Ginkgo

One of my pleasures in 2014 was reading Ginkgo, by Peter Crane (published by Yale University Press, 2013). The book was a gift from my folks who also enjoy trees, and are intrepid companions on field trips in Alaska, Southern California, and life). Peter Crane is a botanist from Yale, who spent some time on assignment at London’s Kew Gardens, home to several Ginkgo biloba trees that were planted in the 1700s. Crane has a deep understanding of natural history and botany, and tells the fascinating story of the tree against this back drop.

The ginkgo is thought to be unchanged for over two hundred million years, making it a living link to the dinosaurs. It survived the ice age, and near extinction in the wild, and has been cultivated by humans all over the planet (except for a few inhospitable climates), enabling it to survive. The book looks at this fascinating history in several categories – Prologue, The Living Tree, Origin and Prehistory, Decline and Survival, History, Use, and Future. But this is not just a history book—it includes poetry, art, fossils, exploration, culture, informative notes, and an extensive bibliography. It is interesting reading.

I learned more about the tree from this book. I love the unique fan-shape of the leaves, and the spiky silhouette of the tree, and have enjoyed seeing specimens on field trips in the San Francisco Bay Area (Overfelt Gardens, Washington Park, and Mountain View Cemetery), and in Boston Public Garden. I was pleased that Linnaeus apostles Carl Peter Thunberg (see pages 197, 201, 207, 232, and 329), and Daniel Carl Solander (see page 207) are mentioned in the book. I also loved seeing photos of ginkgo fossils from all over the planet—Afghanistan, Australia, England, Scotland. Some more travelling and a dip into paleo botany may be in order. Another thing I loved is that my copy of the book included an envelope containing ginkgo leaf specimens, which my dad had collected from street trees in Albany, California!

Winter Movies 2015: Mutiny on the Bounty

My final movie is the 1935 version of Mutiny on Bounty, which is based on a historical event that occurred in 1787. Several other versions of the movie have been made.

On the advice of Sir Joseph Banks, the British ship HMS Bounty sets out to transport breadfruit from Tahiti to the West Indies, to provide cheap food for slaves during a famine. The commanding officer was Captain Bligh, who had served under Captain Cook on his third journey (and saw his captain killed), and was part of Cook's legacy of officers with superb navigation skills.

 

The crew encountered hardship on their journey, but do obtain the breadfruit in Tahiti. While there, part of the crew, lead by Christian Fletcher, staged a mutiny on April 28, 1787, citing harsh, unreasonable treatment. They commandeered the ship, tossed the breadfruit plants overboard, and set Captain Bligh and his loyal followers adrift at sea. Through incredible seamanship, Bligh navigated the life boat and his crew to the Cape of Good Hope, Africa, arriving on December 16 (his journal entries record their longitude and latitude through the whole journey). A year later in Britain, most of the mutineers were brought to trial. Others had escaped to Pitcairn Island to establish a colony, where their descendants live today.

This movie is full of human drama, all the more interesting because it is based on true events. In some follow-up research, I learned this movie is the least accurate version. Historians have proposed that the real issue behind the mutiny was that the conscripted crew wanted to stay in the Tahitian paradise (and not that they had been misused by Bligh). Reading through Captain Bligh's journal entries, and learning that he had navigated his crew to safety changed my view of him as presented in the movie. I enjoyed watching this movie for more glimpses of plant history. Watch the trailer: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0026752/

Winter Movies 2015: Captain Cook: Obsession and Discovery

My next winter movie is also a documentary – Captain Cook: Obsession and Discovery, featuring British historian, Vanessa Collingridge. She became intrigued with Captain James Cook after learning that his wife, Elizabeth, burned all his letters when she was in her 90s. This sent her on a quest to learn more about Cook, and the woman who captained their home. Were they hiding some secret?

The documentary traces Cook's roots as a boy on the moors of Yorkshire, England; to his education, paid for by the Lord of the Manor who recognized his potential; to his days sailing coal schooners in the North Sea; to becoming an able seaman in the Royal Navy in London. He served five years in Quebec, Canada starting in 1756, during the war between Britain and France. Upon his return home, he married Elizabeth, who was the daughter of a tavern keeper on the water front. He sought a commission for a ship, even though he was not a gentleman and lacked money or connections.

 

He finally obtained his first assignment on the HMS Endeavor in 1768, and began his three-year journey to view the Transept of Venus, and circumnavigate the Southern Hemisphere (this is the journey on which our botanists Sir Joseph Banks and Daniel Solander sailed, along with their scientific crew). Cook was a thorough and precise map maker (sometimes to the distress of his crew), and used the latest technology to create his charts. Cook made two subsequent journeys - back to the Southern Hemisphere, and then North to seek the Northwest Passage. On the journey home from exploring coastal Alaska in 1779, Captain Cook was killed by natives in the Sandwich Islands (Hawaii). Throughout the film, Collingridge explores the man – the genius and obsession.

I was especially intrigued how Cook embraced the new navigational technology of his day. He encountered the plane table survey while serving in Canada, and grasped how triangulation could change navigation. Later he embraced the chronometer used to identify longitude. Together, these tools helped Cook create some of the most accurate maps that had ever been made. His officers continued this legacy as excellent navigators and map makers.

