Dye Project: Preparing Protein Fabric (Scour & Mordant)

I like to have a batch of prepared fabric on hand, so that when I come across an interesting dye source I'm ready to dye. The process involves scouring the fabric to remove impurities, mordanting the fabric so the dye bonds with it, and optionally brightening or saddening the fabric to intensify or modify color and improve its fastness. Last year I documented how to prepare a batch of plant-based fiber, such as cotton and linen, to have on hand (see Dye Project: Preparing your Fabric (Scour, Mordant, Brighten or Sadden).

This year I'm documenting how to prepare a batch of protein-based fiber, such as silk and wool, for a series of projects. The process for preparing protein fabrics is similar to the process used for plant-based fibers. The exception is that wool and silk do not respond well to extreme changes in temperature. For best results, keep it slow and steady when bringing the bath to temperature and cooling it.

Silk scarves - scoured and mordanted

I summarized the process of scouring and mordanting silk briefly back in 2022 in Dye Project: Eco-dyeing Spring Flowers and Plants, by saying that "the fabric was scoured with Orvus paste and soda ash, and mordanted with gallnut" and promising a separate video. I hope to finally fulfill my intentions to record the process in this post.

For this project, I'll be preparing an assortment of protein-based fabrics, including six silk scarves (100%), a couple of silk and wool blend scarves (63% and 37% respectively), and a silk velvet and rayon blend scarf (18% and 82% respectively). I obtained all of the scarves from Dharma Trading. I also have a leftover silk scarf that was prepared in 2022. It does not need to be re-scoured or mordanted, but it will be interesting to see if four years has an impact on the color or light fastness of the material.

Scarf: silk (screenshot from Dharma Trading website)

Scarf: silk/wool blend (screenshot from Dharma Trading website)

Scarf: silk-velvet with rayon background - Leaf2 pattern
(screenshot from Dharma Trading website)

Scouring (Orvus Paste)

Purpose: Scour silk fabric to remove impurities that may compromise dye results. According to the website, silk scarves from Dharma do not need to be scoured, but I'm doing it anyway to be sure. These instructions are based on the process recommended by Maiwa Textiles, which is to use Orvus paste to remove any remains of lanolin or other impurities from the silk fabric (this time I'm not using soda ash with the Orvus paste). Orvus paste has a pH of 7.8 (slightly base). I plan to scour the silk and silk-wool and silk-velvet rayon blends together, as demonstrated by Maiwa.

The basic process for this step:

1. Before you start, weigh the dry fabric and record this value as the Weight of Fabric (WOF).
2. Prewash the fabric in the washing machine, using a textile detergent.
3. Scour the fabric in heated water, using Orvus paste (sometimes called "horse shampoo" or "quilt soap"). 
4. Let the fabric cool down, and then rinse.

Orvus paste, a.k.a., "horse shampoo" or "quilt soap"
(screenshot from Amazon website)

For scouring a pound of fabric, use:

• 1 teaspoon Orvus Paste 

For example, I plan to process 7 ounces of silk and silk blend (almost half a pound, or about 200 grams), so I will use 1/2 teaspoon of Orvus paste.

Scouring protein-based fabric with Orvus paste

Scour the silk fabric:

1. Pre-wash the fabric in the washing machine using 1 teaspoon of textile detergent, such as Synthrapol or Professional Textile Detergent. Hang to dry and process later, or use the damp fabric in the next steps.
2. In a large stainless steel pot, add Orvus paste to about three gallons of water and stir to mix. The pH registers at 5 (moderately acid).
3. Add the damp fabric to the pot and distribute it so that the fabric is not crowded. Add more water if needed to cover the fabric.
4. Heat the water to 140 ℉ (60 ℃), stirring periodically to rotate the fabric. Unlike my experience with scouring plant-based fabrics, the silk and silk blend fabrics did not turn brown with impurities.
5. Maintain the temperature for an hour, periodically stirring the fabric gently to rotate it. After an hour, turn off the heat, and let the water cool down.
6. Remove the fabric from the scouring bath. Rinse it in cool water, and squeeze out excess water. Wash the fabric in the washing machine (cool water, no detergent). Optionally add an extra rinse cycle.
7. At this point you can immerse the wet fabric into your mordant, brightener, or dye bath; or you can air-dry the fabric and store it until needed. Label it so you know that it was scoured.

Rinsing the scoured protein-based fabric

Mordanting (Alum Sulfate)

Purpose: Mordant the scoured protein fabric to prepare it to receive and hold dye. Multiple mordants are available, but here I am using alum sulfate. Optionally I could add cream of tartar for the wool, but cream of tartar is not typically used for silk. Since I'm processing them together, I have chosen not to include cream of tartar. Again, these instructions are based on the process recommended by Maiwa Textiles.

