 2006 3

functional. The goal was to have visitors enter immediatelyinto a spectacular garden setting. It was also important toassure accessibility to all, including those with mobilityrestrictions; the old entrance was badly sloped and irregular.By combining regular concrete with pervious concrete, weproduced two durable but decorative levels connected by alarge staircase in addition to ramp access to the Garden. Thepervious concrete, a gift of the Northern California ConcreteAlliance, also adds a new dimension of functionality in facili-tating water removal during watering or rain—water instant-ly percolates through the surface. A large boulder embeddedin the lower plaza—donated by American Soil Products—has already proven a valuable spot for children to play oradults to sit, or even to pontificate.

Planting There is no question but that the planting of the entrance

was the most important element for its success. For fulldetails on this process, I recommend the recent article by

Nathan Smith in Pacific Horticulture (January/February,March 2006). This phase began with a major amendment ofthe soil—our endearing clay mixed with asphalt was replacedwith up to 18 inches of a prepared planting mix—and theplacement of rockwork. American Soil Products made much

of this possible with their gifts ofmaterials. A staff design team ledby Jerry Parsons with ColinBaxter, Anthony Garza, Nathan

Smith, and Eric Schulz, assisted by several students, wasresponsible for both this hardscape as well as the design andimplementation of planting.

Our staff were the obvious choice to design the entranceplantings. After all, they created a major award winningdesign display at the 2000 San Francisco Flower and GardenShow.

The planting theme followed in the spirit of our SanFrancisco exhibit and from our strong focus on water conser-vation. Many of the very large pots from the exhibit alongwith several others donated by AW Pottery and PacificHome and Garden, Inc., were used to feature specimenplants. The resulting theme “Arid Exotica” even used some of the signature plants of that exhibit, starting with the hundred-year old European fan palm (Chamaerops humilis).Moving and fitting this large plant into place, with an

ABOVE:Staff design team led by (L. toR.) Jerry Parsons, Anthony Garza,Erich Schulz, Nathan Smith, andColin Baxter (missing from photo).LEFT: Robert Riddell, past chair ofFriends of the Garden, cuts the ribbonopening the entrance.

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Installation of a hundred-year-old European fan palm (Chamaerops humilis)proved a major undertaking.

(continued on next page)

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NEWemail REGISTRY

If you would like to receive e-mail notices of our special plant sales and programs, visit our web-site(http://botanicalgarden.berkeley.edu) and add your name to our e-mail registry.

NEW ENTRANCE (continued from page 3)

estimated weight of 5.5 tons, proved a major undertaking.To complete the waterwise goal, we installed a state of theart irrigation system, with a controller based on evapo-tran-spiration principles, donated by ET Water Systems. It isdesigned to utilize meteorological conditions, includingwind, sun, temperature, and humidity (these data are avail-able on our website under “visitor information”), combinedwith information on soil type and slope to maintain thedesired level of soil moisture. The planting beds were thencovered with a mulch of gold granite, donated by GraniteConstruction Co., Ltd of Watsonville, to improve appearanceand reduce moisture loss.

DedicationThe construction and planting were completed in large

part by early summer 2005, and a dedication ceremony inSeptember commemorated the event.

We were fortunateto have a warm sunnyafternoon and muchgood cheer. Commem-orative coffee mugsmark the event. It wasparticularly fitting thatRobert Riddell, a pastchair of the Friends ofthe Garden, cut theribbon since he haddevoted considerableenergy toward one ofthe first major attemptsto address the entranceissue.

FutureThe new Entrance

has now become thespringboard and focalpoint for another set ofinitiatives to expand

the Garden experience. For example, the Garden Shop andPlant Deck were spruced up, a new concrete path wasinstalled to the upper restrooms and these restrooms havebeen renovated to include hot water and new flooring. Mostimportantly, the entrance provided an impetus for an ambi-tious program to provide interpretive signage for the Garden.This effort began with the creation of the Arid House exhibitand recently with the construction of a new carnivorous plantand orchid display in the small greenhouse (previously Fern& Carnivorous Plants House) near the entrance. We are inthe process of producing extensive new signage to form an“interpretive corridor” as visitors enter, and these will be pro-gressively extended throughout the Garden.

There is no substitute for seeing and experiencing ournew Garden entrance in real life!! Please visit often and bringyour friends.

September 2005 dedication ceremony

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5Winter/Spring 2006

You can also select from several unusual grasses, grass-likeplants (Luzula sylvatica var. marginata), and restios, including

Restio tetraphyllus. We will also featurenumerous choice cacti and succulentsfrom the Garden’s collections, includingthe succulent Operculicarya decaryi, aswell as Adenium somalense and anexpanded offering of larger cacti.

We will continue to offer a wide rangeof carnivorous plants, salvias, orchids andan expanding range of hardy ferns.

The Member’s Sale will includerefreshments of food and wine; there willalso be a Silent Auction of rare plantsfrom 5-6:30 pm. We are putting togethera choice group of rare and unusual plantsfor the Silent Auction that are guaranteedto elicit active bidding. (Memberships

will be available at the door.)! You can find a more complete list of plants to be offered atthe sale on the Garden’s web site http://botanicalgarden.berke-ley.edu.

Mark your calendar for the largest sale ever!

Spring Plant Sale

Don’t miss the Spring Plant Sale, certain to be our largestever! Mark your calendar!