I was also intrigued how many of Cook's attitudes were ahead of his time. He insisted that his crew eat sauerkraut to avoid scurvy, even if the science behind it was not yet understood. He led by example and used psychology, rather than automatically resorting flogging. He appreciated the indigenous populations they encountered, and was impressed with the Polynesian navigators. He was disciplined, but understood the human nature of his crew. Collingridge does not solve the mystery of why Elizabeth burned their letters, but I did develop an appreciation of her strength, which matched Cook's own. Perhaps they were both just very private people.

This series may not be for everyone, but I enjoyed watching it to round out my understanding of the plant explorers of the 1700s and their world. You can rent or buy the DVD, or see the series on YouTube:

• Captain Cook: Obsession and Discovery - A Likely Lad: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4VZi-fhSlQ
• Captain Cook: Obsession and Discovery - Taking Command: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_y9-5NZ2AfY
• Captain Cook: Obsession and Discovery - Beyond Speculation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rof6vBMUKu4 
• Captain Cook: Obsession and Discovery - Northwest Passage: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYrpUMl7-TQ

Winter Movies 2015: Captain James Cook

As you know, I head to the movies twice a year - in the cold, dark days after the Christmas holiday, and in the warm, lazy days of summer. I seek out movies where plants are the stars, and this year is no exception. In 2014, I became completely involved in researching several "Linnaeus Apostles," and ended up wanting to learn more about the whole experience of traveling the world by ship in the 1700s to discover new lands, new people, and new plants. Granted, much of the exploration was done for king and country, to claim new lands, and to fill the court coffers. But I do believe the botanists involved were genuinely interested in plants, science, and the craze to categorize everything they discovered. This year my winter movies center on exploration and the idea of plants on the move.

Captain James Cook (British Broadcasting Corporation)

My first movie, where plants are the stars, is the BBC mini-series "Captain James Cook," which aired in 1987. The series documents Captain Cook’s three expeditions—first to observe the transept of Venus, and then explore the Southern Hemisphere; second to continue combing the Southern Hemisphere for a phantom continent (a warm one, not the cold Antarctica); and third to look for the Northwest Passage. Cook is interesting in our context, because one of our Apostles—Daniel Solander, and his sponsor, Sir Joseph Banks—accompanied Cook on his first voyage on the HMS Endeavor for its three year journey. Their scientific team made observations, and collected plant specimens throughout the journey.

 

The mini-series documents Cooks rise from obscurity in the British Navy, to captain of the Endeavor, despite his low social status and lack of finances. He was an enlightened leader – embracing the new navigational technologies of the day; forcing his men to eat sauerkraut to avoid scurvy; and mapping the world to such perfection that some of his maps were used into the early 20th century. He was aware of the impact their encounters would have on the native populations; understood the natives as people; and treated his crew firmly but fairly (many of them signed up for multiple journeys with him).

I was initially interested in the scientists, artists, and botanists that Banks brought on the journey (see disk 1, 27:17). You can learn more about the scientific crew that joined Cook on his first journey – Sir Joseph Banks (botanist from England and sponsor), Daniel Solander (botanist from Sweden), Charles Green (astronomer), and Alex Bucker and Sidney Parkinson (artists). You can also learn more about their time collecting plants at various sites, including Botany Bay in Australia (see disk 2, 47:14). Solander and Banks do not accompany Cook on his second journey, but a new group of scientists join him (see disk 3, 30:00). I soon became interested in Captain Cook as a leader, navigator, and map maker. This mini-series is a fun way to learn more about this era of exploration.

You can rent or buy the entire series:

• Captain James Cook – I
• Captain James Cook – II
• Captain James Cook – III
• Captain James Cook – IV

Trees of Mountain View Cemetery

I’m a sucker for beautiful trees. I especially like seeing mature trees that have space to reach their maximum size, and seeing trees as they go through their seasonal cycles. Last fall I joined the “Trees of Mountain View Cemetery” tour in Oakland. I had learned about the tour while taking the Tree ID class at Merritt College in 2012, and finally had an opportunity to take it.

Kwanzan Flowering Cherry (Prunus serrulata 'Kwanzan') - the same variety planted in Washington , D.C. This is a recent addition to the cemetery, and beautiful in spring!

Weeping Willow (Salix babylonica) - a traditional cemetery tree. The weeping form is a good metaphor for sorrow. It looks a little odd without its pond, which has been drained due to the drought.

Chris Pattillo, a veteran guide at the cemetery and a landscape architect, lead the tour. The weather threatened rain, but everyone in our group voted to continue. Pattillo introduced us to native trees in the cemetery, such as Monterey Pine, Giant Sequoia, and Live Oak; and exotic trees, such as Ginkgo, Monkey Puzzle, and Dawn Redwood.

Lombardy Poplar (Populus nigra 'Italica') - Olmsted favored the tall columnar shape for cemeteries, representing the reach toward the heavens.

Ginkgo or Maidenhair Tree (Ginkgo biloba) - this ancient tree with the unique fan-shaped leaves is from a family that existed with the dinosaurs.

