Free entry through the Amphitheatre gates. Registration not required.
Cultivating Wisdom & Wonder SPEAKER SERIES 2025 Terry Goedel, author
The Circle of Light: A Native American Hoop Dance Story
Wednesday, September 10 6-7:30 pm
Tickets at redbuttegarden.org/speaker-series
FRONT COVER
Water Pavilion Garden along Red Butte Creek
Photo by Dave Titensor
BACK COVER:
Waterfall on Red Butte Creek
Photo by Dave Titensor
EDITORS
Kate Randall
Mindy Wilson
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
Jason Baker
Sam Crump
Glenn Eurick
Derrek Hanson
Kristan Jacobsen
Mark Johnston
Crystal Kim
Kate Randall
Dave Titensor
Jain Willis
Mindy Wilson
GRAPHIC DESIGNER
Leslie Hanna
PRINTED BY
IC Group
2025 ADVISORY BOARD
David Classen, Chair
Kym Buttschardt, Vice Chair
Curt Crowther, Secretary
Lisa Andrues
Steve Barth
Nichol Bourdeaux
Carolyn Buma
Maura Carabello
Gary Christensen
Chelsey Curtis
Shaleane Gee
Greg Graham
Jeff Herring
Siamak Khadjenoury
Scott Mietchen
Lindee Nance
Jennifer Reed
Laura Snow
JoLynda Stillman
Vicki Varela
Beverly Vargo
Kamrin Wilson
Emeritus Board Members
Sandi Behnken
Red Butte Garden is one of the best places in the valley to absorb the pleasure and peace of time spent outdoors, especially now as fall arrives. It’s also one of the few places to get close enough to Red Butte Creek to see, hear, and appreciate its beauty.
As conservation and research director Sarah Hinners writes in the following pages, the creek is not just a central feature of our guest experience but more importantly a critical riparian corridor, carrying water from the Wasatch Mountains to the Great Salt Lake. Along the way it runs the length of the Garden, supporting diverse plant and animal life as it flows through the Natural Area, along the Rose Garden, and behind the Amphitheatre stage, where the rhythm of water flowing over rock plays backup on concert nights.
Red Butte Creek has been a defining feature of the Garden since the beginning, and over the last 40 years we’ve prized and protected it. We support its role as habitat for native Bonneville cutthroat trout, mitigate impacts from Garden runoff, and draw guests’ attention in ways that will inspire them to value it too. The R. Harold Burton Water Pavilion along the creek pond is not just a peaceful place to admire the ornamental grasses and their showy fall plumes but also a hands-on classroom for school field trips, which drew almost 8,000 students last year for plant-based science education. Our educators guide fifth- and sixth-graders in collecting and studying organisms like algae, crayfish, and cattails, to help these young learners grasp how all living things in an ecosystem are interconnected. It’s a lesson we should all keep in mind as we look for ways to conserve water and sustain this valley for our own and future generations. Working together we can keep the waterfalls flowing, the trout swimming, and life in general flourishing along the Wasatch Front.
The Garden will be as busy and beautiful as ever this season, with roses reblooming, serviceberries turning fiery red and gold, and our favorite fall celebrations and activities offering fun opportunities for learning and pleasure. Don’t miss it!
Derrek Hanson, Executive Director
We acknowledge that this land, which is named for the Ute Tribe, is the traditional and ancestral homeland of the Shoshone, Paiute, Goshute, and Ute Tribes. The University of Utah recognizes and respects the enduring relationship that exists between many Indigenous peoples and their traditional homelands. We respect the sovereign relationship between tribes, states, and the federal government, and we affirm the University of Utah’s commitment to a partnership with Native Nations and Urban Indian communities through research, education, and community outreach activities.
The Creek at the Heart of It All
By Sarah Hinners, director of conservation and research
Red Butte Creek is in many ways the heart of the Garden, and central to its origin story. In the 1960s and 70s University of Utah botanist Walter P. Cottam was working diligently not only to create an arboretum but also to protect Red Butte Canyon and Creek from development. The result was the establishment of the U campus as a state arboretum in 1961 and, with the help of Zeke Dumke Jr. and other community leaders, the creation of Red Butte Garden and Arboretum. The first parts of the Garden were the iconic areas around the Water Pavilion and pond. In other words, it all started at the creek!