Mordanting the protein-based fabric with alum

Mordant the silk fabric:

1. Prepare a large stainless steel mordant pot by filling it with enough warm water (110º F, or 45º C) to cover the fabric when added, usually a 30:1 ratio of water to fabric.
2. To a small non-reactive container, measure alum at 15% WOF (I'm using 2-3 tablespoons, or about 30-40 grams) Optionally, I could add cream of tartar for the wool at 6% WOF (about 3 to 3.5 teaspoons, or about 12-13 grams). Cream of tartar is not necessary for the silk, so I'll omit it this time; but it wouldn't hurt the silk in a mixed batch, so I may try adding it in a future project.
3. Add very hot water to the container, and stir to dissolve the alum (and the optional cream of tartar).
4. Pour the dissolved alum solution into the large stainless steel pot of water, and stir well. The pH registers at 3 (still moderately acid, but moving toward strongly acid).
5. Add the scoured, wet fiber. Over 30-45 minutes bring the temperature up to 160-180 ºF (70-80 º C).
6. Simmer the silk fabric at 160-180 ºF (70-80 ºC) for one hour. Stir the fabric regularly with a stainless steel spoon so the alum is evenly distributed.
7. Let the mordant bath cool for 20 minutes.
8. Remove the fabric from the mordant bath. Rinse well in cool water, or wash the fabric in the washing machine (cool water, no detergent), with an optional extra rinse cycle. You can store the fabric in a damp white cloth for 24-48 hours (keeping it damp during this entire period), and dye it in the next day or two. Or you can air-dry the fabric and store it until needed.
9. Once completely dry, the mordanted fabric may be stored indefinitely. 

Drip drying protein-based fabric

Ready to Dye

At this point, your silk fabric is scoured, mordanted, and ready to dye. Having a stash of prepared fabric is like having a full pantry that is available when you're ready to cook up a storm. I'm planning to use this batch for several dye projects that use mushrooms,

Prepared protein-based fabric labeled and ready to dye!

Mordanting Additives

When you are ready to dye, you can add additional mordants to the dye bath to further manipulate the dye. For example, you can add more alum to brighten the dye bath or ferrous sulfate to sadden, or darken it. You can add vinegar to make the dye path more acidic, or soda ash or ammonia to make it more alkaline. You can add titanium oxalate to push the dye to a more golden or orange color. Experimenting is part of the fun of dyeing! 

Learn More

• Maiwa School of Textiles "Mordants & Tannins", https://maiwa.teachable.com/p/mordants-tannins (free but you must sign up).

• Maiwa Textiles, "How to Mordant Silk or other Protein Fibres", https://naturaldyes.ca/how-to-mordant-protein (also a free, downloadable PDF file is available).

Birdwatching at Lake Merritt

Spent a wonderful morning at Lake Merritt and Lakeside Park in Oakland, California on a birdwatching expedition. The event was sponsored by the Golden Gate Bird Alliance. Mari, Gaymond, and I car pooled and met up with the group at the Lake Merritt Sailboat House on Adams Point.

Summer is a slower time for birdwatching, since many migrating birds have reached their destinations, but we were assured we'd still see birds and possibly their offspring. Expert birders Hilary P., Peggy R., and Katherine C. led the hike. Quite a few of us showed up with our cameras, binoculars, and scopes; and with all levels of experience, from novice to expert.

Assembling for the birdwatching event

Our route in blue, on Adam Point

Lake Merritt is a 155-acre salt water tidal lake/lagoon that is situated in the heart of Oakland. It operates as a tidal wildlife refuge, connecting to the San Francisco Bay via an artificial channel. A 3.4-mile perimeter trail surrounds the lake, and adjacent to the water is Lakeside Park. We have been to Lakeside Park to visit the Japanese garden, Bonsai garden, Botanical garden, Native garden, and more. Together, the lake and park provide recreational opportunities for a densely populated urban area.

A series of small islands near the lake edge provides favored gathering places for many birds, especially pelicans, egrets, and herons. Other birds seem to like hanging out on floats on the lake, and still others are content to linger along the lakeside path.

Birds congregate on the islands and the mainland (photo by Mari)

The floats double as a resting place for the birds

Listening for songbirds under the majestic oak

We assembled under the canopy of a huge oak tree, to listen for song birds. Sometimes they will even land on an outstretched hand holding bird seed for a quick snack. Other birds preferred to observe the landscape below from the safety of tall trees. Gaymond and Mari got some good shots of the birds.

