Spring in Southeast Alaska

I've been in Juneau, Alaska for two weeks now, and am tracking the local flora for signs of spring. Shrubs and trees are sporting lots of miniature leaves and berry blossoms, but they are opening slowly. I've been learning about growing degree days (GDD) or heat units. GDD is a measure of the accumulated heat above a certain base temperature that a plant needs to reach a specific stage of development.

Salmon berry shrubs are starting to leaf out

The temperature has been hovering between the mid-forties and -fifties F., with lots of gray, drizzly days. We may not have met the requirements for temperature, day length, and sunlight to really kick off spring growth yet. There is growth, but it is quite slow.

Skunk cabbage

Skunk cabbage grows in bogs and along creeks 

The Skunk Cabbage (Lysichiton americanus) leaves have been growing taller over the last two weeks, and turning from yellow to green. As their name suggests, they smell like skunk but, it is not overpowering. Bear and deer feast on skunk cabbage in early spring. As kids we used the skunk cabbage leaves (2-4 feet high) as shields and stripped fern fronds (2-3 feet long) as swords to act out battle scenes. Peace was quickly restored over the afternoon snack or the next adventure on our childhood docket. 

Bear sign (yes, we photograph bear scat in Alaska)

Bear sign starts to show up in early spring, as the bears emerge from hibernation. It's good to be wary of bears at this time, since they wake up hungry! Here in Juneau, they are typically black bears (Ursus americanus). Their coloring may range from black to brown to white.

Elderberry leaves stand out against the spruce tree backdrop

Trees and shrubs are sporting a "hazy green" throughout their bare branches. The miniature leaves and berries are just waiting for the right conditions to unfurl completely. Once the right heat and light requirements are met, it doesn't take long before they are covered with dense green foliage. In the meantime, I'm just enjoying the process!

 

Field Notes for April 2025

Welcome back to Field Notes!

April 1, 2025

Today we're celebrating the one-year anniversary of our new landscape! About this time last year, we toured the yard with our landscapers and signed off on the project. Since then, the garden has grown and thrived. The wildlife-friendly landscape attracts birds, bees, butterflies, squirrels and more. We love to watch the creatures that visit and listen to the birds, from the comfort of our patio.

Our new landscape turns one!

April 3, 2025

While changing the water in the terra cotta bird bath, I found an Arboreal salamander (Aneides lugubris) hanging out in a small cavity underneath the saucer. I've seen small salamanders before, but nothing as big as this one! They seem to like the dark, moist, protected environment underneath the bird bath. According to Wikipedia, this is a species of climbing salamander, an insectivore, and native to California and Baja California. The species is associated with oak and sycamore woodlands and thick chaparral.

Arboreal salamander
(notice the slug by its tail, possibly Arion fasciatus)

These salamanders have no lungs and breathe through their moist skin. As a defense against predators, they secrete toxins through their skin (handling arboreal salamanders usually doesn't pose an immediate risk, but it is a good idea to wash your hands if you touch one). There is always something interesting to find in the garden!

April 6, 2025

I'm attending the online Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour this weekend. Doug Tallamy is the keynote speaker, and yesterday he hosted an FAQ session for those who want to transform their yards into ecologically valuable gardens. All the speakers, presentations, and online garden tours have been so informative and inspiring! The in-person garden tours are scheduled for the first weekend in May. Visit the website to learn more.

April 8, 2025

For weeks we've been enjoying the beauty of heucheras in our new landscape. They thrive in partial-shade and under oak trees. Several types are planted throughout the yard, including Heuchera maxima, Heuchera 'Wendy', and Heuchera 'Canyon Duet'. Their flowers are described as "insignificant", but they are quite lovely when swaying in the breeze or dancing in the morning sun en masse. Better yet, the native bees love them!

Heuchera blossoms glowing in the sun

April 10, 2025

This week Mari and I joined the Over-the-Hills Gang hike to Contra Loma Regional Park. Our hiking buddy, Gaymond, is globe trotting in Italy, so we were on our own. The park is located near Antioch and features a reservoir used for recreation. Picnicking, swimming, boating, fishing, and hiking are available. A trail connects the park to Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve (my husband and toured the Hazel-Atlas mine in 2018). Contra Loma is on the ancestorial land of the Julpun Bay Miwok speaking tribal group. They lived in the northeastern East Bay, encompassing parts of present-day Antioch, Brentwood, and Oakley. 