Red Butte Creek originates in a protected watershed in the Foothills above the Garden and runs a total of about six miles to the Jordan River. Along the way, it flows through
the University of Utah campus, neighborhoods, and several parks, where it is variably ignored or celebrated, hidden or revealed—for instance, where it emerges from an underground pipe to form the lake in Liberty Park. At the Garden the creek is a centerpiece of the guest experience, from the Six Bridges Trail that brings people up close to the flora and fauna of a riparian ecosystem to the peaceful, picturesque waterfalls in the lower Garden.
In our semi-arid climate, water truly is life, and ecological systems thrive naturally where water is available. If you had been in the Salt Lake Valley 200 years ago, the only places you would have found trees would have been along creeks and around springs and wetlands. The riparian (stream-side) forest in Red Butte Garden contains many
of the trees you would have found then, including bigtooth maple, willow, and dogwood. In this wetter, cooler zone, you even get to see Gambel oaks, which grow as scrubby knee-high thickets on higher, drier hillsides, into tall, even stately, trees!
The Garden also supports the creek’s valuable role in providing habitat for native species, specifically Bonneville cutthroat trout (Onchorhynchus clarkii utah). Last year, we installed two porous, dam-like structures in the stream along the Six Bridges Trail. These structures slow the flow of water and create pools that the trout love to hang out in. Slowing the water also helps reduce bank erosion and creates more habitat for native plants. Next time you’re at the Garden, take a walk on the trail and see if you can spot some trout (it helps if you have polarized
sunglasses). The creek is also home to many birds and small mammals. Keep your eyes and ears open for Cooper’s hawk (Accipiter cooperii), Spotted towhee (Pipilo maculatus), Black-crowned night heron (Nycticorax nycticorax), and even mink (Neogale vison).
At
Red Butte
Garden, we are committed stewards of our little section of Red
Butte Creek.
To the extent that the Garden’s buildings, pathways, and landscapes have the potential to contribute pollution to the stream, we try to mitigate this through our landscape management practices. The main concern is stormwater, where rainwater runs off the landscape and washes materials with it. All
of our Garden areas that generate runoff direct that water into vegetated landscapes, such as our oak woodlands, where the water is absorbed by plant and tree roots and filtered by soil layers. Water that soaks into deeper layers of the soil in this manner is cleaned of pollutants and will become part of the groundwater system that connects to the creek below the surface and sustains year-round baseflows. In 2024, we started a seasonal water quality monitoring practice to make sure we are keeping the creek clean.
Just by following the creek, you can experience the gradient from cultivated to wild that is such a fascinating characteristic of our Garden. Downstream, you can enjoy the famous ponds, waterfalls, and Water Pavilion, surrounded by beautifully tended gardens. As you
walk upstream, the Six Bridges Trail immerses you in a more natural riparian forest, but with places to stop and sit along an easy, accessible path. Beyond the Six Bridges Trail, Zeke’s Mountain Trail will take you even further upstream and into the Garden’s relatively untamed Natural Area. In this “back corner” of the garden, you can find solitude of a wilder sort, where you are more likely to encounter birds, bees, and butterflies than other people, always with the sound of flowing water.
The next time you visit the Garden, take time to explore Red Butte Creek, appreciate the central role it plays, and wish its clear, cool waters well on their journey through the city to the Jordan River and ultimately to the Great Salt Lake.
Fall Favorites from Our Garden to Yours
By Crystal Kim, associate director of horticulture
Fall is the perfect time for planting new treasures in your garden. Here are a few ideas for adding excitement to your fall garden or something new to look forward to in spring. As a bonus, these plants also support pollinators and other wildlife.
Early Spring-Blooming Miniature Bulbs
Nothing brings joy in early spring like miniature flowers peeking out of the soil as the snow melts. These delicatelooking blooms are actually quite tough in withstanding freezing temperatures and snowfall in late winter and early spring. Look for snowdrops (Galanthus sp.) and winter aconite (Eranthis sp.), two of the earliest to emerge here at Red Butte Garden and Arboretum. Besides bringing hope to winterweary humans, they are also important for early pollinators since few other plants are blooming at that time.