Swallows in the trees

Proud Canadian Goose parents and their gosling (photo by Mari)

Pelicans and a Canadian goose on the island (photo by Gaymond)

Our group leaders kept track of bird sightings using the eBird app. We observed 33 species during our time together That's not bad for being off season. 

Our species list on eBird

Intrepid birdwatchers at Lake Merritt (photo by Gaymond)

Gaymond, Mari, and I ended our birdwatching with lunch at the Nua Thai Kitchen in Piedmont (noodle dishes all around in a beautiful environment), and great conversation. If you're interested in birdwatching (or just getting out with some good company), check out the monthly events offered by the Golden Gate Bird Alliance. We may see you there!

Mushroom Hunter: Dr. H. D. Thiers

I learned about mushroom hunter, Dr. Harry D. Thiers (1919-2000), while researching bolete mushrooms for the dye project using Bolete edulis (See Dye Project: Bolete with Alum, Bolete with Titanium Oxalate, and Bolete with Ferrous Sulfate). Thiers was born January 22, 1919 in Fort McKavett, Texas. He received his B.A. degree from the University of Texas in 1941, served in the U.S. Navy from 1942-1945, and received an M.A. degree from the University of Texas in 1947. He earned his Ph.D. at the University of Michigan in 1956, studying under Dr. Alexander H. Smith. Dr. Thiers' doctoral dissertation was on the Agaricales (gilled mushrooms) of the pine belt in eastern Texas.

Dr. Thiers began his career as an academic at Texas A&M University, where he taught for 12 years. He moved to California in 1959, where he taught at San Francisco State University for 30 more years and served as major professor for 35 Master's Degree students. Upon his arrival at San Francisco State University, he began building an herbarium that now houses over 220,000 specimens (focusing on mushrooms collected across North America, Hawaii, and Indonesia). It was renamed the Harry D. Thiers Herbarium at San Francisco State University in 1989.

Dr. Harry D. Thiers

As a researcher, Dr. Thiers published books and papers in both leading scientific journals and lay publications. He specialized in the fleshy fungi of California. He was recognized worldwide as the leading authority on boletes and an innovator in the research on secotioid fungi. He identified over 150 new species of fungi based on material collected in Europe, Australasia and throughout North America. Fourteen different taxa are named in his honor, including the genus Thiersia. Dr. Thiers retired in 1989 but continued his work on California mycota. According to a tribute written by Michael Boom in 2000, Dr. Thiers died in his sleep at the age of 81. He was in Ohio with his wife Ellen, visiting his daughter and family. He had spent the previous day collecting and studying mushrooms with friends and family

Dr. Thiers (photo by Michael Wood)

I was interested to learn more about Dr. Thiers because of his specialization in Californian mushrooms, including boletes. Bolete edulis frequently pops up in our yard under the big oak tree; they are big and fleshy and grow very rapidly. I can see why they were of interest to him. I was also interested to learn about secotioid fungi. According to Wikipedia:

"Secotioid" refers to an intermediate fungal form between mushrooms (agarics) and truffle-like fungi (gasteromycetes), where the cap does not fully open. These fungi often retain a stipe (stem) but have enclosed, internal, or contorted gills that do not forcibly discharge spores, adapting them for arid environments.

What a fascinating adaptation for a very dry habitat! It made me realize that in all my trips to the dessert with my folks we never saw any mushrooms, although we may have seen secotioids without realizing what we were seeing. An example is Agaricus deserticola  (see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agaricus_deserticola).

Learn More

• Bloom, Michael. "MSSF Mourns Harry Thiers". MykoWeb: Mushrooms, Fungi, Mycology website, 2000. Tribute to Dr. Thiers. See: https://www.mykoweb.com/articles/MSSF_Mourns.html

• Desjardin, Dr. Dennis. "Dr. Harry D. Theirs". MykoWeb: Mushrooms, Fungi, Mycology website, 1998. Description of Dr. Thiers' career and contributions. See: https://www.mykoweb.com/misc/HDTbyDED.html

• "Harry D. Thiers". Wikipedia website. Provides a brief biography of Thiers and references. See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_D._Thiers

• "Overview, San Francisco State University, Harry D. Thiers Herbarium". NYBG Steere Herbarium. November 2017. See: https://sweetgum.nybg.org/science/ih/herbarium-details/?irn=125864

• "San Francisco State University, Harry D. Thiers Herbarium (SFSU)". Mycology Collections Portal. See: https://www.mycoportal.org/portal/collections/misc/collprofiles.php?collid=18

• Thiers, Dr. Harry D. "The Agaricales (Gilled Fungi) of California". Published as a multi-part series, or in multiple volumes. The most detailed taxonomic key for the region. See: https://www.scribd.com/document/28261601/Fungi-Books-Published-in-a-Series

• Thiers, Dr. Harry D. "California Mushrooms: A Field Guide to the Boletes". Macmillan Publishing Co., 1975. For an updated online version, see: https://www.mykoweb.com/boletes/

• Thiers, Harry D. and Smith, Alexander H. "The Boletes of Michigan". University of Michigan Press, 1970.