We will continue to feature a dramatically increasedselection of California natives, including the rarely availablealumroot (Heuchera micrantha), western columbine(Aquilegia formosa), golden currant (Ribes aureum var.aureum), western spicebush (Calycanthus occidentalis) andseveral cultivars of California-fuchsia (Epilobium califor-nicum). The sale will include hard-to-find orange-floweredpassion vine (Passiflora parritae) and a spectacular assortmentof flowering Chilean bellflowers (Lapageria rosea) includingthe cultivars White Cloud and MissionLace. We will offer a selection of pottedbulbs, including Scilla natalensis,Stenomesson (in several colors) and someCalifornia natives. You can also selectfrom rare trees and shrubs from theGarden’s collections such as Camelliapitardii var. yunnanica, Cupressus duclouxi-ana, Monnina xalapensis and the rarelyavailable Sonchus ortunoi.

This year’s sale will feature anincreased selection of perennials, includingextensive selections from the Garden’sMediterranean, Central and SouthAmerican and Australasian collections. Wewill offer unusual Canary Islands plants:Canarina canariensis, Isoplexis canariensis and Sideritis dasyg-naphala. For the adventurous we will offer several magnifi-cent species of Beschorneria. For those who love houseplants,a wide selection of Hoya and Begonia is just the beginning.

Member’s SaleFriday, April 28, 20065 pm to 7:30 pm

Public SaleSaturday, April 29, 20069 am to 2 pm

Lapageria rosea cv. Collinge

Isoplexis canariensis

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this has created a timely haven to escape theintermittent downpours. Moreover, the expe-rience gained in producing these materialsshould serve us well for our goal of expandingthe interpretive signage throughout theGarden. In this regard, I am pleased toreport awards from the Stanley SmithHorticultural Trust and the Elvenia J.Slosson Endowment Fund that will fund the creation of what we are calling an “interpre-tive corridor”, starting with the new

entrance. I hope this project will be the beginning of anongoing process to share more of our secrets with the public.

Another exciting addition tothe Garden is our newCarnivorous Plant and OrchidDisplay. The original carnivo-rous plant display was built in1977. After a break-in and lossof some plants in its first year,the doors were replaced withplexiglass, which was soon

scratched and uncleanable. This made the old cage 29 yearsold—a miracle in deferred maintenance. Judith Finninforms me that efforts to replace the old structure havebeen ongoing for 15 years. The new glass display was

Iwrite this in the midst of a rainy seasonthat has brought both problems and

delights. To quote a famous bad phrase “Itwas a dark and stormy night”. The worstproblems occurred during the heavy delugeon December 31st when a mudslide abovethe Garden resulted in the damming ofStrawberry Creek where it passes under themain road above the beautiful Japanese pool.The creek jumped its banks and traveledmany yards down the road before divertingdown the steep slope into the Japanese Pool. The torrentialflow that greeted us in the morning was a bit awesome andfrightening and several hours oflabor by three dedicated staff(Anthony Garza, Judith Finn andJerry Parsons) were required toclear the creek and restore normalflow. In the interim, a large swathof the hill above the pool waswashed out, filling the pool withmud. Major efforts were requiredto clear and restore it. Unfortunately, we did not have con-tingency funds for such major events and so had to divertfunds from other planned projects.

Fortunately the rainy season also brought a number ofdelights. With regard to the Garden, the rains and relativelywarm winter have encouraged a flush of new growth andblooms, especially striking in the native California Area andin the rhodendrons of the Asian Area. In the last NewsletterI mentioned the new Arid House signage and exhibit, and

DIRECTOR’S COLUMN

GROWTH

Seasonal storms bring new bloomand an exciting new display is

installed with member support.

LEFT: The overflowing Strawberry Creek escaped its normal confines and created a new waterfall into the Japanese Pool. ABOVE: New interpretivesigns, funded by LaVerne (seen here) & Douglas Leach, now lead visitorsthrough the significance of our extensive cactus and succulent collection in the Arid House.

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Winter/Spring 2006 7

designed by our own Lead Building Maintenance staff,Gerald Ford, who also worked with our recent appointee inthis area, Eric Deschenes, to construct the final product. It islocated in the newly named Orchid, Fern and CarnivorousPlant greenhouse near the entrance. Judith Finn and JerryParsons are responsible for “planting” the new display case.You may recall that we house one of the most species diverseorchid collections, mostly of wild origin, in the country, butthey have not been accessible to the public for the past fiveyears. The new display will show off the best in a rotatingexhibit. As with all such projects, this one was fully fundedby private gifts from individuals and societies (see sidebar forlist of donors).

Please take this opportunity to come and marvel at thegems in this Garden.

—Paul Licht, Director

The new carnivorous plant and orchid display.

PROJECT DONORS

In support of The Fern CollectionNorris E. Gaddis, family and friends

In honor of Iris Gaddis, Garden volunteer, and herlove of ferns

In Support of Interpretive Signage for the Orchid,Fern and Carnivorous Plant Collection

East Bay Garden ClubThe Stanley Smith Horticultural Trust

In Support of The Orchid and Carnivorous Plant Display

Bay Area Carnivorous Plant Society Steven Beckendorf Jay Caldis, family and friends

In honor of Niki Caldis and her love of orchidsCasper Curto–Casper Landscape Design David O. Gray Glenn and Virgina Haldan San Francisco Orchid Society The Docent Class of 1990

In Honor of their 15th AnniversaryClaude Babcock Lisa Bowers June and Earl Cheit Eleanor Crary Mansurali Nurmuhammad and

Nurjehan Gulamhussein Gayle Roberts Ellen Rosenau Kathy and David Welch

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Sales on our Plant Deck are flourishing. The volunteerpropagators have done an incredible job of keeping the

plant deck stocked with great offerings—and the public hasresponded! Plant sales from the Plant Deck for 2005 increased49% compared to 2004 and are now much larger than eitherof our big plant sales. These results have highlighted the needto significantly expand the size of our Plant Deck.