Penstemon
Utah is home to the highest number of native penstemon species. This native plant is commonly known as beardtongue because of the fringed, sterile stamen that protrudes from the flower. The flowers contain a high volume of nectar, which can support many pollinators such as bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. One of my favorites, Palmer penstemon (Penstemon palmeri), has large, light pink flowers on tall stems, which make it easy to enjoy their sweet fragrance. Another favorite is Tushar penstemon (Penstemon xylus). This lowgrowing, spreading species has fine blue-green foliage and is covered in small blue-violet flowers in summer.
Penstemons thrive in low-water landscapes. They come in many sizes and flower colors, ranging from reds and oranges to blues and purples. Find more than a dozen different native species, as well as several cultivated varieties, at our fall plant sale Sept. 26 and 27.
Snowdrops (Galanthus sp.)
Penstemon (Penstemon palmeri)
Blue Grama
Ornamental grasses are a fantastic addition to the garden, with foliage that contrasts nicely with other plants, and inflorescences that provide late summer and fall interest. A great grass for Utah gardens is the native blue grama (Bouteloua gracilis). The horizontal flowers and later seedheads float above the finely textured foliage like eyelashes and persist through fall and into winter. ‘Blonde Ambition’ blue grama is a wonderful cultivated variety that is taller with blond seedheads. Blue grama is a droughttolerant, clump-forming grass that can be used in a mixed planting or as a lawn substitute in light-traffic areas. It is a food source for larvae of several butterfly species and provides forage for birds and nesting material for native bees.
Windflower
Perennials that bloom in the fall can be more challenging to source than those that bloom in spring, but they are well worth the effort of finding and planting. Fall-blooming anemones (Anemone x hybrida), known as windflower or Japanese anemones, bring airy grace and color to the fall garden. The flowers, in white or pink shades with fluffy yellow stamens in the center, bloom on tall, wiry stems above a mound of dark green foliage. Many cultivated varieties grow to three to four feet tall, but newer varieties are more compact to fit in smaller garden spaces. Windflowers are a great source of late-season pollen for bees and are deer-resistant.
Blue grama (Bouteloua gracilis)
Anemones (Anemone x hybrida)
Why I Give
By Hala Toubbeh, member and planned giving donor
Red Butte Garden and Arboretum nurtures in each visitor, donor, and sponsor an understanding and appreciation of the increasing value of accessible nature in our daily lives. From its specialty gardens, like the Rose Garden and Children’s Garden, and to the several miles of wild trails
in Red Butte Canyon, the Garden offers something for every interest and level of mobility.
I especially enjoy the many secluded trails carefully hidden off the main paved paths, where one can steal a moment of solitude and escape in a
cool glade of carefully tended trees, forbs, and shrubs in summer and fall. Horticulture is constantly in flux as specimens succeed or decline, making way for the new rare or exotic addition to keep the collection fresh and surprising. I’ve especially loved watching the Water Conservation Garden evolve since its inauguration in 2017, as ground cover becomes lush carpets of woolly thyme and creeping speedwell, and Joe’s Bess bristlecone pines thrive and coexist with cholla.
What differentiates Red Butte Garden from many others across the country is its unique location in a canyon at elevation, suitable to showing off many climates, biomes, and biodiversity in 100 acres of pristine Intermountain West. With almost 90,000 specimens, there is much to care for at the Garden, and it shows in the devotion of its staff and volunteers who tirelessly attune to keeping it an enchanting and majestic space. They and its patrons ensure that the Garden is the guardian of the future of our natural world, into which we can enter without encumbrance.
When I'm in the Garden, everything is right in the world.
What Will Be Your Legacy?
Help keep the Garden growing with a legacy gift through your will.
A legacy gift honors the donor’s life with a charitable gift to a chosen party, cause, or organization. Legacy giving is a lasting investment in Red Butte Garden and Arboretum, advancing our mission to connect people with plants and the beauty of living landscapes. When you include
Red Butte Garden in your estate plan, you ensure the continued growth of the garden for future generations.