Field Notes for June 2026

 Welcome back to Field Notes!

June 1, 2026

Shopping at the Farmer's Market. This is a great time of year to shop the farmer's markets in Oakland and surrounding areas. The produce is beautiful, whether vegetables like broccoli, summer squash, and cucumbers, or fruit like blueberries, peaches, and melons. Time to put away the hearty recipes of fall and winter, and start using seasonal fruits and vegetables. Stir fry, spring rolls, grilled or steamed veg, and kabobs serve as healthy main dishes. Follow-up with fruit bowls, strawberry shortcake, homemade sorbet, or fruit pie for delectable desserts. Yum!

Spring-to-summer produce at the Montclair Farmer's Market

June 3, 2026

Cooking with Mushrooms. For my latest cooking-with-mushrooms adventure, I sourced 6 ounces (170g) of fresh shiitake mushrooms from the grocery store, and used them to make a delicious stir fry. Main ingredients included chopped chicken, mushrooms, pea pods, shredded cabbage, grated carrot, udon noodles and a teriyaki-inspired stir-fry sauce, garnished with dry-roasted peanuts. The shiitake mushrooms added a bold, fresh, umami flavor to the dish. The mushrooms were cultivated by the Far West Fungi company in Moss Landing, CA.

Shiitake grow in groups on the decaying wood of deciduous trees. Its natural distribution includes warm, moist climates in Southeast Asia. Prior to this experience, I had cooked only with reconstituted dried shiitake mushrooms, which are also delicious.

 

Shiitake Mushrooms (Lentinula edodes)

June 6, 2026

Big Bear Sighting in Juneau.  My brother Dave was hiking out by Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau, Alaska recently, and encountered this big guy on the trail. Dave's account of the experience:

I was out walking in the mossy forest by the glacier and was almost back to my car when I saw something coming towards me on the trail ahead. It’s a big ol’ bear, and he's seen me too and stopped. Then he starts walking towards me again. I’m pretty sure we’ve seen him before and he's always been a good bear, and there were no bad vibes here, so I stepped out of the trail and stood next to bushes where he could easily see me. I stood there taking pictures and started talking. I told him what a handsome fellow he was, and that I would just stand here by the side of the trail and let him walk on by like the good bear he is. He paused a moment to check me out, but I kept encouraging him to walk on by and that’s what he did. Maybe 400 pounds?
Life is good!

Big Bear at Mendenhall Glacier (photo by Dave Harris)

June 9, 2026

OTHG Hike to Reinhardt Redwood Park. I joined Mari and Gaymond for the Over-the-Hills Gang hike through the redwoods, led by Anthony Fisher. We followed the Stream Trail along the creek, which still has quite a bit of water. Our group was pretty good sized, and we sauntered through the cool forest at a very comfortable pace. I was eager to learn more about Mari's recent trip to England and Scotland, and Gaymond's earlier trip to Greece. We were joined by fellow hiker and traveler, Lorie, who had recently sailed across the Atlantic Ocean, skirting the Sargasso Sea, and then visited Spain and England.

Hike in the redwoods

A favorite highlight of this trail is seeing the ladybugs (Hippodamia convergens) that congregate at a particular location along the trail about this time of year. This time we didn't see any ladybugs, although someone with a sense of humor had left several plastic ladybugs at the location. Anthony brought ginger and lemon flavored cookies for the half-way point in our hike, and someone else brought Girl Scout peanut butter sandwich cookies (Do-si-dos). We feasted!

Can you spot the plastic ladybug?

Mari, Gaymond and I finished our outing with lunch and good conversation at nearby Sparky's Giant Burgers. These hikes are so much fun, and the pace and company are excellent. Check the website to learn more about upcoming events at East Bay Parks.

June 12, 2026

Happy Birthday to my wonderful sister, Marianne! She is so much fun to be with, capable and accomplished, spirited and adventurous. We don't see each other very often, but it is such a pleasure when we do. Marianne works hard, loves her kids and grandkids, and deserves all good things. I'm looking forward to our next visit!

Picnic with my sister at Point Pinole a few years back!

June 15, 2026

Invasion of the Giant Puffballs. Bobo the Husky and I encountered several of these Giant Puffball on our morning walk (possibly Calvatia gigantea or Calvatia booniana). They were growing in the small redwood and oak grove by the upper reservoir. This one was about five inches across, but they can get much bigger (up to 19 1/2 inches, according to iNaturalist).

