Dye Project: Bolete with Alum

For my first mushroom dyeing project, I decided to use the Boletus edulis that popped up in great quantity under the oak tree in our yard, after the fall and winter rains. The mushrooms had already started to deteriorate by the time I harvested them, but, according to my research, this can actually produce more dye color.

I decided to recycle three of the cotton dish towels in my stash, and overdye them with the mushroom dye. The dish towels had been mordanted with alum. Mushroom dyes typically work better with protein-based fibers than plant-based fibers, but I was curious to try dyeing with cotton for myself. I also decided to use a different mordant additive for each of the three dish towels—alum, titanium oxide, and ferrous sulfate—in three separate dye experiments.

Boletus edulis later in its life cycle

The Boletus mushroom cap underside consists of densely packed pores

The dye color for B. edulis comes from the mushroom cap underside, which is very spongy. I separated the spongy cap underside to harvest the dye material. The color is greenish-yellow.

Spongy mushroom cap undersides

Extract the Dye

The first step is to extract the dye from the mushroom pieces, using the heat extraction method that I've used for many other dye projects over the years.

Place the chopped up mushrooms in a pot covered with water, and bring the temperature slowly to 185 °F (this takes about an hour). Out of curiosity, I tested the pH of the liquid, which registered 6 (mildly acid).

Chopped up Boletus edulis mushroom pieces

Stir in 1 T. + 1 tsp. of Alum to the water. I checked the pH again, which then registered 2 (strongly acid). Heat the dye pot to 180 - 185°. This takes about an hour. Let the pot simmer for another hour. The mushroom slurry is a rich brown color, very slimy, and smells like a delicious, hearty stew. The pore tubes, through which spores travel, separate from each other in the slurry and look like worms.

Mushroom slurry draining through cheese cloth

Let the mixture cool for several hours. When cool, strain the liquid through the sieve lined with cheese cloth. Save the dye liquid and discard the strained mushroom goo. Cover the dye pot and store it in a cool place until ready to dye.

Dye the Fabric

Next, dye the fabric with the mushroom dye liquid. For this experiment, I recycled a cotton dish towel that had been mordanted with alum and solar-dyed with beet stems, which had produced a pale brownish-gray with a tinge of pink in certain light (see Dye Project: Beet Stems). I used a third of the dye and added more alum as an additive, saving the rest of the dye extract for two future experiments.

Boletus dye pot with alum additive

Place the extracted mushroom dye in a dye pot and stir in 1 T. + 1 tsp alum. I tested the pH of the liquid, which now registered 3 (moderately acid). Meanwhile, place the dish towel in clear water to soak for 20-30 minutes, to enable the fibers to soak up the dye.

Heat the mushroom dye to 185 °F (this takes about an hour). Squeeze out the wet towel, and place it in the dye. Simmer for one hour, maintaining the temperature of 185°. Add water periodically to keep the fabric covered with dye extract.

Steep the cotton fabric overnight

Turn off the heat and let the fabric steep in the dye overnight. The next day, squeeze out excess dye, rinse the fabric, and then run it through the washing machine (cold water only), and hang to dry.

Full disclosure: I wasn't thinking, and actually added a mild textile soap [like Synthropol or Professional Textile Detergent (a.k.a., Dharma Dyer's Detergent)] to the rinse, and then dried the towel in the dryer (I usually just rinse and hang to dry, and then wash in mild detergent two weeks later, giving the dye time to set). It seemed to work OK, but was not my usual process.

Squeeze out excess dye and rinse thoroughly

The resulting color was a greenish-yellow when wet (reminiscent of the mushroom underside), but it dried to a lighter shade. The photo appears more tan than the actual color. I wondered if the mushroom dye actually dyed the fabric at all, or did it simply cause a slight over-dye reaction with the previous beet stem dye? It will be interesting to see the outcome of the future experiments planned, using titanium and iron.

The resulting color is actually more greenish-yellow than the photo shows

Landscaping: Two Year Report

 We are celebrating the second anniversary of our “new” landscape! It’s a good time to take stock and see how the garden is progressing. Rebecca Kolls of Rebecca’s Garden says that in the first year perennials sleep, the second year they creep, and the third year they leap. In this post I’m providing a two-year report, comparing progress against Landscaping: One Year Report; Landscaping: Six Month Report; and Landscaping: Finished. Time flies!

