From Our Backyard to Yours

Posted: 04/27/21
CONSERVATION & STEWARDSHIP
Composting at Bloedel Reserve

There is a lot that goes into maintaining healthy and ecologically sound gardens and landscapes like those you see at Bloedel Reserve. Our ability to create healthy compost and mulch from materials on the grounds is one major component of our operation. And that operation is undergoing some radical changes and improvements this spring. In this article, Horticulture staff member Darren Strenge explains what makes for healthy compost and how Bloedel has initially handled that process. He also introduces our new composting facility,  which you will be hearing more about in future stories on our site.

Posted: 04/27/21
IN HONOR OF NATIONAL ARBOR DAY
The Roots of It All

Here’s a little different perspective on the many trees you’ll see at Bloedel Reserve. Solve the puzzle. Do you know where you will find this amazing specimen?

What We’re Reading

Occasionally we run across an article that has particular relevance to what we do at the Reserve. National Geographic has published a recent piece on the surprising biodiversity resulting from “forest gardens” of British Columbia, which were first planted by the indigenous peoples of that area. You can read more about this eye-opening concept of forest gardening here.

Posted: 04/27/21
CREATIVITY & INSPIRATION

Kimberly Trowbridge: Into the Garden Extended through June

We’re delighted to tell you that Kimberly Trowbridge: Into the Garden, the exhibition now on view at Bainbridge Island Museum of Art (BIMA), has been extended through June 27th. So you have more time to see these large-scale paintings based on various locations around Bloedel Reserve.

And here’s a walking guide you can download to see the places the artist found especially inspiring. Kimberly Trowbridge has been both a Creative Resident (2018) and a Creative Fellow (2019) at Bloedel Reserve. The BIMA show is her first solo museum exhibition.

Re-edited Video of Ed Carriere Workshop from BARN

The folks at BARN have reworked the video of Ed Carriere’s Splitting Cedar workshop to be the best it can be. Here’s the link to the newest version. Enjoy!

Posted: 04/27/21
CROSSCUT FESTIVAL BEGINS MAY 3RD
What Is It and Why You Should Check It Out

The annual festival brings together  journalists, politicians, authors, creators and newsmakers from our community and around the nation who will come together to take a hard look at the people, policy and events that shape our lives. This year the entire week-long festival has gone virtual, and the range of topics and speakers is truly impressive. The line-up includes Jane Goodall, Amy Klobuchar, Pramila Jayapal, Bill Nye, Keisha N. Blain, Dr. Jason Johnson, and Nancy Pelosi, to name just a very few. The complete list of speakers can be found here.

Bloedel Reserve is proud to be the sponsor of the Festival session by international travel expert Rick Steves. His presentation, Foreign Travel in a Post-Pandemic World, takes place online on Wednesday, May 5, at 6 PM. Tickets to the entire festival are free and you only have to register once to access all of the presentations. Then log on to hear from these thinkers, innovators, and opinion leaders grappling with our changing and challenging world.

Posted: 04/20/21
CREATIVITY & INSPIRATION

More Nature-Inspired Poetry

More poetry to enjoy during National. Poetry Month. The latest offering is from our April Creative Resident CMarie Fuhrman. CMarie was originally scheduled to visit the Reserve in 2020 but COVID made that visit impossible. So we were thrilled to invite her back this year. To read her work From 45 walks in Bloedel, click here.

CREATIVITY DIY

Eco-printing: Prints & Patterns
With Catherine Alice Michaelis (Online)
Saturday, April 24, 10 AM-3 PM

There is still time to register for this day-long workshop offered by Bainbridge Island Museum of Art. Book artist, illustrator, and printer Catherine Alice Michaelis will be Bloedel Reserve’s Creative Resident during the month of May. During this workshop, Catherine will show you how to work with natural pigments extracted from plants and how to use natural materials as stencils and other elements in your original works of art.  Learn more about the BIMA workshop & register here.

Posted: 04/20/21
HORTICULTURE & DESIGN

Late April Plants in Bloom

Posted: 04/20/21
Where Is This?

