JARS v63n2 - Western Regional Conference, September 18-20, 2009, Federal Way, Washington

Western Regional Conference, September 18-20, 2009, Federal Way, Washington
Bill and Julie Miller
Tacoma, Washington

District 3 will welcome you to Federal Way, Washington, home of the Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden (RSBG). We have a great lineup of speakers for you: Richie Steffen, Kelly Dodson, Steve Hootman, Ed Hume, Glen Jamieson, and a dozen more! We will have two full days of speakers talking about their collecting experiences from Northern Europe, Alaska, Turkey, Sikkim, Borneo, and China. There will be talks on flower photography, organic soil improvement, Sudden Oak Death identification, hybridizing, micropropagation, etc.

Briggs Nursery is our main sponsor with hundreds of plants for you to purchase. Lake Tapps Rhododendron, The Rhododendron Garden, Higashi Nursery, D&J Rhodies, and Bovees Nursery are donating many unusual and rare raffle and silent auction plants. Lowes Home Improvement Center has also contributed products for the convention.

The Best Western Evergreen Inn is offering a convention rate of $109 per night with an amazing amount of free perks. Free shuttle to SEATAC Airport, SeaTac Mall, and the Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden, complimentary hot breakfast, swimming pool, wireless internet in each room, on site restaurant and bar, and a computer kiosk in the lobby, are just a few.

The Puyallup Fair will be running during the convention. It is 13.5 miles from the hotel. It is the largest single attraction held annually in the state of Washington. The Fair continually ranks in the top ten largest fairs in the world.

Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden volunteers and staff will be leading tours of the garden several times per day. Come and enjoy a local, fun gathering with the Northwest people who actually collected, planted, and cultivated plants from all over the globe. The RSBG is also the home of the Hardy Fern Foundation and their new Stumpery will be planted by the time our convention takes place. The RSBG has the best collection of species rhododendrons in the United States, if not the world. The new Rutherford Conservatory for Tropical Rhododendrons should be finished and planted by the time this meeting is held. Imagine 4,800 sq feet under glass just inside the entrance. This conservatory will be full of big-leaf rhododendrons, Maddenia rhododendrons, vireya rhododendrons, ferns, orchids and other exotic plants. We are very excited about this building and its addition to the rhododendron world.

Bill and Julie Miller are co-presidents of the Tacoma Chapter.