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November Meeting and Annual Members' Potluck with Richie Steffen

Our November 9, 2017, the chapter meeting at the CUH will feature our annual members' potluck dinner, with guest speaker Richie Steffen, director and curator of the Elisabeth C Miller Botanical Garden. Social time begins at 6.30 pm, dinner is at 7.00 pm.

“The Legacy and Plants of Elisabeth C. Miller and Her Garden”

A world-renowned horticulturist, Elisabeth C. Miller was a member of over 25 horticultural organizations, received numerous national and international awards, and was regarded as one of the finest plantswomen of her time. Mrs. Miller had an insatiable appetite for the rare and unusual along with a curiosity for experimenting with plants and their culture. Having no formal training in horticulture she created a collection of ornamentals that rivaled many well established botanical gardens and learned the intricacies and nuances of cultivating little known plant species to near perfection. Along with her exceptional garden Mrs. Miller dedicated herself to the horticultural community serving as a driving force for the creation of the Center for Urban Horticulture, the Elisabeth C. Miller Library at the University of Washington Botanic Gardens, as well as the Seattle Chinese Garden. Today her legacy continues through the Miller Botanical Garden and the premier Northwest plant education program Great Plant Picks. Join Richie Steffen, Director of the Elisabeth C. Miller Botanical Garden, as he takes a look at this woman and her accomplishments of the past and shares the vision she inspires for the future. If you know Richie, then you would probably imagine that he dreams about plants. He is one of the few who turned his budding passion as a youngster into a career as well as a noted Pacific Northwest horticultural personality. His knowledge and enthusiasm for plants is contagious and his photography is superb. Richie joined the Miller Garden in 2000, building on the extensive plant collections and refining the culture and care of the gardens. He oversees the operations of the Garden as well as supervises the primary educational program of the Miller Garden: Great Plant Picks. GPP is committed to building a comprehensive palette of outstanding and reliable plants for maritime Pacific Northwest gardens.

This meeting will also feature our annual members' potluck dinner! Please bring a dish to share, and $5 to help us defray costs.

This year we will also be continuing the tradition of the brown bag auction started by Dianne Fincham. Raffle tickets will be available at the meeting for the low, low price of six for $5 or 13 for $10. Deposit a ticket in the brown bag for your choice of prize. Or throw caution to the winds, and put all your bets in one bag! Help benefit the chapter and maybe win some exciting prizes!

See you there!

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