Ethnobotany and Dyeing with Plants: Wrap Up

For this year's "Ethnobotany" theme, I delved into the plants that indigenous people groups use for dyeing fabric. To narrow the scope, I decided to focus on three specific people groups—Tlingit and Chimmesyan/Tsimshian (Alaska coast and Canada interior), Ohlone/Costanoan (Northern California), and Polynesian/Pacific Islander (Hawaii); and to carry out my research at the survey level rather than the detailed level.

I quickly realized that I had to expand my vision from dyeing fabric with plants, to dyeing and decorating fabric, baskets, and other objects. I also realized that previously my perspective has been on the plant explorers who were learning about dye plants, rather than on the people who were already using them! I thoroughly enjoyed the research and learned so much!

A year full of life!

Ethnobotany

The Learn More sections provide links to additional information, YouTube videos, and other resources.

Ethnobotany and Dyeing With Plants

Ethnobotany: Tlingit's and Dyeing with Plants

Ethnobotany: Muwekma Ohlone Basketry

Ethnobotany: Kanaka Maoli Kapa

Outings in Alaska

I spent six weeks in Alaska with my parents, brother, and a few childhood friends, and enjoyed the beautiful "Great Land". My sister and Aunt Char also travelled to Alaska to visit this beautiful place. Some topics appear in Field Notes. 

Death with Dessert, Mendenhall Glacier, and the Boy Scout Trail (Field Notes for April 2025)

Spring in Southeast Alaska

Audubon Cruise in Southeast Alaska

Jazz and Classics, Toads and Bears, Hikes and Drives, Jensen-Olson Garden, Capital Killers, and TrollFest (Field Notes for May 2025)

Fond Memories of Alaska

More Fond Memories of Alaska

Mom and Marianne at the Glacier and Eagle Beach, and More Family Outings in Juneau (Field Notes for August 2025)

Mom and Aunt Char with Dave at The Hangar (Field Notes for September 2025)

Outings Closer to Home

Visited some diverse gardens here in the Bay Area, and pitched in to help out at the food bank.

Mountain View Cemetery

The Gardens at Lake Merritt (Field Notes for July 2025)

Salesforce Rooftop Garden

Alameda County Community Food Bank

Landscaping

Celebrated our new landscape, learned more about its plants, developed a maintenance schedule, and enjoyed the pollinators and birds that visit the space. 

Great Backyard Bird Count 2025

Bringing Back the Natives 2025

Bird Buddy

Mushrooms (Field Notes for January 2025)

Landscaping: One Year Report

Salamander, Heucheras, and California Poppies (Field Notes for April 2025)

Flowers, Weeding, and Birds (Field Notes for June 2025)

Shadow Play

Cicadas and More Weeding (Field Notes for July 2025)

Summer Flowers (Field Notes for August 2025)

🌷Spring Watch  🌞Summer Watch  🍂Fall Watch  ⛅Winter Watch

Hikes with OTHG (and good places for lunch)

Mari, Gaymond and I explored regional parks all over the Bay Area with the Over-the-Hills-Gang (including cookies at the half-way point—especially the crispy ginger and lemon cookies—but we're not too picky)! The only thing better than hiking with friends, is following it up with lunch and good conversation. Whenever possible, Mari, Gaymond and I tried to find a good place for lunch after our hike. 

Reinhardt Redwood Regional Park (Sparky's Giant Burgers)

Point Pinole Regional Shoreline (Richmond Kebab and Gyros)

Wildcat Regional Park

Briones Regional Park

Ted and Radke Martinez Regional Shoreline Park (Slow Hand BBQ)

Sobrante Ridge Botanical Regional Preserve (The Noodle House)

Contra Loma Regional Park

Sibley Volcanic Regional Preserve (Taqueria Las Compadres)

Knox Miller Regional Shore

Huckleberry Botanical Regional Preserve (TGI Oni Sushi)

Marina Bay Richmond

Pinole Shores (Yo Sushi)

Dotson Family Marsh Richmond (Modu Hawaiian BBQ)

Carquinez Strait (Crocket Cocina)

MLK Shoreline (Dragon Rouge Bistro Alameda)

Tilden Park (potluck)

Road Trip to Mesa Verde

My husband and I always enjoy a good road trip. This time we travelled to Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado.