Path to the rock garden (Bobo the Husky in the shade to the far right)

The landscape was designed as a wildlife garden with keystone plants for food and shelter, inspired by Doug Tallamy’s work to promote personal landscapes that provide wildlife habitat. The Bird Buddy bird feeder (with camera), hummingbird feeder in the side yard, and terracotta bird bath provide for our avian visitors. The native plants and grasses provide food and habitat for birds, squirrels, and insects. The mighty oak provides deep shade for plants, animals, and people.

Path under the oak canopy

We have become more familiar with the plants, weeds, shrubs and trees in the landscape, and have developed a monthly maintenance schedule for its care. Our professional landscape maintenance team comes once a month and contributes experience, labor, and knowledge to landscape maintenance. Some of the annuals that were planted as succession plants have died off or come back with fewer plants. I could scatter some annual or perennial seed mix, but honestly, I’m enjoying the more “edited” look with fewer plants. That may change, because I do miss the bursts of annual color scattered about the yard.

We’ve lost some plants, which is to be expected. We planted a few replacement plants in November, taking advantage of the winter rains to help get the roots established. Most of the plants are happy in the place they have been planted. The garden is fairly low maintenance (once you know what is required), but weeding is definitely needed.

Path to the lower yard

After reviewing the new landscape, I am satisfied with the progress made over the last year. Most of the original plants are still alive and thriving (coming to the end of the “creep” phase). So far our only change has been to plant two Japanese maple trees in planters. They are thriving and have benefited from aesthetic pruning from our landscaping maintenance team. I’m looking forward to observing as the perennials move into the “leap” stage of their development in the new garden!

Trip to Mendocino

My husband and I recently visited Mendocino, California for a short trip. Mendocino is located about 160 miles north of Oakland, so is very accessible, and is a favorite spot to explore and enjoy life. I wanted to see the Mushrooms & Color Exhibit at the Mendocino Art Center, and my husband wanted to take photos of the sites and landscape. We decided to bring Bobo the Husky, thinking that a short, three-night trip would be a good test case for possible future trips.

This would be Bobo's first road trip with us, and possibly ever. He loves riding in the car, and took the very curvy Highway 128 from the 101 over to the coast like a champ. The stop at Navarro Vineyards & Winery and their wonderful dog park was the perfect place for a quick run and long drink of water. He needed to blow off some steam (I got a good work out as well, trying to keep up with him)! 

Crossing the Richmond Bridge

Farmstead on the way

Our other trips to Mendocino have been in the fall, when the hills are golden and the leaves are sporting fall colors. This time the hills were green and lush from spring rains. Traffic wasn't bad either, especially once we got past Petaluma.

We checked into The Andiron Inn & Cabins and settled into The William and Maude Suite. The Andiron is very dog friendly, and we put their Pet Kit to use right from the start (protective sheets to cover furniture, towels for rubbing down a wet dog, poop bags, home made dog treats, and a personal greeting welcoming Bobo to the Inn). The suite has two rooms, a kitchenette, and a wide front porch. Bobo seemed right at home and enjoyed a walk around the grounds (the chicken coup and goat pen were especially compelling for him). He seemed a little nervous around his dinner time, but looked relieved when his dinner appeared at the usual time in his yellow bowl.

The cabins of The Andiron

Bobo the Husky eating dinner at the usual time

Cozy room with a hair dryer chair

Mendocino as a community is also very dog friendly, which made our first trip with Bobo so pleasurable. We like to eat breakfast at GoodLife Cafe & Bakery, and learned that they have a small park behind the restaurant that is perfect for a dog family to eat together outside. We ate pizza for dinner inside at Frankie's, so Bobo experienced his first time eating at a restaurant (there was an outdoor seating area, but it was already dark and the staff was closing for the day, so they allowed it). For the other two evening meals, we ordered food to go from Flow Restaurant & Lounge and Patterson's Pub, and brought them it back to the Andiron to eat by the fire place.  Very cozy.

Breakfast in the park at GoodLife Cafe & Bakery

Taking a walk while waiting for our Patterson's Pub To Go order

During the day we walked along the trails of the Mendocino Headlands and frolicked in the waves of Van Damme Beach. We brought a 15' leash to give Bobo a little more range, and he thoroughly enjoyed it! I photographed a few late-season mushrooms and harvested some lichen that had blown down in a big wind storm.

Van Damme Beach

We left Bobo in the car for several very short stints, while we did a little shopping at the Mendocino Market, Mendocino Jams and Preserves, and The Highlight Gallery. It was probably harder on us than it was on him, but we wanted to see how he would do alone in the car in short bursts. After all, not every place is dog friendly, or appropriate for a big, energetic dog. Bobo did great, but always seemed happy to see us upon our return. Overall, we found Bobo to be an enthusiastic traveler who embraced every activity with gusto.