Starting out from the parking lot

View of the swimming pool from Ridge Trail

Heading down hill toward the reservoir

The day was beautiful - warm, but with a cool breeze off the reservoir. We had magnificent views of the surrounding hills from Lake View Trail and Ridge Trail, and then strolled along the East Shore Trail by the water. We saw wildflowers, kestrel hawks, swans, pelicans, red wing blackbirds, a young snake, and grazing cattle. I was interested in the tule grasses growing along the water, and learned more about the tule reed boats that indigenous people created for transport (ingenious)! I also learned that basket makers would bury prepared grass material in mud to dye it black. 

Heading up hill for the 360° view

Cookie break at the half-way point

Group leader, Anthony Fisher, brought cookies for the half-way point break (the classic Trader Joe's lemon and ginger wafters - both are delicious). Before ending the outing, we took a bonus hike up the Frederickson and Lake View Trails for additional views, and then back down to the parking lot. This hike is a great blend of flat and hilly walking, and is manageable for the 55+ crowd (a walking stick or poles is helpful for balance). Search the East Bay Regional Park District website to learn more about upcoming Over-the-Hills Gang hikes.

Intrepid Hikers (photo by Mari)

April 12, 2025

While at the Contra Loma Regional Park this week, we spotted some spring flowers and grasses. Here are a few snapshots, clockwise: purple owl face thistle (Castilleja exserta); Ithureal's Spear (Triteleia laxa); and Common Tule (Scirpus acutus) near the water. Click the photo to enlarge.

Some flora at Contra Loma Regional Park 

We also saw some critters. Here are a few snapshots, clockwise: grazing cattle (lots of green grass and fabulous views); baby California King Snake (Lampropeltis californiae); pelicans feeding in a big group; and a pair of Mute Swans (Cygnus olor). We also saw hawks and blackbirds, but sometimes it's better to watch them in action than to try to take pictures!

Some fauna at Contra Loma

April 14, 2025

Tomorrow is travel day – I'll be flying back to Southeast Alaska to spend time with my mom, dad, and brother. Today is "packing and tying up loose ends" day, but I plan to spend the afternoon in the garden and on the patio with my husband. The forecast for today is sunny with a high of 71°, and I plan to make the most of it before heading back to Juneau! There, the forecast is light snow showers with a high of 44°. Honestly, I love both kinds of weather!

California poppies catching the sun in the front planter

April 17, 2025

Greetings from Juneau Alaska! Wednesday was travel day - from Oakland to Portland to Seattle to Juneau (with a quick stop in Ketchikan) on Alaska Airlines. It was a long day, with a couple of 2-hour layovers at PDX and SEA. I took advantage of the time to walk the concourses to see what's new. The biggest changes were at the Portland airport. The timber ceiling is fantastic, and sourced from Oregonian timber forests and mills. The renovations emphasize the environment and values of Oregon. Restaurants and stores are also based in Oregon, such as Pendleton, Deschutes Brewery, and Powell Books. To learn more about the renovation, see PDX Next. 

The timber roof over Powell Books

Artwork in the Seattle airport

The Seattle airport is also under going expansion and renovation. I walked the whole length of Concourse A, and it took almost 20 minutes round trip. It is huge! I always enjoy seeing the large art installations distributed across the concourses in Seattle. To learn more about the renovations that are in progress, see Upgrade SEA.

April 20, 2025

Spring is poised to burst forth with new life here in Juneau, Alaska! I've seen a robin and lots of skunk cabbage, both of which are harbingers of spring for this climate. The deciduous trees and shrubs are full of buds and tiny leaves that are just waiting for a slight rise in temperature before they unfurl. It's very exciting to witness.

Salmonberry leaves and tiny salmonberries (Rubus spectabilis)

Lucky me to experience two springs - one in the San Francisco Bay Area, and one in Southeast Alaska!