We have supplemented sales from the deck by initiating aseries of small-scale specialized sales, set up on the terrace infront of the Plant Deck. The first of these sales was centeredon a seminar on waterwise plants in October. We then

replaced our traditional Holiday Sale with a sale of largescale offering of cacti and succulents and succulent dish gardens. These sales have been very successful and we plan to hold six more in 2006. The beauty of these sales is their simplicity: no need for special staffing, as all sales are runthrough the Garden Shop, and no publicity or expenses savefor a few signs, and an announcement to those on our e-mailregistry.

If you would like to receive e-mail notices of our specialplant sales and programs, visit our web-site (http://botanicalgar-den.berkeley.edu) and add your name to our e-mail registry.

PLANT DECK SALES

University of California Botanical Garden at Berkeley8

den help one another either structurally or chemically togrow well. This interdependence provides the students with asymbolic model for collaboration and cooperation, a skillthat they developed while working on the mural. TheWhittier second-grade class visited the UC Botanical Gardenduring the annual Food of the Americas festival andobserved the mature crops in a three sisters garden featured

in our Crops of the WorldGarden.

Melrose Elementary chose thetopic of trees for their projectwith first-grade students. Theylearned about products thatcome from trees, including fruit,syrup, wood, and paper. Theyalso learned about three nativetrees of California, the big leafmaple (Acer macrophyllum), thecoast live oak (Quercus agrifolia)

and the coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens). One of theparents commented that now when she takes her son to thepark he picks up acorns and tells her they are from oak trees.

One teacher, when asked how this project enhanced theschool garden efforts, included in her evaluation “It has beenan inspiration to all, plus it has added beauty to our school.”She then added, “My students are very proud of their new

knowledge.”Another vibrant Garden

project has come full circleunder the enthusiastic leader-ship of Jenny White, nowemeritus Associate Director forEducation. The colorfully illus-trated book, Math in theGarden, co-developed with theLawrence Hall of Science, isnow available in our bookstoreand on-line at our publisher,the National GardeningAssociation. Parents and edu-cators around the nation havetested and endorsed this seriesof activities that use math to reveal the patterns and

School gardens provide a touchstone for children toexplore their cultural and artistic connections to the nat-

ural world while investigating math and science. This yearthe Tides Foundation supported the Garden’s EthnobotanicalMural Project in three partner schools in Oakland. OurSchool Garden Specialist, Lauri Twitchell, has a vision forschool gardens that interweaves the creative talents of chil-dren with the practical aspects ofgrowing plants that you can eatand enjoy on many levels. Lauriworked with teachers and muralartist Josef Norris, from Kidserve,to design a program that address-es California State Standardswhile promoting healthy foodsfor children, their parents, andthe school community.

The three underserved ele-mentary schools selected havemore than 50% of children eligible for free or reduced lunch,and have teachers who have implemented the Garden’s Botanyon Your Plate curriculum. Lauri and Josef met with each ofthe three classes at least once a week over an eight-week peri-od exploring a particular plant topic. The children thenlearned about the craft of making a tile mural, and designedand produced the mural for their school. Healthy snacks thatwere featured in the lesson wereserved to the children after theysketched the vegetables and treeparts. Many children had neverbefore tasted fresh green beansor maple syrup.

The “three sisters” garden,an intercropping techniquedeveloped by NativeAmericans, is planted withcorn, beans, and squash, andwas the focus of the project atWhittier and LazearElementary Schools. The threesisters garden teaches aboutethnobotany, science, and hor-ticulture techniques. The threeplants of the three sisters gar-

EDUCATION

CHANGE

School gardens provide a touchstonefor children to explore their cultural

and artistic connections to the natural world while investigating

math and science.

Two student artists at Lazear Elementary School describe a three sistersgarden and explain how the mural was made.

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Supporting School Changethrough School Gardens

Winter/Spring 2006 9

processes of nature. The Hayward

NutritionalLearningCommunityProject, which pro-vides teacher profes-sional developmentto 15 schools inHUSD, is using tenMath in the Gardenactivities to pro-mote healthy eatinghabits and connec-tions to growingedible plants.Children exploregraphing with edi-ble leaves and seeds;they measure theweight and volumeof fruits and vegeta-bles, and compare the area and perimeter of edible leaves.These activities have been translated into Spanish to furthersupport the inclusion of parents and children who areEnglish Language Learners.

Our Growing Learning Communities Project (GLC) usesMath in the Garden to promote science and math in the outof doors through the process of Japanese Lesson Study. Atour summer institute, Katie Johnson, co-author of Math inthe Garden and teacher at Oxford Elementary School inBerkeley, taught the lesson “Inside the Coordinate Grid” tochildren in our Green Stuff Camp while GLC teachers fromthe region observed.

This year alsomarks the comple-tion of an eight-year period offunding from theHoward HughesMedical Institutein support of ourschool garden out-reach program.Building on thepopular GroceryStore Botany pro-gram developed byGarden docents inthe 1990s, theprogram nowemploys a wholeschool model forpartnering withschools and theircommunities.

What began in 1997 with a handful of schools has led topartnerships with more than thirty local schools in the devel-opment and testing of programs for children, teachers, fami-lies and community members.

Our Bay Area hillsides are turning green with new vege-tation, and school gardens are sprouting with enthusiasm forgrowing things. I encourage you to become involved withone or more of the following partner schools where ourschool garden efforts have helped enrich the outdoor learn-ing environments of urban children.