Giant Puffball

June 17, 2026

We Love Washing Windows. Bobo the Husky was temporarily displaced by a visit from a team of window washers. He was so interested in the whole process, and all the tools involved. Bobo volunteered to help (he pulled one of the sponges out of the soapy water), but got to relax and watch instead!

We Love Washing Windows

June 21, 2026 🌷

Happy summer solstice. Enjoy the longest day of the year and the official start of summer!

June 24, 2026

Prickly Neighbor. My brother Dave checks in periodically with photos and tales about his prickly neighbor. This porcupine forages on a spruce tree that is outside his home.

Porcupine in the spruce boughs (photo by Dave Harris)

June 27, 2026

Summer Read. The lazy days of summer are here, and a favorite pastime is reading on the patio. I'm currently reading The Nine Tailors by Dorothy L. Sayers. It was published in 1934 and still sparkles after over 90 years. The mystery series features Lord Peter Wimsey as the gentleman detective. I've been reading through the series over the past couple of years and thoroughly enjoy each case no matter what the season.

June 30, 2026 🌷🌞

Landscape Maintenance. Time for end-of-spring cleanup, and the kick off to summer activities. We've had so many beautiful flowers in the yard all month in all shades of pink, yellow, blue, red, orange, and white. There aren't as many weeds, thanks to diligent weeding whenever they pop up. Many of the grasses have gone to seed, so the garden has a slightly messy look, but lots of birds, squirrels, bees, butterflies, and other critters. Here are a few things we've worked on throughout the month:

☑Weed the garden paths and beds (ongoing task).

☑ Check the property for fire safety, in preparation for the City of Oakland's annual vegetation inspection. Trim branches that are close to the house, and clear the five-foot zone around the house, where needed. Note: I read through the literature supplied by the City, and I think we are in pretty good shape for the inspection. Thanks to the pruning we had done last October, we have no branches touching or hanging over the house. We have a lot of bark mulch on the property as ground cover, but learned that it is safe up to 12 inches thick (ours is 3-4 inches). One exception may be the small wood pile that is close to the house, so I might be asked to move that. Fire safety is very important in this part of the country. 

☑ Spruce up the main patio—remove cobwebs, wipe down the patio furniture, fluff up the cushions, clean up the brick surfaces, wash windows, and toss anything that is old, damaged, or no longer needed. Break out the Weber grill. Note: we had a window-washing service do a thorough cleaning of cobwebs (they had really gotten out of hand), and of the windows and screens. The patio is swept and the furniture clean and repaired (one of the Brown Jordan patio chairs had been damaged). We practically live on the patio this time of year, so it's great to give it a little tender loving care. Still need to get out the grill!

☑ Sweep debris from other surfaces throughout the yard. Note: I've gotten better at keeping up on this chore. Sometimes I'm tempted to purchase a small leaf blower to help with this task, but, honestly, I kind of enjoy the slow-living, meditative aspect of sweeping these surfaces.

☑Collect flowers and branches for spring/summer arrangements. Note: so many wonderful flower combinations for small bouquets!

Dye Project: Bolete with Ferrous Sulfate

For my third mushroom dyeing project, I again decided to use the Boletus edulis that had popped up under the oak tree in our yard after fall and winter rains, and to recycle another cotton dish towel from my stash. The dish towel had been mordanted with alum, and I planned to use ferrous sulfate (iron) as a mordant additive for this dye experiment.

A Boletus edulis under the oak tree

Greenish-yellow mushroom underside

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

Extract the Dye

For this project, I had previously extracted the mushroom dye, and divided it for three different projects (with the plan to use alum, titanium oxalate, and ferrous sulfate as three separate mordant additives). For information about extracting the dye, see Dye Project: Bolete with Alum, the "Extract the Dye" section. Note that a film of mold had started to grow on the surface of the dye liquid, but I just skimmed it off. The pH of the liquid still registered 3 (moderately acid).

Dye the Fabric

Dye the fabric with the mushroom dye liquid. For this experiment, I recycled a cotton dish towel that had been mordanted with alum and then dyed with the second extract of logwood with an iron mordant additive, which had produced a pale gray [see Dye Project: Logwood Exhaust 2 (Alum + Iron)]. I used the remaining third of the dye and added ferrous sulfate as a mordant additive.

Ferrous sulfate (or iron) is known for "saddening" or darkening the dye. It produces a deeper tonal range or gives a gray/brown cast to a color. More on ferrous sulfate.