For more information, please contact development@redbutte.utah.edu or 801-585-5658.
Garden After Dark Is Back!
By Jason Alba, youth and family programs manager
This fall, we’re excited to reintroduce Garden After Dark, the original name of our beloved fall festival at Red Butte Garden and Arboretum. While BOOtanical brought years of Halloween fun and playful charm, returning to the original name lets us honor our roots and open the door to new creative possibilities. With more than 25 years of history, Garden After Dark holds a special place in the hearts of many. This revival invites us to rediscover the magic of fall nights
in the Garden and to shape a new tradition, rooted in nature and lit by imagination.
While Halloween remains at the heart of Garden After Dark, the event has evolved into a one-of-a-kind experience only Red Butte Garden could create, featuring immersive storytelling, atmospheric lighting, and original artistic scenes designed especially for our landscape. This year’s theme, Trouble in Oz, invites guests of all ages on a glowing
adventure through a shadowed Land of Oz, filled with color, mystery, and imaginative twists. It’s a return to our roots and a leap into a tradition where wonder, imagination, and the spirit of the season come alive after dark.
Canyon Connections
Linking History, Horticulture, and Community
Nestled at the mouth of the canyon that shares our name, Red Butte Garden and Arboretum is a living museum, both a connection to the past and a celebration of the present. As the Garden celebrates its 40th anniversary this year, we are mindful of how our history and the land we care for are entwined with
those who came before us and those who surround us.
Learn more in “Canyon Connections: Linking History, Horticulture, and Community,” a guest blog by Garden interpretation manager Lynsey Nielson for the Utah Historical Society.
Construction of Red Butte Reservoir, 1929, courtesy of Salt Lake Historical Society
Look Who Joined Our Team
Join us in welcoming these talented people to the Garden’s full-time staff.
Janet Frasier Director of Philanthropy
BA
English literature
- University of California, Los Angeles
Janet’s relationship with Red Butte Garden began when she and her husband moved to Utah in 1994. From concerts to summer camps and birthday parties, the Garden became an anchor in their lives as they raised three daughters. Janet was part of the team that designed, raised funds, and built the new Natural History Museum of Utah, Rio Tinto Center and was an active partner with the Garden throughout that journey. But it was the Garden’s partnership with the Huntsman Cancer Institute that brought her back two years ago, where she discovered at Red Butte a place of healing and support. She is now delighted to join the organization’s leadership team, focused on philanthropic growth. Janet brings a depth of leadership and revenue experience from both the nonprofit and corporate worlds. At NHMU and the Girl Scouts of Utah, she led successful fundraising campaigns, secured major gifts, expanded membership programs, and established strong donor relationships. Janet brings a deep commitment to mission-driven organizations, and the interpersonal sensitivity to facilitate connecting donor interests with the crucial needs of beloved institutions.
Phoenix Sutton F.A.S.T. Team Custodian
Phoenix has been an employee of the U for about a year and recently transitioned to Red Butte Garden, where he enjoys watching the sun rise over the Foothills early each morning as he arrives here.
A lover of the outdoors and an avid skateboarder, Phoenix has mastered flip and spin tricks such as the “ollie” and “shuvit.” He brings the same energy and dedication to his work that he does to his time enhancing his skills on the board.
Jessie Kimmel Events Supervisor
For the last 13 years, Jessie has worn many hats during his time at Red Butte Garden. He started out on the concert crew, then became production assistant, and now enjoys the challenges of his full-time role as events supervisor. Jessie has been instrumental in improving and streamlining behind-the-scenes processes for concerts and large event load-ins, setup, and takedown—making events run more smoothly and creating a better experience for band members, staff, and guests alike.
Katie Mulliken she/her
Horticulturist III
B.A. English literature, University of Utah
Katie is the new horticulture lead for the Terrace and Children’s Garden team. She began her horticulture career here in 2015 as a seasonal employee while earning her bachelor’s degree and returned in 2019–2020 as the assistant horticulturist in the Terrace and Water Pavilion Gardens.