—Katherine Barrett

Local teachers (background) learn to use activities from our new book Math in the Garden duringmodeled lessons with our Green Stuff summer camp.

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Alameda Woodstock

Berkeley Martin Luther King MiddleSchoolMalcolm X Oxford Willard Middle School

Hayward BurbankCherryland Fairview

Harder Longwood Markham John Muir Park Project Ruus-Peixoto Shepherd Tyrrell

Newark Schilling Snow

Oakland Allendale Cleveland Encompass Franklin Fruitvale Garfield Joaquin Miller Laurel Lazear Lincoln Luther Burbank Manzanita

Melrose Peralta Whittier

OrindaDel ReyWagner Ranch

San Francisco Grattan

West Contra CostaFord

SF BAY AREA SCHOOLS WORKING WITH UC BOTANICAL GARDEN

University of California Botanical Garden at Berkeley10

BAKER’S LARKSPUR UPDATE

We invite you to celebrate and honor someone youlove and support the Garden at the same time by

dedicating a new picnic table here in the hub of the Garden.You can sponsor a new custom 10’ picnic table, withattached benches, built in the shade surrounded by lush, col-orful plantings ofthe Mexican/Central Americancollection. Thenew table will belocated adjacent toboth the “AridExotica” exhibit in the new entrance plaza and the newlyrefurbished Orchid, Fern and Carnivorous Plant House. Thislocation serves as a central gathering place for the Gardencommunity of visitors, volunteers and staff. Your supportwould be a (tax deductible) gift to help keep the Gardengrowing - call the Garden Development Office at 510-643-2937 for information

One of the Garden’s Center forPlant Conservation species,

the Baker’s larkspur (Delphiniumbakeri), is known from a singlelocality in Marin County, where var-ious catastrophic events (nearly allhuman-induced) have reduced thepopulation from a high of 103 indi-viduals (only 34 flowering size) in2001 down to nine (only two flow-ering size) by 2005. Barbara Kellerand I collected limited numbers ofseeds in 2001, 2003, 2004, and2005 (2002 had one of thosehuman-induced disasters) in part-nership with California Department of Fish & Game andUS Fish & Wildlife Service, with participation from mem-bers of the Marin Chapter of the California Native PlantSociety. We are experimenting with seed treatments whilegrowing out a number of seeds for future introductionefforts of this extremely endangered species. Seeds weresown by Garden propagator John Domzalski in the nurseryon November 30, 2005, and those that were placed in a

Unique Garden Tribute Opportunity

This newly developed space is available for your donation of a picnic table inthe style of the nearby Bonnell table, crafted by Garden staff.

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refrigerator for four weeks are com-ing up very well, with a range of 10–100% (average is 73%) germina-tion to date. Seeds from the samematernal parents sown on that samedate but placed directly in the LathHouse (no chill factor) have onlyturned up one seedling so far. Twoweek and six week stratificationshave also given good germination(40 - 92%). An average of 20% ger-mination for native seeds is consid-ered good.

Our site visit in mid-March2006 revealed that two of the larger

plants from 2005 did not come up, and the one that flow-ered and set seed last year was in bud when it was bitten offat the base of its stem, likely by a small mammal (e.g. avole). The remaining six plants are too small to flower thisyear (and will not likely flower for a few years). We hopethat damaged plant will survive to flower again in 2007.

We continue to review potential sites for introductionattempts to start new populations. —Holly Forbes

Many Baker’s larkspur seedlings are coming up in theGarden’s nursery.

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NEW STAFF:Eric Deschenes recently joined the garden staff in

Building and Grounds Maintenance. He is a graduate of theUniversity of California at Santa Cruz where he studied artand tinkered in several gardens. As a manager of an alterna-tive student housing complex (a trailer park in the woods), hedeveloped a park beautification plan, created funding for andimplemented the construction of new community gardens.Eric is very excited to be a new member of the garden staff.

Caroline Emily Dennis: Emily can be found in theEntrance Kiosk most week days. She and her family recentlymoved to El Cerrito from Santa Barbara to becloser to her extended family. She grew up in ElSobrante and attended UC Santa Barbarawhere she studied sociology. She loves workingwith people, especially in customer service,which makes her job at the Garden ideal.

STAFF RECOGNITION: Christine Manouxis a recipient of the Chancellor’s OutstandingStaff Award for 2005 for her service as a rolemodel and leader in her work with low-incomecommunities through our education program.This is the second time in three years that theprograms she coordinates have been recognizedby this award.

WINTER STORM DAMAGE: In addition tothe damage to the Japanese Pool described inour Director’s Column, fouryoung trees in the AustralasianCollection were knockeddown, but we’re hopeful theywill recover. There wasremarkably little damage inthe rest of the Garden, inspite of the heavy rains.

POND CLEAN-UP: Asnoted above, the JapanesePool was filled with debrisand sediment during a severewinter storm. The storm hitas the breeding season of the California and rough-skinnednewts was commencing. In February the pool was emptied,cleaned and repaired, but not before hundreds of adult andjuvenile newts, as well as egg masses, were removed from the

pool. The animals were temporarily held in tanks, and rein-troduced to the pool upon completion of the clean-up. Toour knowledge not a single adult newt was lost in thiseffort. Horticulturist Elaine Sedlack has worked extensivelyto repair damage to the Asian Area, restoring paths andreplanting beds.

GARDEN WEATHER: Want to check weather conditionsbefore your next visit to the Garden? Check the web site,http://weathercenter.weathernet.com/default.asp?btn=BTN_06Z, for current information.