Boletus dye pot with ferrous sulfate additive

Place the extracted mushroom dye in a dye pot and stir in a pinch (about 1/4 teaspoon) of ferrous sulfate as an additive. I tested the pH of the liquid, which still registered 3. 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 to reach the temperature). Squeeze out the wet towel, and place it in the dye. Simmer for one hour, maintaining the temperature at 185°. Add water periodically to keep the fabric covered with dye extract.

Steep the cotton fabric overnight

Turn off the heat and steep the fabric 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 pale gray when wet (although slightly darker than the original), but it dried to a lighter shade. The photo really doesn't capture the actual color. Once again 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 Logwood extract dye?

The resulting color is pale gray (although slightly darker)

In summary, these three experiments using Boletus mushrooms have been interesting. I can't really tell if any actual dyeing happened, or were the original colors simply changed or intensified by the mordant additives (alum, titanium oxalate, and ferrous sulfate). So far I have to concur with the literature that mushroom dyes do not work as well with cotton fiber as protein fiber. For future mushroom dyeing projects, I plan to use protein fibers (silk and wool), which are known to respond well to mushroom dyes and are typically color and light fast. For the previous Boletus projects see: Dye Project: Bolete with Alum and Dye Project: Bolete with Titanium Oxalate.

Summer Watch

Another trip around the sun and we're back and ready for summer! There is something very pleasing about the cyclical march of seasons through the year. Each season is unique across the four seasons, and decidedly unique from year to year.

Summer represents freedom to me, with its long days and warm, mild weather. Favorite past times include spending time outdoors, hiking (especially near the water), travelling, hanging out on the patio with my family, and exploring new things. It's also a great time to mix up the dinner menu, swapping out hearty meals for lighter fare with lots of fruits and vegetables and barbecue.

Birds are busy nesting this time of year, and stop for a quick bite

Join me in the garden to watch plants and critters go through their life cycles, and to count down to the summer solstice! 

The Rainbow Beneath My Feet

This year we're learning about mushrooms – in the garden, great outdoors, kitchen, and dye pot. This time our book is The Rainbow Beneath My Feet: A Mushroom Dyer's Field Guide, by Arleen Rainis Bessette and Alan E. Bessette, both mycologists and authors. The book was published by Syracuse University Press (2001), and is dedicated to Miriam C. Rice for her pioneering work using mushrooms for dyes, and to Susan Hopkins for her expertise in mycology and fabric dyeing. The stated objective of the book is to provide a comprehensive reference and field guide to some of the more common and best color-producing dye mushrooms of North America.

The first part of the book provides an introduction to the whole subject of dyeing with mushrooms. The parts of a mushroom are described and accompanied with a clear and comprehensive illustration by Sam Norris (shown below). It includes more details than previous drawings that I've seen, while remaining at the summary level. Information is provided for collecting and preserving mushrooms (dehydration is best), and creating a spore print. A summary of dyeing with mushrooms includes information about equipment, preparing fabric for dyeing, preparing the dye bath, and dyeing wool (silk is mentioned, but only in passing).

The bulk of the book describes how to identify mushrooms, using identification keys and an excellent color key to the major groups of dye mushrooms. The book focuses on the more common and best color-producing dye mushrooms of North America. Detailed descriptions and colored photos are provided for these mushrooms, as well as detailed mordant and dye notes. I was pleased to see the three mushrooms that I'm dyeing with this year described—Boletes edulis (King Bolete), Omphalotus olivascens (Western Jack O Lantern), and Phaeolus schweinitzii (Dyer's Polypore).

The back matter provides notes about color, a mushroom species dye color list, and a list of dye duds. A list of illustrations and and an index, as well as cross referencing between the mushroom descriptions and photos, makes it easy to navigate around the guide and find the information you want.

Parts of the Mushroom (illustration by Sam Norris, page 6)

This is another wonderful reference book for mushroom dyers. I appreciate that the book describes the best dye mushrooms found in the United States, including the West, Pacific Northwest, and Northern California, and even lists many that produce no dye color. The mushroom descriptions, color photos, and dye notes are so useful. I highly recommend this book as a resource for anyone wanting to learn more about dyeing with mushrooms.

Field Notes for May 2026

 Welcome back to Field Notes!

May 1, 2026

Great Piece of Turf. This garden detail in the front yard contains California Poppy, Lithodora, Strawberries, and Polypodium. The photo reminds me of the Great Piece of Turf watercolor, painted by German master, Albrecht Dürer, in 1503.