Not Quite the North Rim

Mesa Verde National Park

Kicks on Route 66

Field Notes 2025

Continued reporting observations and experiences throughout the month. Most entries are about gardens, plants, and nature, but some are about all the life that happens around that.

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

Plant Hunters

On a quest to learn more about plant hunters in the Americas, this time in the Western United States.

Edith Van Allen Murphy (California and the Great Basin)

Isabella Aiona Abbott (Hawaii)

Movies

Went to the movies to learn about embroidery (to enhance our understanding of dyeing with plants) and got some ideas for keeping a dye journal for our projects.

Through the Eye of a Needle: Stories from An Indian Desert

Keeping A Dye Journal

Books

Read a few good books to learn more about plant hunters and historical gardening.

Imaginative Small Gardens

Indian Uses of Native Plants

Plants of Old Hawaii

Traditional Hawaiian Uses of Plants

More Fond Memories of Alaska

I have a few more wonderful memories from my recent trip to Juneau, Alaska, this time in the realm of flora and fauna. To start, it was such a thrill to watch a black bear forage for greens on the side of the road. He was probably fresh from hibernation and very hungry (dandelions seemed to be his favorite). 

Black bear out near Eagle River area

It was also fascinating to see the engineering work of the beavers near Mendenhall Glacier. The beavers dam a waterway, which floods the land and creates a pond and a new home for the beaver family. The dead trees are a little unsightly, but they are used by the beavers and help create an ecosystem for other critters. Nothing goes to waste. 

Beaver dam near Mendenhall Glacier

Birds are abundant in Southeast Alaska (a good pair of binoculars should always be in the car or the back pack). I reported on the birds we spotted on the Audubon cruise. Here are a few more avian species that I saw while out and about (the quality isn't great, so I'm obviously challenged when photographing birds with my cell phone)!

An unkindness of ravens near the landfill

Clockwise from top left: Red-breasted sapsucker, eagle in the tree top, eagle in flight, and a single raven on an old snag

Trees are abundant in Southeast Alaska, and especially green and lush in the Juneau area due to so much rain. My dad worked for the U.S. Forest Service as a research scientist, specializing in Sitka spruce and other native trees. Our family hikes were filled with interesting information about trees, shrubs, and the ecosystems that supported them. Dad's enthusiasm was contagious, and I credit my interest in plants to those family hikes.

Spruce tree on one of the islands in the wetlands

My brother Dave also shared interesting information about plants, wildlife, and the terrain as we hiked and roamed during my visit. In addition, my childhood friend Ulla showed me some of the trees that were dislodged, when the Mendenhall River flooded with water that had built up behind Mendenhall Glacier (a jökulhlaup).

Emerging spruce tips (bright green) and cones (red)

Trees dislodged by a jökulhlaup

The flowers were emerging very slowly during my six-week visit, probably due to the long cool spring. Luckily the hardy dandelions were everywhere, just in time for hungry bears and deer. I know from my trip last year (June-September 2024) that many more native and exotic plants will bloom this summer: Alaskan roses, astilbe, buttercup, fireweed, forget-me-not, foxglove, garden loosestrife, iris, ladies' mantle, orange hawkweed, peonies, Shasta daisy, thistle, and more!

Clockwise from top left: salmonberry blossom, shooting stars, lupines, and dandelions

Finally, I'm always on the lookout for interesting moss, lichen and algae! I was not disappointed. I found specimens near the glacier, on the beach, in the forest, on the wetlands, and in my parent's yard. I collected a few samples that might be good candidates for dye sources, with the right mordants, additives, and fixatives.