She has led programs with the Green Urban Lunch Box, worked as a residential landscaper, and served as a community educator with Wasatch Community Gardens. Most recently, she was the Internal Education Manager at Wasatch Community Gardens, where she ran educational programs and managed growing spaces. Katie is excited to join the Terrace and Children’s Garden team and to work alongside longtime mentors.
Memorials and Tributes
The following individuals have made gifts to Red Butte Garden and Arboretum to honor and to remember friends or loved ones. We appreciate these generous tributes and value being a part of the lives recognized through these gifts.
In Memory of Austin Anthony Netelbeek
Dana Barrutia
In Memory of R. Endo
Joni D. Endo
In Memory of Dr. Joe Holden
Lisa Linsalata
In Memory of John L. Lyman
Michael Lyman
Gifts recognized were made between 04/4/2025-06/30/2025. For corrections, please contact Janet Frasier at janet.frasier@redbutte.utah.edu
Garden Hosts Antiques Roadshow
The Garden will star in the national spotlight next year as one of five locations in the country selected to host PBS’s popular Antiques Roadshow. On June 2, our gorgeous Garden welcomed thousands of guests and their prized possessions, from all over the West, to an unforgettably perfect summer day of sharing and storytelling. Two
thousand lucky people got their treasures appraised, and an even luckier 100 or so were filmed for possible broadcast.
Dying to know who and what made the cut? Us too! Watch our social media and your inbox to find out when the Garden’s three episodes will air.
Associate director of horticulture Crystal Kim interviewed in the Rose Garden for Antiques Roadshow
FALL 2025 CALENDAR
EXHIBIT ARTISTS
Top: Chase McCleary
Bottom: Glass Art Guild, Artist Kathi Olsen
Please visit our website and social media for more Garden event information.
ART EXHIBITS
Nature-themed media by Utah artists. Admission not required to shop.
AUG 29-SEP 29
Chase McCleary: Wings in the Garden–A Collection of Butterflies and Birds Artist Reception Aug 30, 11am-2pm
NOV 7- DEC 21
Glass Art Show with the Glass Art Guild of Utah Artist Reception Nov 8, 2-5pm
Holiday Open House: Call for Artists
Application deadline Oct 3. Looking for local artists to vend their original, handcrafted art at our Holiday Open House on Dec 6 & 7. redbuttegarden.org/events/ holiday-open-house-callfor-artists
FLORAL SHOWS
OCT 4 & 5
Bonsai Show
Sat, 9am-5pm Sun, 9am-3pm
With the Bonsai Club of Utah
NOV 1 & 2
Orchid Show
Sat, 9am-5pm Sun, 9am-4pm
With the Utah Orchid Society
GARDEN EVENTS
SEP
Red Butte Garden Outdoor Concert Series
Get tickets at redbuttegarden.org/concerts
SEP 10
Cultivating Wisdom & Wonder with Terry Goedel
The Circle of Light: A Native American Hoop
Dance Story
Wed, 6-7:30pm
Garden members: $16
General public: $20
SEP 23
Teton Gravity Research Presents: Pressure Drop Tue, Gates open at 6pm, film at 8:30pm
TGR’s latest film premiere. Live music and prize giveaways. Garden members: $22
General public: $27
Ages 2-16: $12
Get tickets at redbuttegarden.org/ events/teton-gravityresearch-ski-film
Join us for a day of mesmerizing performances and cultural celebration. Free admission through the Amphitheatre gates.
SEP 26 & 27
Fall Bulb & Native Plant Sale
Fri, 1-7pm & Sat, 9am-3pm Free admission through the Amphitheatre gates.
OCT 16-30
Garden After Dark: Trouble in Oz 6-9pm
Rediscover the magic of fall nights in the Garden. Prices vary, starting at $13 weekdays for members. Timed admission required. Registration opens Oct 1. redbuttegarden.org/events/ garden-after-dark
NOV 1-DEC 31
Rock Your Membership
Enter to win a Concert Donor Club package for two. redbuttegarden.org/events/ rock-your-membership
NOV 30
Museum Store Sunday Sun, 9am-5pm
Members save an additional 10% on gift shop purchases.
DEC 6 & 7
Gift Shop Holiday Sale Sat & Sun, 9am-5pm Members save an additional 10% on gift shop purchases.