Then book your tickets and come and enjoy the view.

Posted: 04/13/21
CREATIVITY & INSPIRATION

Nature-Inspired Poems

In honor of National Poetry Month, which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year, we are posting a selection of poetry inspired by the natural world and written by Bloedel Reserve Creative Residents (past and future) and longtime friends of Bloedel Reserve. We have a new selection of four works to kick things off, including founder Virginia Bloedel’s favorite poem by Emily Bronte. You’ll find links to these poems here.

Spring Is in the Air

If you haven’t taken a “scent walk” at Bloedel Reserve yet, now is the perfect time. As spring unfolds, the air is filled with fragrances —  blooming plants and trees, fresh compost, marsh and water. February Creative Resident Mary Ellen Childs describes her own exploration of scent during her time at the Reserve. And she provides prompts so you can take your own odiferous walk around the grounds. You’ll find her description and instructions here.

Updated Basketry Video from BARN

Last month, Creative Resident and master basketmaker Ed Carriere demonstrated some of his techniques for working with cedar in order to make his intricate basket designs. The folks at BARN have provided us with a link to a newly edited, video version of that workshop. If you haven’t seen it yet (or even if you have), you can find the most recent version here.

Posted: 04/13/21

Blue Blossoms!

Posted: 04/06/21
HORTICULTURE & DESIGN

The Rhododendron Glen

There is no question that the Rhododendron Glen is one of the most popular sites at the Reserve, certainly for its variety of rhododendrons, but also for its water features and the numerous other blooming plants that populate the landscape.

Darren Strenge, horticulture staff member and Moss Garden Specialist, describes its history (it’s one of the oldest garden sites on the property) and the changes that have resulted in the Glen you see today.  Click here to read more.

Plant of the Month: Dogtooth Violet / Trout Lily

How can one tiny perennial have such wildly different common names? Grounds and Horticulture Associate Sean Peterson shares more about this early spring bloomer, including how it got its unusual names. Learn more about it here.

Posted: 04/06/21
CREATIVITY & INSPIRATION
Celebrating the Power of Poetry in April

Did you know that April is National Poetry Month and this year marks its 25th anniversary? It was launched in April 1996 by the Academy of American Poets to remind the public that poets have an integral role to play in our culture and that poetry matters. And of course nature has been the subject of poets through the ages… which makes Bloedel Reserve a perfect place for poetic inspiration and discovery.

Welcome CMarie Fuhrman!

So, the arrival of CMarie Fuhrman as our April Creative Resident is especially timely. CMarie is both a published poet and nonfiction writer whose work is deeply connected with and inspired by the natural world. She was scheduled to be our April Resident in 2020 but was unable to be in residence due to the Reserve’s COVID closure. We are thrilled to invite her back to complete her residency this year.

A Three-Part DIY Poetry Exploration from G.C. Waldrep

Poet G.C. Waldrep was our final Creative Resident of 2020. Because COVID restrictions left him unable to do an in-person poetry workshop, he left us an extraordinary gift — a downloadable, do-it-yourself writer’s class in three parts, each part inspired by a different area of Bloedel Reserve. To begin your own D.I.Y., nature-inspired poetry journey, click here. You’ll find Waldrep’s writing prompts, along with information about other creative activities and workshops to explore.

Posted: 04/06/21
Kitsap Great Give Starts Early Giving

Each year, Kitsap Great Give sets aside a special day to raise money for worthy non-profits all over Kitsap County — including Bloedel Reserve. The official Kitsap Great Give is April 20th. But this year, Kitsap Great Give has a special “early giving” period. And the non-profit receiving the most donations between now and April 19th will receive a bonus contribution of $1,000.

Whether you choose to give an “early bird” gift or make a donation on April 2oth, please know that every dollar you donate makes a difference. You can find all the details about Kitsap Great Give and make your donation online here.

Posted: 04/06/21
Guess Who!

Bloedel Reserve is home to more than plants and trees. Here’s one such resident. Solve the puzzle. Read more about these Reserve inhabitants here.

Then book your next visit and see how many different creatures you can spot.