Clockwise from top left: lichens on a rock outcrop, detail of a lichen, algae, a colony of algae, lichen on the ground, lichen hanging from a tree

That wraps it up. I really enjoyed spending six weeks in Alaska with family and friends, watching spring unfold, and enjoying community life. I love the grand and small beauty, and love all the rain. It's also good to be back in my home and garden, with family and friends and our garden!

Fond Memories of Alaska

I've been home for about a month now, after my six-week trip to Alaska to visit my mom, dad, and brother. It's always nice to get back to your own home and garden, but I have so many wonderful memories of my time in Juneau, Alaska. I enjoyed being in nature, watching the slow spring emerge, spending time with my family, participating in activities, enjoying the spirit of the place, and renewing childhood friendships. Here are a few shots from my visit.

Chilkat Mountain Range

I'm continually captivated by the Chilkat Mountain Range, which is visible from my folks' front porch, from Douglas Island, out the road, and from the sea. The mountain range seemed especially big and grand and magical this year, possibly because the tops were still snow covered. The mountains are almost shape shifters, changing their appearance when seen from different vantage points and in different weather conditions.

Chilkat Range from Caroline's Point

Chilkat Range from Sunshine Cove

It is always a treat to hang out with Alaskans. They are a can-do, hardy lot, and passionate about the outdoors. If the sun comes out, they drop everything to get out in it. (And really, if it's raining they are probably out in it anyway and enjoying themselves)! I had so many wonderful outings with my brother and mom, and enjoyed reconnecting with several childhood chums. 

Hiking on the wetlands with brother Dave

Hiking and birding with Ulla and friends

Photographing lichen with Dave

Childhood chum, Ulla, and I holding the cakes

Alaskans also appreciate the arts and culture, and support both outside and local talent. During the visit, we took in events at the Jazz and Classics Festival, TrollFest, Mother's Day at the Jensen-Olson Arboretum, a couple of True Crime talks by local reporters, piano performances at the Pioneer Home, and an Audubon cruise. These events are often followed by a meal at a favorite restaurant, with lots of conversation and opinions.

Tom Locher on piano at the Jensen-Olson Arboretum

Bear claw - indigenous art on native land

TJ on Piano is a big hit at the Pioneer Home

It was also a treat to be back in my childhood home, which Mom and Dad built over the years as the family grew and we needed more room. The house is snug and comfortable, and filled with wonderful history, memories, and craftsmanship.

My childhood home (with spring grass just starting to grow)

Dad has the best workshop

The view from my old room

Finally, there is that view of the Chilkat Mountain Range from my folks' place. The view changes continually with the weather, the seasons, and the time of day, so it never gets old.

View of the Chilkats

Sabbatical, Seasons, and Seasons of Life: Wrap Up

For this year's "Sabbatical, Seasons, and Seasons of Life" theme, we pushed the pause button on everyday life. Time to slow down, consider what is important, keep what works, and move on from what doesn't. In May, I entered a new season of life when I accepted early retirement from a career that I loved.

Family members in Juneau, Alaska were facing their own new seasons of life, so I spent most of May through September in Alaska. It was a time of some hard changes, and we faced them together. I missed my family, home and garden back in the San Francisco Bay Area. However, I was grateful to have the time that retirement provides to pitch in, to spend time with my family in Alaska, and to immerse myself in the beautiful place where I was born and raised. Incidentally, I found the transition to retirement easy and liberating (obviously it was time for a new season of life)! 

Retirement and new frontiers!

 Seasons and Seasons of Life

I launched into a new season of life as a retired person, and am loving it! More time to enjoy life and the beauty of the everyday.

Sabbatical, Seasons, and Seasons of Life

A New Season of Life

Counting Birds for the GBBC

Bringing Back the Natives

Bird Buddy

Shadow Play

🌷Spring Watch   🌞Summer Watch   🍂Fall Watch   ⛅Winter Watch

Outings in Alaska

I spent four months in Alaska with my parents, aunt, siblings, and a few childhood friends; and enjoyed the beautiful "Great Land" in the process.