A Great Piece of Turf - Bay Area style

May 4, 2026

BBTN Garden Tour - Bayside. My Aunt Char and I had a great time on our first in-person Bringing Back the Natives garden tour. We visited five gardens—three close to the coast and two high up in the hills. We saw so many beautiful native plants, creative ideas for the landscape, and lots of wildlife. We also stopped in at Fat Apples for a slice of pie and tall glasses of water. For all the details see Bringing Back the Natives: 2026.

Aunt Char viewing the beautiful native plants

Learning about the Pink Flowering Currant from signage

May 6, 2026

Treasures for the Garden. While on the Bring Back the Natives garden tour, my aunt and I each received a complimentary packet containing shady California wildflower seeds (Farewell-to-Spring, Punchbowl Godetia, Mountain Garland, Baby-Blue Eyes, Five Spot, Chinese Houses, Grand Linanthus, and Bird's Eye Gila. The seeds are from Larner Seeds, across the Bay in nearby Bolinas, CA. 

Blue Eyed Grass (Sisyrinchium bellum)

In addition, I purchased a four-inch pot of Blue Eyed Grass to add to my collection. I just love their cheerful purple and yellow faces.

 

May 9, 2026

OTHG Hike to Fernandez Ranch. Mari and I recently joined the Over-the-Hills Gang hike at Fernandez Ranch, near Martinez, California. We missed Gaymond, who was on tour in Greece at the time! Fernandez Ranch is a historic 7,000-acre property that is part of the John Muir Land Trust.  Over 1,180 acres are open to the public, with multiple trails that wind through the diverse ecosystem, and connect to the 550-mile Bay Ridge Trail and the San Francisco Bay Trail. Hikers, bicyclists, and horses are welcome (as are well-behaved dogs—see the website for rules and requirements). Anthony Fisher led the hike.

Fernandez Ranch staging area

Map of Fernandez Ranch trails

The group met at the Fernandez Ranch parking lot, and followed sections of the Windmill, Woodrat, and Whipsnake trails. We stopped at several viewpoints for breathtaking views. The hills were still green from recent spring rains, and lots of wildflowers were in bloom. The day was overcast and a little chilly, which is ideal hiking weather in my opinion.

Heading out from the Fernandez Ranch staging area

The oaks have room to grow to their full potential

The trail winds through the oaks

One of the best things for me was seeing the magnificent oak trees, which have room to spread their limbs to astonishing proportions. They grow individually and in small communities. We saw several snags, but even they support life and habitat as they slowly decompose over the years. I'm so glad for this preserved land where nature has room operate.

Cookie break with a view at the half-way point

Intrepid hikers at Fernandez Ranch

At the end of the hike, a BurnBot machine was working near the staging area. It is a remote control machine for laying down a suppressing fire line, without endangering crew or sparking an unintended fire. The idea captured my imagination, and makes me want to learn more. Mari and I topped off the hike by celebrating Cinco de Mayo at La Primavera Restaurant in nearby Martinez.

May 11, 2026

Flora and Fauna at Fernandez Ranch. We saw so many wildflowers on our OTHG hike at Fernandez ranch, including the Mount Diablo Sunflower. This perennial herbaceous plant is native only to the San Francisco Bay Area and is primarily found in and around Mount Diablo State Park. It blooms from April to June. We also saw a surprising number of mushrooms, probably due to recent spring rains.

Mount Diablo Sunflower (Helianthella castanea)

Possibly Dog Vomit Slime Mold (Fuligo leviderma) – eww!

May 15, 2026

BurnBot at Fernandez Ranch. After seeing the BurnBot machine in action at Fernandez Ranch, I had to learn more. BurnBot is a California-based startup company that is developing robotic, remote controlled wildfire prevention technology, dubbed the "Roomba for the forest". The machine scorches the earth with fire from below in the front part of the machine, and puts out the fire from the back as it moves forward. Since the machine is remote controlled, it can be sent into dangerous situations without endangering people. The machine has been tested and deployed in California and Oregon to create fire fuel breaks. The John Muir Land Trust has been testing it for controlled burns as a fire management tool.

BurnBot machine
(photo from the BurnBot media collection)

Fireline laid down by the BurnBot machine
(photo from the BurnBot media collection)

My dad would have loved hearing about this machine. He was a retired forestry researcher and always interested in trees, plants, critters, ecology, and machinery.

May 18, 2026

Cooking with Mushrooms. For this month's cooking-with-mushrooms experience, I purchased .5 ounces (14g) of dehydrated Chanterelle mushrooms from the grocery store, and used them to make pizza! I reconstituted the mushrooms in water, sauteed them with leeks, and then topped the pizza dough with the mushroom mixture, and grated mozzarella and parmesan cheese. The pizza was delicious!