April 23, 2025

I'm back in the social whirl here in Juneau, Alaska. So far, we've had dinner at Mar y Sol Restaurant and The Hangar on the Wharf; attended several events at the Juneau Pioneer Home, including TJ on Piano (wonderful) and the Friday afternoon ice cream social (delicious); and Death with Dessert (a fascinating historical presentation by journalists, Betsy Longenbaugh and Ed Schoenfeld, about a post-gold rush murder that took place in Tenakee Springs in 1906). I'm looking forward to reading Longenbaugh's books, Forgotten Murders from Alaska's Capital and Death in the Underworld.

Chocolate cupcake for dessert!

April 26, 2025

Mom and I stopped at Mendenhall Glacier late afternoon on a drizzly day to see the glacier. We thought we'd take the opportunity to see the glacier before cruise ship season gets into full swing. Turns out several busloads of tourists from the Norwegian Bliss were already exploring and photographing in the damp gray weather. The visitors were in good spirits despite the light rain. We didn't visit the Visitor Center since it is typically quite crowded during the tourist season.

Mendenhall Glacier still reaches the lake on the far left

Enjoying the views under the shelter

Recent federal cuts have reduced staff at the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center from five employees to one, so it will be interesting to see whether the park can stay open and serve tourists, when three, four, or five cruise ships are in port each day bringing 700,000 visitors for the season. The timing and logic is mysterious - cutting staff to save a few dollars when summer tourism is just ramping up (not to mention reducing access to natural treasures that should be available to We the People).

April 29, 2025

On the one sunny day in April, Ulla, Odin the Dog, and I headed to the Boy Scout Trail out the road. Ulla was a childhood friend when we grew up in Juneau Alaska, and we each have a beloved parent in the Juneau Pioneer Home. The Boy Scout Trail has always been a favorite hike of mine. The trail starts in the woods and follows Eagle River, and then opens up at the beach. You can choose to follow the beach, or go to the Boy Scout Camp. I always choose the beach route. Across the way you can see Eagle Beach and Eagle River, two other favorite destinations (see Fall Outing). 

Herbert Glacier, Mount Ernest Gruening, and the Boundary Range

This is a favorite trail for birders, and we met a lot of them as we hiked. Migratory geese and ducks, as well as local ravens, eagles, and song birds congregate in the area to feast, roost, and nest. Several of the birders gave us the opportunity to view birds up close using high powered scopes. 

Odin enjoyed exploring off leash

From the beach trail you have wide open views of the surrounding area. As you know, I especially like seeing the Chilkat Range down channel.

View of the Chilkat Mountains down Berner's Bay

We had a great time on our Boy Scout Trail hike. The sunny day brought out a lot of enthusiastic hikers, birders, and dog walkers. Ulla and I had a great time reconnecting on the hike, and catching up on each other's lives!

Intrepid Hikers

Bringing Back the Natives: 2025

The Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour is back for 2025, and celebrating its 21st Anniversary! I recently attended the two-day online portion of the event, complete with a key note speaker, presentations on fascinating topics, and online garden tours. The online program makes the event available to those who cannot attend the in-person garden tours, including those located outside the Bay Area. One of these years, I'll attend the in-person tours, but in this season of life, I love the convenience of the online version. The in-person garden tours take place the first weekend in May. 

Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour is back for 2025!

Ecologist Doug Tallamy hosted an FAQ session for those looking to transform their yards into ecologically valuable gardens. He answered questions about creating habitat using the questions that he receives from his lectures and email. Many of these questions also appear in his new book, How Can I Help: Saving Nature with Your Yard. Tallamy is leading a grass roots effort across the United States, to convert our yards, containers, patios, and decks to habitat in a Homegrown National Park. You can learn more on the website, and can add your backyard to the virtual wildlife park across the nation.

 

Native gardens are beautiful and exciting (online screenshot)

The online garden tours visited landscapes in San Pablo, Richmond, Berkeley, San Francisco, Oakland, and Walnut Creek. One presenter created a native habitat in the back yard of her rental, and described why the expense, work, and effort has been worth it, despite not owning the property. Benefits include viewing wildlife in an urban setting, relaxing in nature after a busy day, and growing a community of interested neighbors. Seasoned garden designer Lois Simonds of Gardening With Nature’s Design, provided a poetic description of her goals in a garden design.

