Today we wrap up my three part interview with Sue Nevler of Dunn Gardens. (Part I here; Part II here.) Just a reminder that this Sunday is the Spring Wine Tasting Tour at Dunn. You do not want to miss this opportunity, so be sure to reserve your tickets now!
Ducks Enjoying Dunn Gardens
Robin: Last spring during the wine tasting tour, a pair of ducks was bobbing along in one of the waterfall pools. Do the ducks return each year? How long have they been coming?
Sue: The ducks are relatively new to the ponds. We’ll have to see if they return again. Was fun to see them.
Robin: Following up on the prior question, what other wildlife visits the gardens regularly and do you have difficulties with any of them? Ah, the moles plague Roger and Zsolt. Coyotes do visit periodically. We often see eagles perching or being harassed by the crows, and there are many small birds and hummingbirds throughout the garden. Glenn and Charles’ cat Tabby rules the roost though. Tabby is the spoiled king of the Dunn Gardens. His finest hour was walking very proudly through an evening lecture with a bird in his mouth (catch and release).
Robin: If I wanted to make a non-cash donation to help Dunn Gardens, is volunteering my time the best way to do so? And/or, do you have a donation wish list?
Sue: Come be a docent! The camaraderie, the chance to learn this fantastic collection, field trips, classes with Glenn and Charles, are all very, very rewarding. We’re building a relationship with Seattle Works, so it’s possible to volunteer to work here in the gardens as well. We’d like to build more volunteer opportunities, so watch the website as we begin to formalize that opportunity too.
Robin: I know the gardens are closed during a few months of the year. Why is this, and what are the closure dates?
Sue: The gardens close for the month of August, just to give all the residents some down time. Then we close the tour season at the end of October, and reopen the first of April. Things are still humming in the garden though, the curators traditionally lecture in November, we hold a Solstice Stroll in December, and our wonderful working board members meet to oversee the objectives of preserving the gardens throughout the year.
Yellow Trillium at Dunn Gardens
Robin: Why doesn’t Dunn gardens offer events like private parties and weddings? (Or does/will it?)
Sue: We’re still a small organization with limited parking and resources, so we’re considering these fund raising options, but want to do so carefully and with respect for our neighbors who have been totally supportive of the gardens. We try to be very careful about our impacts and welcoming at the same time. It’s a bit of a juggle, but I think we do it well. That’s the trick too isn’t it? I love our events and continue to dream up all sorts, but there’s a part too that feels that this is an historic treasure, a hidden gem in our midst, and we should support it so that it can just continue to be.
Robin: What are some of the exciting additions to look out for in the garden in 2009?
Sue: This year we’re focusing on the link to the Alaska Yukon Pacific Exposition Centennial which will happen from June to October. Since the Olmsteds designed the fair grounds (U.W. campus) in 1909, and then did the Dunn Gardens design in 1915, we felt there were unique lessons to be learned. Its an opportunity for people to get a present day feeling for what that historic event must have looked like. We’ll have open days on June 6th and 7th (a joint event with the SS Virginia V, of that era also), with lectures by the Friends of Olmsted Parks on the AYPE and a mini display paying tribute to what was done on the UW campus. Then our ArtWalk in July (18th,19th) will also tie into the theme of the AYPE showcasing the bounty of the region. Don’t miss this event. The mix of singular Washington state artists siting their own works in the gardens is really thrilling. This year Andre Ferriante will play at the Preview Party, and the Mad Froggies Marimba Band plays on Sunday, so it’ll be quite something.
Robin: Is there anything else you would like to share with Garden Help readers about Dunn Gardens?
Sue: I hope you’ll come visit, enjoy and help ensure that the gardens remain vital and growing here in our community.