Mendenhall Glacier and More

North Douglas, the Chilkats, and More

Summer in Alaska

Blue Ice

Summer Outing

Cruise Ship Spotting

Three Seasons of Sunsets in Juneau Alaska

Fall Outing

Remembering Three Seasons in Alaska

Landscaping

We completed a major landscaping project at our home in the Bay Area using a local company that specializes in native and sustainable gardens, and then delved into learning about the plants.

Site Visit (2022)

Site Survey (2023)

The Plan

Demolition

Progress (see Field Notes for March)

Finished

Six Month Report

Moonlight in the Garden

Some Favorite Plants

More Favorite Plants

Even More Favorite Plants

Field Notes

We experimented with a new format to report observations and experiences throughout the month.

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

Plants to Dye For: Wrap Up 2024

I managed to get in a couple of solar dyeing projects!

Dye Project: Poinsettia Bracts (solar)

Dye Project: Chokecherry (solar)

Plant Hunters

On a quest to learn more about plant hunters in the Americas.

Alexander von Humboldt

Dr. Elzada Clover

Dr. Lois Jotter Cutter

Movies

We learned more about weaving (to enhance our understanding of dyeing with plants) and enjoyed some entertaining shows (that had nothing to do with plants or plant movie stars).

Wisdom of the Loom

Garage Sale Mysteries

Books

We read a few good books to learn more about historical gardening, and plant hunters.

The Complete Book of Garden Magic

Alexander von Humboldt and the Botanical Exploration of the Americas

Brave the Wild River

Roaring Twenties: Wrap Up

For this year's "The Roaring Twenties" theme, we celebrated the partial return to "normalcy" (if that even exists) and all the good things of life. COVID is still a reality, but the consequences aren't as dire as they were in early days, when we were figuring out how to survive a pandemic (with lots of opposing opinions). It was a pleasure to expand my horizons, range, and scope this year. I've traveled more, visited more gardens, and enjoyed the company of more people. I've also appreciated the simple pleasures of observing nature, dyeing with plants, and learning more about our beautiful world. Definitely cause for celebration in this century's "Roaring Twenties".

 

Adventures in Alaska, Nevada, Utah, and California in the roaring twenties!

Celebrating Gardens and Landscapes

Cause for celebration - we're finally getting back into the habit of visiting beautiful gardens and enjoying nature in more than just the back yard.

Mountain View Cemetery

Chilly Walk on the Iron Horse Trail

Jensen-Olson Arboretum

Summer Heat at Filoli

Bringing Back the Natives: 2023

Landscaping: Site Survey

Celebrating a Return to Travel

More cause for celebration - a trip to Alaska and an 1800-mile road trip to Dinosaur National Monument.

Alaska - the Last Frontier

Dinosaur National Monument

Nevada to the Great Salt Lake

Treasures in Tahoe

Celebrating Birds and Lichen

Wherever we go, nature provides something interesting to watch or learn.

Counting Birds

Finches (video)

New Hummingbird Feeder

Portraits in Lichen

More Portraits in Lichen

Alaskan Portraits in Lichen

Celebrating the Everyday

Find beauty in the everyday.

An Atmospheric River Runs Through It

Shadow Play

Summer Evenings

Fall Light

Dyeing with Plants (a celebration of blue)

Birthday Flowers

Celebrate friends and family with birthday flowers!

January - Carnation

February - Violets

March - Daffodils

April - Sweet Peas

May - Lily of the Valley

June - Roses

July - Water Lily

August - Poppy

September - Aster

October - Cosmos

November - Chrysanthemum

December - Holly

Plant Hunters

On a quest to learn more about plant hunters in the Western United States - then and now!

David Douglas

Lester Rowntree

Amy Patten

Movies

We traveled to exotic places via documentaries and learned more about dyeing with plants.

A World of Indigo

In Search of Lost Colors

Books

We used a few good reference books to learn more about flowers, plants, and gardening. The internet provides similar information, but sometimes you just want to curl up with a good book!