Driving back home through the coastal redwoods

We learned a lot on our inaugural trip with Bobo. Advanced planning and research is vital for travelling with a dog. Unless you plan to camp, you need pet-friendly accommodations and restaurants (or order to-go). You need to understand the rules when staying in a pet friendly motel; there is typically a daily fee and you probably cannot leave a pet in the room while you are away. Some motels, attractions, or communities offer kennel service, but you may need to book in advance. Others do not offer such a service, so you may not be able to participate in some activities at your destination.

As when travelling with children, its probably best to stick with the same basic schedule for meals, downtime, and bedtime as you do at home. You also need to provide a water source, snacks and treats, and ensure your pet's comfort and safety. Exercise and downtime are as important on the road, as they are at home. We're looking forward to future car trips with Bobo the Husky!

Mendocino Mushroom Exhibit

While on our recent trip to Mendocino, I attended the Mushrooms & Color Exhibit at the Mendocino Art Center, presented by the International Mushroom Dye Institute (IMDI). At the Art Center, Miriam Rice experimented with mushroom dyeing; taught classes, conducted workshops, collaborated with artist Dorothy Beebee; and worked with fabric artists from around the world. I was interested to see the exhibits as well as the Art Center where so much pivotal work occurred.

 

Mendocino Art Center

The exhibit included beautiful textile pieces created with fibers dyed with mushrooms. Some of the mushrooms used include Cortinarious phoeniceus, C. californicus, C. croceofoliuos, Phaeolus schweinitzii, Hydnellum aurantiacum, Omphalotus olivescens, Boletus edulis, Gymnopilus spectabilus, and more. The variety and intensity of colors is incredible.

Mushroom Wedge Weave, by Ellen Athens
(wool)

Scarf of Flowers, by Nancy Denison
(felted wool and silk)

Spine of the Woods, by Erika J. Gottl
(Shibori silk scarf)

Part of the exhibit was dedicated to records kept for the mushroom dyeing experiments. I appreciated seeing the various ways to keep a dye journal, incorporating color swatches, written word, and illustrations. I can relate to the thrill of discovery and the scientific bent to record the details in order to share, reproduce, or alter in future projects.

Dye journal entry for Cortinarius phoenicieus, var. occidentalis

Dye journal entry for Cortinarius semisanguinea

Dye journal entry for the Dermocybe spp. group, within the genus Cortinarius

Another dye journal entry for Cortinarius phoenicieus, var. occidentalis

The Mendocino Art Center is a wonderfully inviting place for artists, art students, and museum visitors. Several buildings provide classrooms, studios, and residences. The grounds provide a courtyard, garden, and garden art installations. The whole environment invites creativity and collaboration. 

The inviting grounds of MAC

A view to the Pacific Ocean and Mendocino Headlands

It was a pleasure to see the exhibits and dye journals from Miriam Rice's days at the Mendocino Art Center, and to walk the grounds where she taught and worked. I'm inspired to try dyeing with mushrooms for myself!

Field Notes for March 2026

 Welcome back to Field Notes!

March 1, 2026

Cooking with Mushrooms. I decided to make quiche for dinner this week, and purchased this white Lion's Mane mushroom from the grocery store. The mushroom is cultivated by the Far West Fungi company in Moss Landing, CA, right here in Northern California. Some say its flavor is similar to seafood, but I thought it just had a nice woodsy flavor. This is a tooth fungi that resembles cauliflower in appearance, but is very light and spongy. The fungus grows in tight clumps from a shared base (gregarious). I used 12 ounces of mushrooms for a 9-inch crust.

Lion's Mane mushroom (Hericium erinaceus)

I checked to make sure it was OK for Bobo the Husky to eat the Lion's Mane mushroom, and found that it is highly regarded as a beneficial, medicinal mushroom for canine cognitive, nervous system, and gut health. For senior dogs, it supports memory and brain function.

March 3, 2026

Greetings from Mendocino. We're in Mendocino, California for a short family trip, including Bobo the Husky. This is Bobo's first road trip and so far he is loving it! We took the very curvy Highway 128 from the 101 over to the coast and stopped at the Navarro Vineyards & Winery and their wonderful dog park for a quick break. Beautiful scenery and the hills are so green from winter rains.

Bobo the Husky on the way to Mendocino

In Mendocino, we checked into the Andiron Inn (the William and Mildred Suite), explored the grounds, and then headed to Mendocino for pizza at Frankie's Restaurant (another first for Bobo, eating in a restaurant). Back at the inn, we relaxed by the fire and then all fell into an exhausted, but happy, sleep!