ROAD AND PATHIMPROVEMENTS:This past fall a number ofroads throughout the gar-den were stabilized andimproved. Most notably,the road from the inter-section of the Asian,South American, andAustralasian Areas up tothe Garden of Old Roseswas paved, eliminating arutted and hazardous situ-ation. The road from theJapanese Pool to andaround the Crops of theWorld Garden was grad-ed, making vehicular and

human access much more safe and pleasurable!Additionally, the perennially muddy gravel pathsbehind the Arid House were replaced with con-crete. Stained the same color as the concrete in theentrance plazas, the area now feels like an integrat-ed extension of that recently refurbished area.

AMERICAN PUBLIC GARDEN ASSOCIATIONto visit the Garden: In late June the Garden willhost members of the American Public GardensAssociation (until recently know as the AmericanAssociation of Botanical Gardens and Arboreta)during their annual conference in San Francisco.

The Garden will be the site of an in-conference tour for thewhole meeting membership, estimated at between 400 and600 attendees. We hope to make the Garden sparkle for ourprofessional colleagues!

This newt (Taricha torosa) awaits the cleaningof the Japanese Pool from its temporary home inthe nursery.

GARDEN NOTES

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Paul Licht, Chris Carmichael, and Judith Finn nettingnewts prior to the dredging of the Japanese Pool.

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VOLUNTEERS AT THE GARDEN

30 YearsMary Pierpont

15 YearsClaude BabcockLisa BowersJune CheitEleanor CraryMansur NurGayle RobertsEllen RosenauSandy SobeyKathryn Welch

5 yearsMaureen AppelRonni BregaEdna CarpenterMelania CiapponiGretchen GuidottiJoan KibbeyElfi TarazonaLeeza Vinogradov

30 YearsElly Bade

25 yearsRamona DavisBob Lichtenstein

20 yearsTomiye SumnerJan VargoFlorence Yaffe

15 yearsWilly AdamJack DolhinowCarol FosterLaVerne LeachAlison MillsFrank Orme

10 yearsElaine ChernoffHelene ConantRobert CoombsLouise DuttonSusan GilmourDoris GraesserSusan HallRobin JohnsonEmily McKibbenMary MentzelMaureen MentzelJane SandstromCarol ThompsonElizabeth WoodburyEdith Yu

5 yearsSusan HobenPeter LangleyClaudine MarquetCarlos RendonJeanine Sidran

The following volunteers have reached milestones of service in five-year increments:

Milestones 2005

ABOVE: (standing) Mary Pierpont, Ruth Hendrix, (seated) Elly BadeFAR LEFT: Gayle RobertsNEAR LEFT: Ramona Davis

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Join the 100-member strong community of dedicated Garden docents. Learn how to create memorable and exciting

learning experiences for Bay Area school children and adults from around the globe at one of the most diverse botanical

gardens in the U.S. Training will be given by our expert horticultural staff and plant specialists from UC Berkeley and the

community. The 18 week Docent Training Class will start in September 2006.

! For more information and to apply for the class, call 510-643-1924.

Docent Training Fall 2006

Milestones 2006

Winter/Spring 2006 13

UNSELT LECTURE: URBAN BEE GARDENINGSunday, May 21, 2006, 10 am to 12 pmEverything the urban gardener needsto know about urban bees!Learn how to encouragebees and other natural polli-nators to visit your gardenthrough creating effective and attractivenative bee gardens. Dr. Gordon Frankie,professor and research entomologist in theUCB College of Natural Resources, will share plant lists andplanting patterns most beneficial for urban bees. Lectureincludes a Garden tour, weather permitting.Free.

OAKLAND MUSEUM ANNUAL WILDFLOWER SHOWSaturday, May 20, 10 am to 5 pm Sunday, May 21, 2006, 12 pm to 5 pmThe Garden is a co-sponsor of the 37th annual wildflower showat the Oakland Museum, which will feature a profusion offreshly gathered native flowers of northern California. The flow-ers are displayed individually, in mixed bouquets, and dissectedfor study.Included with museum admission.

SICK PLANT CLINICFirst Saturday of every month, 9 am to 12 pm UC plant pathologist Dr. Robert Raabe, UC entomologist Dr.Nick Mills, and their team of experts will diagnose what ailsyour plants.Free.

DOCENT TOURS:

AROUND THE WORLDEvery Thursday, Saturday and Sunday 1:30 pm.Free with Garden admission.

BEAUTIFUL GARDENING WITH WATERWISEPLANTS TOUR Third Thursday and the following Saturday and Sunday of eachmonth, 1:30 pm.Seasonal highlights of the Garden’s unique waterwise plants. Purchase the Waterwise Gardening Tour book at The GardenShop.Free with Garden admission.

CALENDAR OF EVENTSCREATE A PERENNIAL BORDER USING CALIFORNIA NATIVESSunday, April 23, 2006, 10:30 am to 12 pmJoin Garden Horticulturist for the California Area, NathanSmith, for a workshop exploring innovative and practical waysto use California native plants to create a colorful, perennialborder. $25, $20 members

SPRING PLANT SALESaturday, April 29, 2006, 9 am to 2 pm

MEMBERS ONLY SALE AND SILENT AUCTIONFriday, April 28, 2006, 5 pm to 7:30 pmCheck our website close to the sale date to see a list of fea-tured plants.