DEC 6 & 7
Holiday Open House & Art Fair
Sat & Sun, 10am-5pm 18 local artisans with handmade gifts for the season.
Find class descriptions and register online at redbuttegarden.org/ adult-education or call 801.581.8454
HORTICULTURE
SEP 1 & 8
Native Seed Collecting Mon, 5-7pm
Garden members $44
General public $55
SEPT 3
Planting for Pollinators Wed, 5:30-7:30pm
Garden members $32
General public $39
SEP 14
Ornamental Grasses Sun, 10am-12:30pm
Garden members $32
General public $39
SEP 15
Prepping Your Landscape for Fall: Beauty & Beyond Mon, 6:30-8:30pm
Garden members $32
General public $39
OCT 4
Bulb Forcing Sat, 9:30-11:30am
Garden members $52
General public $65
NOV 3
Winterizing Your Landscape Mon, 6:30-8:30pm
Garden members $32
General public $39
NOV 6 & 13
Noteworthy Natives Thu, 6-7:30pm
Garden members $39
General public $48
Online via Zoom
DEC 1
Designing For Every Season Mon, 6:30-8:30pm
Garden members $32
General public $39
Intermountain Hoop Dance Competition
Saturday, September 13 Grand entry 9:30 am
Red Butte Garden and Arboretum Amphitheatre
All are invited to a day of cultural celebration and mesmerizing performances by Native American hoop dancers.
Bring your low-back chairs, a blanket, and a picnic, or visit one of the food trucks that will be onsite. Water bottle refill stations will be available. Don’t miss your chance to experience the magic of hoop dance in a beautiful setting!
Free admission through the Amphitheatre gates.
ART & DESIGN
SEP 13
Pressed Flowers & Leaves with Upcycle Framing Sat, 10am-12pm
Garden members $52
General public $65
Includes materials
SEP 20
Botanical Painting Sat,10am-1pm
Garden members $48
General public $60
Includes materials
SEP 2, 4, 9, & 11
Art in the Garden for Ages 55+
Tue, Thu, 5-7:30pm
Garden members $80
General public $100
Includes materials
SEP 22
Block Printing 101
Mon, 5:30-7:30pm
Garden members $60
General public $75
Includes materials
SEP 27
Immunity in a Jar: Crafting Cider with Herbs Sat, 10-11:30am
Garden members $40
General public $50
Includes materials
SEP 30
Pressed Flower Pumpkins
Tue, 5:30-7:30pm
Garden members $56
General public $70
Includes materials
OCT 6
Writing in the Garden Mon, 5:30-7:30pm
Garden members $20
General public $25
HEALTHY LIVING
SEP, OCT, NOV dates TBD
Indian Cooking with Purnima Gandhi Day, time TBD
Garden members $44
General public $55
NOV 5
Myofascial Release
Wed 6-8pm
Garden members $40
General public $48
SEP
Qigong w/Emily Yeates
Mon, 9:30-10:30am
Garden members $10
General public $12
SEP
Awake in the Moment w/Charlotte Bell Wed, 10:30-11:30am
For more information or to make a reservation, please visit redbuttegarden.org/planyour-garden-visit/garden-tours
Deepen your relationship with the natural world through forest bathing, meditation, and other Garden classes.
CONTACT US
Visitor Center 801.585.0556
Website: www.redbuttegarden.org
Comments: 801.581.5754 or email pr@redbutte.utah.edu
GO GREEN!
Opt out of printed newsletters. Email membership@redbutte.utah.edu with "NEWSLETTER OPT OUT” in the subject line. We’ll take care of the rest.
THANK YOU
Salt Lake County Zoo, Arts & Parks (ZAP) Program for your support.
Red Butte Garden and Arboretum is one of the largest botanical gardens in the Intermountain West, a regional center for plant-focused science education, conservation and research, and cultural enrichment. Communityfunded, the Garden is renowned for its diverse plant collections, themed gardens, and spectacular mountain setting, with almost 590,000 springtime blooming bulbs, awardwinning horticulture-based educational programs, and an iconic outdoor summer concert series.