View of the Pacific Ocean from Andiron Inn

March 4, 2026

Exploring Mendocino with Bobo. We spent the whole day exploring the Mendocino area. The weather was perfect - clear and sunny with a cool offshore breeze. It was such a delight to watch Bobo the Husky explore the Mendocino Headlands on a long leash. He sniffed everything!

Mendocino Headlands

Mushroom season is at its tail end, so I didn't find too many specimens. However, I found this lovely chalice-like specimen along one of the trails at the Mendocino Headlands. It may be a Candy Cap, possibly Lactarius rufulus or L. rubidus).

Infundibuliform, gilled mushroom at the Mendocino Headlands

The special delight was watching Bobo the Husky frolic in the waves at Van Damme Beach (part of the Van Damme State Park). He tried drinking a little of the salt water, and then cleared his mouth in the nearby Little River, which empties into the sea. Needless to say, he was a very sleepy dog by the time we returned to our cabin at The Andiron!

Bobo the Husky loved the waves at Van Damme Beach
(photo by Rick Quisenberry)

March 5, 2026

Mendocino Mushroom Exhibition. One of the reasons for our trip to Mendocino (besides the lure of a family retreat in a beautiful coastal area) was that I wanted to attend the Mushrooms & Color Exhibit at the Mendocino Art Center. The exhibit was presented by the International Mushroom Dye Institute (IMDI). The Art Center is where Miriam Rice taught and conducted many mushroom dyeing experiments; collaborated with artist Dorothy Beebee; and worked with fabric artists from around the world (see Winter Movie 2026: Miriam Rice Documentary and Mushrooms for Color). 

 

Mendocino Art Center

Sweater knitted from mushroom-dyed yarn

The exhibit included beautiful fabric pieces dyed with mushroom dye, as well as paper made from shelf mushrooms and art work painted or printed with mushroom-derived medium. The variety and intensity of colors was incredible.

Throw crocheted from mushroom-dyed yarn

Silk scarves dyed with mushroom dye

Part of the exhibit was dedicated to showing the meticulous dye records kept for each dyeing experiments. The new discipline was well documented and paved the way for both art and science around the world. This is just a glimpse of what I saw, and I'll provide more information in a later post.

March 6, 2026

Home Sweet Home. We spent a leisurely morning in out cabin and roaming around the grounds of the Andiron Inn. I foraged for lichen and took Bobo the Husky on a couple of long walks, to wear him out before our three-hour car ride home.

The grounds of the Andiron Inn

The way home was long and winding and we hit some rush hour traffic near San Rafael. We got home in late afternoon and ordered pizza for dinner. A great time was had by all, especially Bobo the Husky!

The winding road through the redwoods

March 9, 2026

Big Wind in Mendocino. On one of our days in Mendocino, we experienced heavy winds up to 23 m.p.h. We had planned to take Bobo the Husky on a second excursion to the beaches near Fort Bragg, about 10 miles north of Mendocino. Our plans were curtailed, because of the strong winds that blasted through the area. We could barely get out of the car, and hats and glasses were at risk of blowing away!

Lichen harvested for a future dye project

Back at the Andiron Inn near Mendocino, the wind caused lichen downfall from the trees. I was able to gather quite a bit of the Lace Lichen, a.k.a., Fishnet Lichen, (Ramalina menziesii) for a future dye project. It is typically considered ethical to gather lichen that has been dislodged from its habitat, unless other restrictions apply. Recall that lichen is a "hybrid colony of algae or cyanobacteria living symbiotically among filaments of multiple fungus species, along with bacteria embedded in the cortex or "skin", in a mutualistic or symbiotic relationship".

March 12, 2026

The Beauty of the Every Day. The light hit the ivy just right on this tree trunk up by the reservoir. The orangey-yellow leaf seemed especially beautiful against the dark, textured bark. 

Orangey-yellow ivy leaf

March 15, 2026 🌞🌡

Heat Spell in March. We're experiencing our first heat spell of the spring, with temperatures in the high 70s F. and heading toward the mid 80s (record breaking for March). Luckily the days are still short, so the air cools off  by early evening and the earth doesn't retain as much heat as later in the year. I don't mind the occasional hot day (we usually experience them in a series of three), but I'm glad for our usual foggy, chilly Bay Area weather.