WALKING TOUR OF THE GARDEN OF OLD ROSESSaturday, May 6, 2006, 10 am to 11:30 amTreat yourself to a walk in the Garden of Old Roses during thepeak of their bloom with the Garden’s Horticulturist for the col-lection and rose expert, Peter Klement. Learn about the historyof our collection including the influences of Chinese, Persianand European cultures on the roses we grow today.$12, $8 members

A CHILD’S CONTAINER GARDEN: FAMILY WORKSHOPSunday, May 7, 2006, 2 pm to 3:30 pmChildren of all ages, together with their accompanying parent/guardian, will discover those special plants known as succulents,where and how they grow, and create a container garden of theirown to take home. $18, $14 members. Price includes one parent and one childand one container plant garden per child. Additional adult orchildren per family are $7 each.

SPRING RHODODENDRON TOUR Sunday, May 14, 2006, 10 am to 12 pmEnjoy Mother’s Day on a tour emphasizing the culture of theGarden’s Rhododendron species, based on the natural habitats ofthis diverse genus. Join the UC Botanical Garden’s Asian plantexpert and Area Horticulturist, Elaine Sedlack, to see the AsianArea’s notable collection, including many of considerable age,stature and beauty.$12, $8 members

Call 510-643-2755 for more information or to register. Reservations are required for all programs and events, except the Sick Plant Clinic and Plant Sales. Parking is availablein the UC lot across Centennial from the Garden Entrance at $1 per hour. Program fees include Garden admission. Register early, class space is limited. Cancellations received at least two weeks prior toprogram date are subject to a $10 service fee. Program fees of $10 or less and cancellations received less than two weeks prior to the program are non-refundable. Program fees will be refunded if theGarden cancels the program.

University of California Botanical Garden at Berkeley14

NEW MEMBERS

June 1, 2005 to January 15, 2006

Mr. and Mrs. Thomas AlbinMr. and Mrs. Matthew AndressMr. Michael Anker &

Ms. Janeece DagenMrs. Devora AnnerMs. Michelle BacaresMs. Kristen Badgley &

Mr. David SturtzMs. Madeline BakarichMs. Katherine Barrett &

Dr. Reginald BarrettDenise Bates, Landscape ArchitectsMr. Anthony Beach &

Ms. Linda AlberaMrs. Carolyn Beahrs &

Mr. Richard BeahrsBeauregard’s California BistroMr. Mark Becker &

M. Tucker MalarkeyMr. and Mrs. Doug BerryMrs. Billie Jean Bertoli &

Mr. Mark B BertoliMs. Caroline Beverstock &

Mr. Gene FleetMr. David Bigham &

Mr. Howard ArendtsonDr. Donald B. BivinMs. Elinor BlakeMs. Lisa BowersMr. Robert L. BradleyMr. Stephen M BrickleyMr. Steven K BrownMr. and Mrs. Andrew BruckerMs. Lauren BucklandDr. Patricia Busk & Dr. Michael BuskMs. Theodora S Carlile &

Mr. David J SmithDr. and Mrs. Michael CassidyMrs. Molly Chappellet &

Mr. Donn ChappelletMs. Betsy CheitlinMr. Sam CiofaloDr. John Clark & Ms. Cynthia Clark Ms. Tracey CockrellDr. Carol CohenMs. Marie CollinsMr. Gary Cornell & Ms. Grace WongMs. Diane Craddock &

Mr. David HogyeMs. Elizabeth CraneMs. Arlene CrooksMr. and Mrs. George CrozierDr. Haynes Currie & Ms. Lucy LawlessMr. and Mrs. Patrick DanielsenMs. Topher DelaneyMs. Lisa Denenmark &

Ms. Keiko LaneMrs. Sheila Diehl & Ms. Keila Diehl Mr. Allan DodgeMr. Scott Donahey &

Ms. Mary O’ByrneMrs. Genevieve Dreyfus &

Mr. Hubert DreyfusMr. Peter Dull & Ms. Judy TsuiMrs. Chandra Easton &

Mr. Scott BlossomMs. Maria Echaveste &

Mr. Christopher EdleyMr. and Mrs. Wayne EisenmannMs. Susana England &

Ms. Margaret England Dr. Randi Engle & Mr. Thomas KuhnMr. Joel EvansMrs. Patricia EvansMs. Marguerite Fernandes &

Mr. David CorreiaMr. Sean FineMr. Robb Fisher & Ms. Caroline ToddMs. Corinna FongMr. and Mrs. Nicholas FongDr. Marc FosterMrs. Penelope H. Foster &

Mr. Gordon B. FosterMs. Sally Fritz-Hambright &

Ms. Stacy FritzMr. Poj GavinlertvatanaDr. Michelle GearyGlass Onion CateringMs. Allison R GreenMs. and Mrs. Marilyn GreenMs. Eliza GreeneMr. Frank Greene & Ms. Joyce SakaiGreen Jeans NurseryMr. Roger GridleyMrs. Angelika Groenbeck &

Mr. Thomas GroenbeckMr. Peter GuerreroMs. Alexandra GundeMr. Stephen HanrahanMs. Marjory HarrisMr. and Mrs. Craig HaugerMr. Brendan Havenar-DaughtonMr. and Mrs. John HensleyMr. Clare HessMs. Carolyn C. Hodges &

Dr. Frederick M. Hodges Mr. Albert Hoffman &

Mr. David ShepherdMr. Eric Hoffman &

Ms. Ayesha ErcelawnMr. and Mrs. Larry HollowoodMr. and Mrs. Ralph HoltMr. John HosackMs. Shu Huang & Ms. Ann ChengMr. and Mrs. Sittichoke HuckuntodDr. Thomas M. JacksonMs. Irma Jarvenpaa &