A restoration project after three years (online screenshot)

The Skyline Gardens Restoration Project presentation was inspiring. A group of volunteers is working to do away with invasive species (such as European bunch grass) in the Oakland Hills. Invasive species have few natural enemies to combat them, and crowd out native species in the area. The three-year process involves weeding to do away with invasives, and promoting re-entry of California natives.  Volunteers donate 2-3 hours a week, and are rewarded with friendship and good snacks while they work, and a beautiful restored landscape in the end!

Sidewalk plantings provide habitat for birds, bees, butterflies, and insects (online screenshot)

Aesthetic pruner, Leslie Buck, gave a demonstration of the three main cuts required to prune California native plants - thinning, heading, and tipping. For more information see her book, Cutting Back: My Apprenticeship in the Gardens of Kyoto, part how-to and part autobiographical.

Native garden at Woodside Library (photo by Kathy Kraemer (online screenshot)

I found out more information about Assembly Bill 1572 (AB-1572), which prohibits the use of potable water for irrigation of non-functional turf. This law will be phased in starting in 2026. AB-1572 will transform the California landscape, reduce water consumption, and provide more habitat for California native flora and fauna. Not to worry - turf used for golfing, playing teams sports, and group events is retained. Rebates are available.

Native gardens provide a respite (online screenshot)

Several presentations focused on making our landscapes more firesafe, which is very timely in light of recent fires in California and Maui. The key seems to be keeping a five foot "clear zone" around the perimeter of the house. I am inspired to look at the zone around our home to see what can be improved.

Making your home firesafe (online screenshot)

Several presentations focused on the need to plant California native plants for bees and insects. Food is important, but so is shelter, and the habitat needed for reproductive cycles. When planting a garden, plan for a year-round banquet for generalist and specific feeders. California is home to about 6000 plant species from which to choose.

Bees gather together (online screenshot)

These are just a few of the highlights from the two-day online event. Check the Bringing Back the Natives website for more information about the 2025 online and in-person topics, speakers, garden tours, and resources. It is clear that Doug Tallamy has had an impact on gardeners and landscapers in the Bay Area. Many of the presenters brought up his influence on their designs and decisions, including use of keystone species and native plants. The concepts apply to gardens in any climate and location in the United States - go native!

Dye Project: Blackberry Canes & Leaves

I harvested a renegade California Blackberry (a.k.a., Pacific Blackberry) from a front planter in the new landscape, and decided to try using it for a dye source. According to information on the internet, the cane and leaves yield a yellow dye. 

I cut the cane and leaves into a plastic bucket, and covered them with water to soak overnight. This rinses away dust and small insects. The plant material weighed 680 grams, or 24 ounces.

Blackberry cane and leaves (Rubus ursinus)

For this project, I used two cotton dish towels that had been prepared as described in Preparing your Fabric (Scour, Mordant, Brighten). The towels had been scoured, mordanted with oak gallnut extract, and brightened with alum and soda ash. The weight of fabric (WOF) was 154 grams, or 5.4 ounces. The WOF% was 442% for the 680 grams of canes and leaves.

Extract the Dye

First, extract the dye from the plant material. I allowed several days for this process, but you can speed up the process for each step if you prefer.

After soaking the plant material in clean water, strain off the dirty water using a sieve and place the clean cane and leaves in the dye pot. Pour boiling water over the plant material to cover, and let the mixture steep overnight (or for at least 8 hours). It smells like an herbal tea.

Steep the cane and leaves in boiling water overnight

Bring the mixture to about 180 degrees and let simmer for an hour. Try to maintain the simmer, without exceeding 180 degrees. Inexplicably, setting my electric burner to 195 degrees seems to maintain the temperature perfectly, just under 180 degrees.

Simmer for about an hour

After an hour, let the liquid cool slightly and then strain it through a sieve into a bucket or dye pot. Discard the plant material. The dye bath is a brownish green. 

Strain the plant material from the dye liquid

Dye the Fabric

Next, dye your prepared fabric in the extracted dye. In a bucket, soak the prepared fabric in water for 30 minutes; this makes it easier for the fabric to absorb the dye. In the dye pot, add four teaspoons of alum to the dye bath and bring the temperature back up to a simmer.

