January 2026

A Look Back on 2025

A few photos of the people (and pets) who helped make 2025 a terrific year.

It was quite a year: we added three new sculptures, had our biggest plant sale ever, and were visited by travelers from as far away as Australia and as nearby as the young lady in pink who lives in north Everett and loves King Clam. There were classes, events, a visit from a cat and a dinosaur, and a new home for mason bees. Students came from local elementary schools, Edmonds College, and a botanical club from the University of Kentucky. In December, we added a permanent book walk to the Conifer Garden and launched Deck the Boughs as a more environmentally friendly, less labor intensive, less costly version of Wintertide Lights. Our first ever sunrise Winter Solstice Walk brought about 50 early risers into the gardens to celebrate the coming of longer days.

And now, onward into 2026.

Deck the Boughs Bows Out

By the time you get this, it will be time to start taking down our December decor. The willow and bullrush stars survived the atmospheric rivers, the pom poms were a bit soggy but holding up, and our pinecone gnomes passed their beta test with flying colors.

The sunrise Winter Solstice Walk was a great success as were the crafting sessions that followed. The wish trees are covered in wishes, some silly, some heart-felt. We'll read them all when we remove them.

Some visitors were disappointed not to find lights, but others were pleased with what they saw. The board will be discussing what the future looks like, so if you have any comments you would like to share, please pass them on. Just click here.

Pictured above are just a few of the Solstice walkers. The prize for the Youngest Visitors goes to the cute kids in the pink fleece snowsuit and yellow hat. Best Costume goes to the cheerfully dressed woman in the floral headdress, and Best Hat was won by the young woman wearing a Christmas tree. There were no prizes -- I just made this up. But maybe we should have prizes.

The photos in the second row show people walking through the Native Plant Walk, a nature crown made at our morning craft classes, and visitors sowing wild flower seeds around the new sculpture in the Backyard Garden.

Time to renew your membership for 2026!

It's that time again--when we ask that you to renew your membership with EA&G. We rely on our members to pay for our ongoing operating expenses to ensure we can keep working in the gardens.

This year, in thanks for your support, we're adding a new membership benefit. 2025's early admission to the sale was so popular we've decided to replace it with a sip and shop event for members on the Friday before the official plant sale opening at 10 a.m. on Saturday, June 13. Details are yet to be worked out, but we think you'll like it.

Our annual membership dinner and meeting is scheduled for March 10th in Floral Hall. This year, we have invited Lynda Mapes, author of "The Trees Are Speaking: Dispatches from the Salmon Forests," to be our guest speaker. Lynda is a journalist, nature writer, and author. She has written six books on the natural and cultural history of the Pacific Northwest, and been awarded the Washington State Book Award, the National Outdoor Book Award, and twice been honored with the international Kavli Gold Award for Science Writing by the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

In addition to Lynda, you can enjoy Trevor's previews of new plants, a preview of what we hope to accomplish in 2026, and a lot of good food and excellent company.

Support Your Arboretum by Joining Today. We Need You More Than Ever.