Ms. Saana DeichselMr. Timothy W. Johnson &

Dr. Caroline B. Johnson

Mr. Glen JordanMr. and Mrs. Brian JosephMr. Stephen KasierskiMs. Mary Keene & Mr. Terry Keene Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Kehret-BarbieuxMr. Jay Kelekiah & Ms. Karen MatzaMrs. Nancy Kibbey &

Mr. Mead KibbeyMs. Helen Kim & Mr. Matthew KelsoMs. Lynne KnightMr. K. Benjamin KnipeDr. Katherine KocelM. Sandy KohutMs. Judith Kramer & Mr. Reto KramerMs. Kristin KrukenbergMs. Namiko KunimotoMs. Gail Stempler Lake &

Ms. Peggy NewgartenMs. Demi B Lathrop &

Mr. Tom LathropMr. Nicholas S. LavrovMr. and Mrs. Joseph LeeDr. W. Vernon LeeMrs. Elizabeth LichtenbergMs. Lise Liepman &

Mr. George ChittendenMs. Carla LieskeMr. and Mrs. Mu-Lee LinMrs. Moira Little & Mr. Gail RileyMrs. Suzanne LofquistMr. and Mrs. Tom MacBrideMrs. Kelley MacdonaldMs. Ingrid MadsenDr. and Mrs. Steve MalamuthMr. Tom MalarkeyMs. Luana MaloneMs. Julie MalorkMr. David Marin &

Ms. Mandy HalpinMs. Suzanne Marr & Mr. John BaylorMr. Brent Martin D.V.M.Mr. Daniel MasonMr. and Mrs. James MasseyMs. and Mrs. Sally MathewsMr. Warwick MayDr. Damian J. McCollMr. Delmar McComb &

Dr. Lynn PetersonMs. Thelma McPhersonMr. and Mrs. Donald MeyerMs. Angela MoffettMs. Terrie MooreMr. Robert MoreyDr. Max Moritz & Dr. Shelly ColeMrs. Bonny Morris & Mr. Gene MorrisMs. Jessica Morton &

Mr. Mark MortonMr. Thomas MoureMr. Ari NavaMs. Elizabeth Navas-Finley

Ms. Raina NelsonMr. and Mrs. Russell NelsonMr. and Mrs. W. E. NexsenMs. Gay NicholsMr. John NittaMrs. Diane Nolting &

Mr. Kevin NoltingMr. Edmund OwMr. and Mrs. Yuri PanchulDr. Olga ParedesMs. Norma ParkerDr. Ronald Parker & Dr. Ruth ParkerMs. Mika PhinneyMr. and Mrs. Zack Pitt-SmithMr. Daniel PodolskyMs. and Mrs. Xuan QuachMr. and Mrs. Venkat RamanRasselas Jazz ClubMr. Hunter RaynerMr. and Mrs. William ReaneyMrs. Lillian Regelson &

Mr. Ephraim RegelsonMr. and Mrs. Gary RichardsRick & Ann’s PantryMs. Corina C. Rieder &

Mr. Darryl PrettoMs. Aurora RobinsonMs. Phila RogersMr. Douglas Rooney &

Mr. Alfonso GurriocioMr. Mike RoskeyMr. and Mrs. Josh RotenbergMr. Terry RoyerMrs. Jena Ruhland &

Mr. Fred RuhlandMr. Charles E. RuppertMs. Janet RuyleMr. Zac SalemMr. Rick Sayre & Ms. Nicki KaiserMs. Gillian ScharffMr. Galen Schauer &

Ms. Hannah ThomasMr. Arthur SchroederMr. and Mrs. Dennis SchusterMrs. Olga Shalygin Orloff &

Mr. Cliff OrloffMr. Norman SheaSkates by the BayMr. and Mrs. Howard SlavittMs. Janet SmarttMs. Christine M. Smith &

Mr. Todd K. SmithMr. James D. SmithMr. Edward Smyth &

Ms. Valerie McFarleneDr. Penny Sneed & Dr. Dan KellyMr. and Mrs. Charles SonneMs. Sandy SonnenfeltMr. Jojo SorianoMs. Kathy Sparling

Winter/Spring 2006 15

GARDEN STAFF

Dr. Paul Licht, Director

ADMINISTRATIONEmily Dennis, Visitor Services Assistant

Perry Hall, Tour & Program CoordinatorRose Katsus, Management Services Officer

Afrooz Navid, Administrative AssistantMargaret Richardson, Rental CoordinatorMichael Rimar, Membership Coordinator

Janet Williams, Marketing & Development Officer

COLLECTIONS & HORTICULTUREDr. Christopher Carmichael,

Associate Director of Collections and HorticultureHolly Forbes, Curator

Barbara Keller, Curatorial AssistantAnthony Garza,

Supervisor of Horticulture and GroundsColin Baxter, HorticulturistJohn Domzalski, PropagatorJudith Finn, Horticulturist

Peter Klement, HorticulturistJerry Parsons, Horticulturist

Dr. Robert Raabe, Garden PathologistEric Schulz, Horticulturist

Elaine Sedlack, HorticulturistNathan Smith, Horticulturist

Gemme Von Knopka, HorticulturistEric Deschenes, Building and Grounds Maintenance

Gerald Ford, Building and Grounds MaintenanceAlan Porter,

Volunteer Propagation Program Coordinator

EDUCATIONKathy Barrett,

Associate Director for Education & ProgramsElizabeth Baker, Lesson Study Specialist

Laura Twitchell, School Garden SpecialistChristine Manoux, Program Assistant

FACULTY ADVISORY COMMITTEEDr. Lewis Feldman,Chair, Plant BiologyDr. Bruce Baldwin, Integrative Biology