Chanterelle is the common name of several species of mushrooms in the Cantharellales order. These fungi are orange, yellow or white, meaty and funnel-shaped, with rounded, forked folds that run almost all the way down the stipe, which tapers down from the cap. These Chanterelles were cultivated in France and distributed by Melissa's Produce (according to the website, one ounce of reconstituted dried mushrooms equals four ounces of fresh mushrooms).

Chanterelle Mushrooms (Cantharellus spp.)

May 20, 2026

Dividing Heucheras. Over the past year I've been learning about Heucheras and how to care for them. They thrive in our landscape, but the leaves need to be thinned out periodically for better air flow, or they develop leaf fungus or rust. Additionally, as new sections grow, radiating out from the root, the plant becomes very gangly. Every two to five years the plant itself needs to be thinned. To do so, dig up the plant and separate the sections. Check for rootlets at the base of each section, and pot in potting soil. Once well rooted, transplant the healthiest sections back into the garden. That's the idea anyway. Wish me luck!

Heuchera maxima with leaves thinned, and sections (yellow lines)
radiating from the root (yellow circle)

May 24, 2026

OTHG Hike to Inspiration Point. I joined the latest Over-the-Hills Gang hike to Tilden Inspiration Point, a new hike for me. Inspiration Point is part of Tilden Regional Park, but on the Orinda side closer to the San Pablo Reservoir. Anthony Fisher lead the hike. Gaymond was just returning from Greece, and Mari was just leaving for England and Scotland, so I went solo.     

Tilden Inspiration Point

You are Here

The group met at the Inspiration Point parking lot and followed the Nimitz Way trail heading Northwest. The hills were still green from recent spring rains. We saw lots of wildflowers and interesting plants, and stopped for panoramic views of San Pablo Bay, the San Pablo Reservoir, and Mount Diablo.

Heading out on the Nimitz Way trail

San Pablo Reservoir

We had a great group of hikers as usual. The trail is paved and wide, with a 500 foot elevation rise, and we took it at our usual pace, with lots of time for conversation, observing nature and soaking in the views. Dogs are allowed on leash, and this would be a great trail for Bobo the Husky (not too busy, a good wide trail, and lots of places to sniff).

Cookie break at the half-way point

View of the San Pablo Bay

View of Mount Diablo in the distance

I love seeing the rolling, undeveloped hills, populated with native plants, birds, and critters. Of course we need places to live and work, but we also need wild places to visit. Nature is so restorative and seeing glimpses of the California of old is so inspiring. Check the East Bay Regional Park District website to learn more about upcoming events, and join a wonderful group of 55+ hikers (bring a friend or come solo like I did).

May 28, 2026

Flora and Fauna at Inspiration Point. We always see interesting plants, trees, fungus, birds, and other wildlife while on our Over-the-Hills Gang hikes. Our group leader, Anthony Fisher, is so good at finding specimens and identifying them (with both scientific and common names). Here are a few snapshots.

Spotted Tussock Moth caterpillar (Lophocampa maculata)

Paper wasp nest, just off the trail

Pink flowering currant (Ribes sanguineum)

May 31, 2026 🌷

Landscape Maintenance. Spring cleanup is coming to an end, and I'm momentarily caught up on my weeding (that is a precarious statement)! May has continued to be cool, with several unexpected rain storms passing through the Bay Area area in the night, and several short warm spells that got everyone outside to enjoy it. California native wild flowers are continuing to bloom. The days are getting longer, and summer is just around the corner! Here are a few maintenance tasks for May.

🗹 Weed the garden paths and beds (ongoing task). Note: I've removed "all" the weeds from the lower yard and the raised bed (this was quite a feat). With the periodic rain we've been receiving, I must stay diligent and remove weeds as soon as they pop up.

🗹 Verify that the irrigation system is running correctly, and fix any leaks or blockages. Note: I'm postponing this task, since we're still getting rain in May. In the meantime, I'm studying the irrigation plan from our landscapers, so I will be able to trace each line and evaluate.

🗹 Clean up the stone path from the street to the house. Trim back vegetation and ground covers. Note: I'm keeping the stone path clear of little weeds that pop up in the chinking, but am postponing the task of cutting back the grasses until after the seeds are ripe and the birds have feasted.

🗹 Clean up the heuchera leaves as needed to ensure light and free flow of air.  Note: fresh, healthy leaves are coming back after last month's hard prune.

🗹 Collect flowers and branches for spring arrangements. Note: we have so many lovely flowers in the garden at this time of year in shades of yellow, orange, pink, blue, and purple. They make wonderful arrangements.

Additional tasks include staking up the gangly California Bush Anemone shrub using bamboo stakes; and planting the Blue Eyed Grass starter from the Bringing Back the Natives tour earlier in the month..