Frederick Law Olmsted designed the Mountain View Cemetery, and recommended a small tree palette (he specifically cited Italian Cypress, Italian Stone Pine, Monterey Cypress, Cedar of Lebanon, and Live Oaks). However, since he designed the cemetery during the Victorian era when collecting specimen plants and trees was all the rage, the final plant list extends well beyond that recommendation.

Saucer Magnolia or Tulip Tree (Magnolia soulangiana) - magnolias are used throughout the cemetery. Olmsted recommended using trees with dark leaves to convey a sense of lushness in our dry climate. Magnolias originated in the New World, but this hybrid was developed in France.

Yew (Taxus baccata) - this slow growing, somber tree is associated with burial grounds, and is also an ancient tree.

We followed the route of Patillo’s self-guided tour—Trees of Mountain View Cemetery—up the main avenue, with multiple detours to seek out specific trees and shelter during some serious downpours! We saw deciduous trees with beautiful fall colors, and evergreen trees.

Sweet Gum or Liquid Amber (Liquidamber styraciblua) - this has a tall, columnar form with leaves that look like maple. This New World tree provides fall color in the Bay Area.

Monterey Cypress (Cupressus macrocarpa) - this tree was suggested by Olmsted as suitable cemetery tree. Its dense, horizontal form complements the columnar trees native to California.

I recommend the tour for anyone interested in trees. You can wait for one of the official tours offered periodically in fall or spring (watch the Calendar for the schedule), or you can take the self-guided tour (down load the guide: http://www.pgadesign.com/pdfs/Mtn_View_Tree_Tour.pdf). I used its information about trees and cemetery design to write this article.

Desert Holiday

Over the holidays, we took a quick trip to Southern California to visit friends and family. It was a treat to visit in the fall, since I typically visit Palm Springs, the desert, and the mountains in the spring.

My husband and I stayed for a few days near Tustin to visit an old college chum and his wife. We had a great time visiting old haunts, and eating marvelous food. I enjoyed seeing some of the landscaping near our hotel.

These clipped hedges provide interesting texture

I love the way the leafy shadows play over the white walls

We joined my folks from Alaska and my Aunt from the Bay Area to celebrate Thanksgiving in Hemet.  We also did a little exploring. We had a fine picnic at the Andreas Oasis near Palm Springs, and enjoyed seeing a little bit of fall color in the wild grape and deciduous trees.

The wild grape leaves were turning yellow in the palm oasis

We drove around Palm Springs looking for midcentury architecture using a map purchased at the Visitor Center. I love the clean lines of the modern architecture (now over 50 years old), which seems to fit perfectly into the desert landscape.

We came upon this innovative art while looking for midcentury architecture

We also took the tram up Mount San Jacinto. The car revolves, so you get a view of the cliff as well as the valley below. The view from the top is spectacular. Our big coats and the warmth of the visitor center felt great, since the temperature was significantly cooler on the mountain compared with the valley floor.

The tram revolves, giving you a 360 degree view up the mountainside

We had beautiful views from the mountain top

We visited Los Rios Farms to pick up some apple turnovers and oatmeal cookies. They sell many varieties of apples, many of which are heirloom. The fall colors were stunning.

It was snowing at Los Rios Farms when I visited in the spring!

Whitewater Preserve had some fall colors also. We spent quite a bit of time admiring the landscaping around the Visitor Center. They have extended the path, and added informative labels to identify some of the native plants and trees.

The park and trout farm at Whitewater Preserve are beautifully landscaped

Hard to beat the clear air and bright fall sun at Whitewater

The trip made my husband and I nostalgic for the years we lived in Southern California, but we were glad to get back to our place in the San Francisco Bay Area. Home sweet home!
 

Looking Ahead to 2015

Happy New Year! After a restorative holiday break, I’m ready to tackle another 365 days of work, life, and gardens! My focus is San Francisco Bay Area gardens, but it doesn’t take me long each year to branch into gardens and garden topics of the world!

Looking ahead, one of my big themes this year is “living with drought”. We are three years into a severe drought here in California, and plants are looking dry, dry, dry! Recent rains may help the situation, but I think that is part of the problem – we quickly forget once it starts raining. As more and more of us vie for this valuable commodity, we need to look for long-range, sustainable solutions for water management at the infrastructure and local levels. Even if it is raining today.

Bay Area botanical gardens	Drought in the central valley
Gardens in Alaska	California native plants

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Other gardening goals for 2015:

• Explore different types of botanical gardens available in the San Francisco Bay Area. They can provide valuable information about plants and trees.
• Visit private and public gardens, and the big outdoors, to look for interesting landscape ideas. We’ll visit tame and wild gardens in Alaska, and plant communities in both the dry interior, and the moist panhandle.
• Continue learning about drought-tolerant native plants, especially those that can replace our water-thirsty lawns and landscape plants. Also find out where to purchase them.
• Continue exploring gardening history – this time back to England for the start of the Landscape Movement, fueled by English practicality and plant discoveries from the Americas.

Hope you’ll join me on this quest!