March 18, 2026

Spring Lunch with Aunt Char. Today we're having lunch with my Aunt Char at one of our favorite places - Fentons Creamery Restaurant. We haven't been together since we were in Juneau, Alaska with my Mom and brother Dave, so this get-together is long over due. Of course we will eat lunch responsibly, but finish it off with ice cream sundaes!

The Black & Tan at Fentons Creamery

March 20, 2026 🌷

Vernal Equinox. Today is the first day of spring, where the sun crosses directly over Earth's equator; the Earth’s axis is tilted sideways to the Sun; and day and night are of equal length. Here in the San Francisco Bay Area, we're at the tail end of a five-day heat spell, with a high temperature today of 81 ℉. We're breaking all kinds of records here, for the highest temperature ever recorded in March. I love a little heat, but I'm longing for our cool foggy mornings and chilly evenings. On the plus side, the garden is responding to the recent rains and extra heat and exploding with growth and blossoms.

March 22, 2026

OTHG Hike at Pacheco Marsh. Mari, Gaymond, and I recently joined the Over-the-Hills Gang hike at Pacheco Marsh, which is northeast of Martinez, California and close to where Walnut Creek flows into the Carquinez Strait. This was our first hike together for almost three months, due to the holidays, a hip surgery, and trips to Alaska, India, and Mendocino. It was wonderful to get back together and catch up on all the news, and to see our OTHG hiking buddies. Anthony Fisher lead the hike.

Meeting place and educational center

Aluminum bridge leading to the kayak launch (photo by Mari)

Pacheco Marsh is part of the John Muir Land Trust. Over the last two decades, the Trust and its partners have restored the 122 acre saltwater marshland from industrial use to a natural ecosystem. The restoration was designed take advantage of marshland as a natural flood control buffer, and provides habitat for wildlife. Amenities include a shady picnic/educational area, trails (including some paved trails that are ADA compliant), aluminum bridges that span waterways, and a kayak launch.

View of the Benicia-Martinez Bridge beyond the marsh

Butterfly along the trail (photo by Gaymond)

We watched the raptors hunting overhead and various birds and butterflies flitting among the marsh grasses, and enjoyed distant views of the ships in Suisun Bay and the Benicia-Martinez Bridge that spans Carquinez Strait. Our halfway-point cookie break (ginger and lemon) took place next to an extensive drift of yellow-orange Aster. Mari, Gaymond, and I finished the hike with chicken and ribs at Slow Hand BBQ in downtown Martinez. Check the East Bay Regional Park District website to learn more about upcoming events. Bring a friend or come solo, and join a wonderful group of 55+ hikers.

Lemon and ginger cookie break at the halfway point

Intrepid hikers at Pacheco Marsh (photo by Gaymond)

March 24, 2026

Aunt Char is on the Move! My jet setting Aunt Char is on the move again - this time traveling to Arizona for a family wedding. It will be a great time to catch up on all the news, see the grandkids (a.k.a., "the grands"), and celebrate the joining of two lives. Looking forward to hearing all about it, with pictures!

Taking to the air with Southwest Airlines

March 30, 2026 ⛅🌷

Landscape Maintenance.  March has been a busy month of traveling, hiking, and unseasonably hot weather. With recent rains and heat, the garden has exploded with growth and blooms (we may have bypassed spring and shot straight into summer)! We're finishing up any last end-of-winter cleanup tasks, and preparing to kick off garden activities for spring. The work is still manageable, but will quickly get out of hand if we don't keep up on it!

🗷 Weed the garden paths and beds (ongoing task). Note: Some of the ornamental grasses have gone to seed, which has resulted in lots of grass sprouts in the paths. They are easy to pull, but it is important to keep up on it. The one thing that I do allow in the path, is California Poppy. I'm hoping to forage their roots one day, and experiment with dyeing.

☐ Cut back invasive ivy from the street, and remove invasive French Broom from the curb. Note: I haven't had time for this yet, but it is on my list. The French Broom is blooming up by the curb (and really is quite pretty), and the street ivy is creeping back into the property. Both must go before they take over.

🗷 Clean up pittosporum berries and spent camelia flowers in the side yard. Note: the red camelia flowers are prolific again this year and very pretty. I collect the dropped flowers under the shrubs as a kind of mulch. The pittosporum berries just need to be swept up periodically with the big push broom.

🗷 Add mulch or wood chips, as needed. This really helps cut down on the spring weeds trying to take hold. Note: this month I've assessed where new wood chips are needed, and started my list for purchasing more. I added a lot of wood chips in the lower yard last summer, which is really helping to suppress weeds. However, in some areas, the wood chips need to be a little thicker, and in other areas new wood chips are needed because they break down over time.