Dr. W. Zacheus Cande, Molecular and Cell BiologyDr. Todd Dawson, Integrative Biology

Dr. Mary Firestone, Environmental Science, Policy, & Management

Dr. Alan R. Smith, HerbariumDr. John Taylor, Plant and Microbial Biology

NEWSLETTERHolly Forbes, Editor

Development 643-2937Director’s Office 643-8999Education 495-2805The Garden Shop 642-3343Information & Programs 643-2755Membership 642-0849Plant Collections 643-8040Tours 643-7265Rentals 642-3352Volunteers 643-1924Fax 642-5045

E-mail: [email protected]: http://botanicalgarden.berkeley.edu

The Newsletter is published by the University ofCalifornia Botanical Garden with support from member-ships. © UC Regents 2006. Articles may be reprinted with

credit to the authors and the UC Botanical Garden.

Dr. Lauren Spieler & Mr. Travis SmithMs. Tamara Springsteen &

Mr. Michael BrownMs. Sarah Stadler & Mr. Zach CowanMs. Tish StannyMs. Mary-Margaret SteinMrs. Judy StrainMr. Takashi SugimotoMr. and Mrs. Steven SuplickMr. and Mrs. Sai SusarlaMr. Thomas SwaineMr. Charles Sword & Ms. Amy ChengMr. and Mrs. David TabbMs. Diana TaeubelMs. Yuko TanakaMr. Matt TeelMr. Charles Teller &

Ms. Betsy Bigelow-TellerMr. and Mrs. Jeff ThomasDr. and Mrs. Lorence ThomasMr. Fred ThompsonMr. and Mrs. Julian ThorneMr. Thomas ToddMrs. Irina Tomashevsky &

Mr. Oleg TomashevskyMs. Dadre TraughberMs. Zan Turner &

Ms. Dorothea Bailey

Mr. and Mrs. Tim TwomeyMr. Mark UhlmannMs. Rachel Veal & Mr. Wick PrichardVolker Eisele VineyardMs. Liz Wagele & M. Gail WreadMr. Gary WalterMs. Lenora WarkentinMs. Wanda WarkentinMr. Greg WatkinsMrs. Jean WatkinsMr. Bill WeaverMr. Mark Wegner & Ms. Mary KornMr. Daniel WendellMs. Mary Ann Wenger &

Mr. Chuck WengerMs. Marguerite WhiteDr. Joe Williams & Ms. Ana GoncalvesMs. Laura WilliamsMs. Ruth WilliamsMr. Greg WilsonMrs. Kathleen Wolf &

Mr. George WolfMrs. Patricia A. Wood &

Dr. James L. WoodMs. Allison Wright &

Mr. Arnold BeckerMrs. Angelica Zabronsky &

Mr. Andrew Zabronsky

Know someone who loves plants as much as you do? Give thegift of Garden membership—a gift through all of the seasons.

Member benefits include:

b Unlimited Garden entry for one year

bMembers-only Plant Sale before our wildly popular Spring and Fall PlantSales

b Discounted fee on stimulating Garden classes, workshops, lectures and events

b 10% Discount on most purchases of plants, gifts, and books at theGarden Shop

b Subscription to the UC Botanical Garden Newsletter, containing informative articles, the latest Garden news, research notes and botanicalupdates

b "Best of the Garden" seasonal tours led by Garden experts

b FREE admission and discounts at over 160 Gardens and Arboreta—both national and international

b Two one-time guest passes for free entry to the Garden

b Discount on a subscription to Pacific Horticulture and Bay Nature magazines

b Discounts at many select local nurseries

For membership and gift information call 510 643-2755

Give the Gift of Membership

Public Tours are offered at 1:30 pm each Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. Call (510) 643-2755

Nonprofit Org. U.S. Postage

PAIDUniversity of California

Address Service RequestedUniversity of California Botanical Garden 200 Centennial Drive, #5045 Berkeley, California 94720-5045

GARDEN HOURS: The Garden is open from 9 am – 5 pm year round. Closed first Tuesday of each month.The Garden Shop is open 10:30 am to 4:30 pm daily.

VISIT THE

Photos

byJ.W

illiam

s

Gifts from the Garden Shop. Wooden bowls are made by artisan John Doyen, an Emeritus professor from UC Berkeley. His award-winning turnings are crafted from both unusual nativeand ornamental species, including many from Garden specimens.

Visit the Garden Shop at the UC Botanical Garden.It's a great resource for garden visitors—anyone with an interest in plants.

You'll find a variety of books based on region of the world,type of plant, growing requirements (dry growing plants, houseplants, etc), and more, for every level of interest.

You'll also find a unique selection of gifts that share the garden theme including botanically-inspired jewelry and decorative items for home and garden,as well as pottery, garden hats andgreeting cards.

Our Plant Deck offers specialplants from our collection and othersources in a regularly changing dis-plays. Look here for great plantsbetween our two annual Plant Sales.

Members support the Garden andreceive a 10% discount on GardenShop and Plant Deck purchases year round!

Volunteer at a premier garden. Enjoy the Garden’s beauty, meet people and plantsfrom all around the world. The Garden Shop is open daily 10:30 AM to 4:30 PM. Volunteershifts are available 10:30 AM to 1:30 PM or 1:30 PM to 4:30 PM.

More than 200 volunteers support the Garden through educational and fund raisingactivities, generating an average of 2,000 hours of service each month. Volunteering in ourGarden Shop is of great value to the Garden accomplishing its mission.

For more information call 510-643-1924.

Cultivate Enthusiasm for the UC Botanical Garden

Garden Shop