Simmer the prepared fabric in the dye bath

When the dye is simmering, squeeze excess water from the fabric and add it to the dye bath. Let the dye bath simmer at around 180 degrees for an hour. Stir the fabric periodically to distribute the dye evenly. Optionally you can test the pH of the dye bath (mine had a pH of 2, which is quite acidic). Remove the dye pot from the heat, and leave the towels in the bath to steep overnight (or for a few hours if you prefer). 

Squeeze out the fabric

Rinse the fabric until the water runs clear

Squeeze out excess dye, rinse the fabric, and then run it through the washing machine without detergent and hang to dry. 

Hang to dry

Wait two weeks to let the dye set, and then wash the fabric with a mild textile soap (like Synthropol or Professional Textile Detergent) and hang it to to dry. The resulting color is a clear yellow.

Blackberry canes and leaves produce a clear yellow

Learn More:

• Plant Dyeing with Blackberry Canes & Leaves - this article was inspiration for my project.
• Plant Dyeing with Blackberries - I book marked this article, but haven't tried it yet.

Landscaping: One Year Report

Today we're celebrating the one year anniversary of our new landscape! It's a good time to take stock and confirm that the garden is growing and thriving. According to Rebecca Kolls of Rebecca's Garden, in the first year perennials sleep, the second year they creep, and the third year they leap. In this post I'm providing a one-year report, comparing against Landscaping: Six Month Report and Landscaping: Finished.

The heuchera and grasses continue to thrive (without the summer weeds)

In November we contracted a monthly landscaping maintenance service. We had let the garden grow naturally for the first six months, so it was quite overgrown when I returned from Alaska in October. We could identify most plants from the planting schedule, but didn't know whether others were weeds or plants from a  wild flower mix of annuals. We decided to hire professionals to get the yard back on track. They do a great job, and I've been learning from them. The garden is fairly low maintenance (once you know what is required), so in time we may switch to a quarterly service and do more of the weeding and grooming ourselves.

The succulent rock garden is filling in

The landscape was designed as a wildlife garden with keystone plants for food and shelter. We added a Bird Buddy bird feeder (with camera), and continue to provide a hummingbird feeder in the side yard and a terracotta bird bath with fresh water daily. We get many visitors to all three. We've also had visiting deer, coyote, turkey, skunk, and neighborhood cats (who are very interested in our bird visitors).

California poppies and grasses line the path to the junipers 

The grass clumps have gained in size (they were started as spindly plugs last spring, and cut back in the winter). The California poppy are much larger this year and back in bloom (several bloomed throughout the winter)! A few pink Clarkia continue to bloom as well. I miss our big legacy trees, but it is exciting to see a couple of small Japanese maples that are thriving and just about to leaf out. The remaining trees (oak, liquid amber, prunus, and juniper) seem to be enjoying more room and the boost of irrigation water plus winter rains. 

The grass mounds by the steps to the lower yard are more established

The "shrub fence" is still a distant dream, but most of the new shrubs are still thriving (we did lose several, so they'll need to be replanted after we investigate why they died). When Mako and Dakota the Huskies came to live with us last year, we wondered if we should rethink the fence at some point. Not in the budget at this time, but worth thinking about in case a new Husky joins our family! 

The shrubs to the right of the gate are slightly taller!

The shrubs by the utilitarian gate are still pretty small (you can almost see them to the right of the gate and left of the tree). They have put on a little height and the two deciduous shrubs have leafed out. All three should eventually provide a privacy screen for the downstairs courtyard. The fall and winter leaves and berries have been cleaned up and moved to the compost bin.

The plants along the front walk have really filled in!

After reviewing the new landscape, I am satisfied about the progress made over the last year. Most of the original plants are still alive, and are growing and thriving. So far we haven't taken steps to make changes or additions to the garden, preferring instead to get to know what we have and how to care for it. But we've been talking about a few projects, such as planting dwarf maple trees in containers and adding some plants to the rock garden. I still want to plant the raised bed with dye plants or herbs, and like the idea of planting some "crops" here and there (it was so much fun to harvest cherry tomatoes in February). I'm also content to enjoy the current garden as perennials move into the "creep" stage of their development!