The Color Dictionary of Flowers & Plants

No Fail Flower Garden

Illustrated Encyclopedia of Perennials 

Visit to Mendocino

My husband and I recently took a four-day, socially-distanced trip to Mendocino. We rented a cabin (where the state's COVID-19 guidelines are strictly enforced), ate only in outdoor restaurants that complied with state mandates, and spent most of our time in the great outdoors. We were armed with warm clothes, a collection of face masks and multiple bottles of hand sanitizer.

Highway 128

The Andiron near Mendocino

From the San Francisco Bay Area, we followed the winding path of Highway 128 through oak forest and then majestic redwoods to the coast. We shared the road with only a handful of cars (one of the perks of the pandemic), and then checked into the Andiron Seaside Inn and Cabins (located about four miles from Mendocino). Our cabin (named "Curious") was filled with science-based games and activities, two telescopes, and binoculars. We ate a delicious dinner at the Trillium Cafe (in the garden, under a tent decorated with white lights, warmed by propane heaters, and socially distanced from other diners).

Contactless check in at The Andiron

Trillium Cafe for dinner in the garden

Mendocino is a charming Victorian era town of about 1,000 people (in its logging heydey, it boasted 20,000 inhabitants). The architecture is lovely, as is its situation on the Mendocino headlands, overlooking the ocean. A short walk across the headlands to the cliff-edge yields beautiful views of the rugged coastline. We found excellent menus at Flow Restaurant and Good Life Cafe & Bakery, and enjoyed watching wildlife in the evening, followed by fires in the wood stove, and episodes of Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries.

Mendocino on the headlands

Mendocino coast line

View of the ocean

Curious (the cabin)

Russian Gulch State Park is just up the road, north of Mendocino. We snapped pictures of the Russian Gulch bridge glowing in late afternoon sun from the lower parking lot, then again from the Headlands Trail. The winter light intensifies the yellow sediment of the cliffs and illuminates the dense vegetation that covers the headlands. The crashing of the waves and turning of the tide is so therapeutic.

Russian Gulch Bridge

The caves at Russian Gulch State Park

Dramatic skies at Russian Gulch

One day we ate a late lunch in Fort Bragg (a bustling city of about 7,000 people) at Silver's at the Wharf with the sun on our backs, and then headed for the Point Cabrillo Light Station. We saw the charming lighthouse and more of the coastline, with everything bathed in that golden, late afternoon light. The tide surged into the fjords that cut into the coast, and birds and sea lions foraged for food. 

Lunch in Fort Bragg

Fjord at Point Cabrillo

Light station at Point Cabrillo

Rugged coastline (definite need for a lighthouse)

Golden sunset

We spent our last afternoon exploring Mendocino, and visiting the shops (I felt a serious obligation to stimulate the local economy)! Shopping has changed - hand sanitizer at the door, 20-minute stays in the store, limited number of shoppers at any one time. The Mendocino Presbyterian church on Main street was constructed of redwood and dedicated in 1868, and now operates a food pantry and conducts online services. Multiple water towers are scattered throughout the town. Shops are tucked into Victorian buildings that are well maintained and all painted up. We enjoyed a hot toddy and corn dog at Patterson's Pub.

Mendocino Presbyterian Church

One of the water towers in Mendocino

Bead shop along the wooden boardwalk

View from Flow Restaurant waiting for to-go order

Back at the Andiron, watching the deer graze at dusk

We returned home via Highway 128 feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. Even with all the restrictions and precautions, we had a great time exploring the beautiful Northern California coast!

Nature therapy

Winter Travels

My husband and I recently took a quick trip south to visit long-time friends from years ago, when we lived in Southern California. We traveled over the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday during a break in the winter rains that swept through Northern and Southern California in January. Fall is our favorite time to travel, with fewer crowds and crisp, beautiful days. But, traveling in  winter also has its benefits and pleasures (except for the threat of snow)!

At the base of the Grapevine

We left the San Francisco Bay Area early on Friday afternoon, and headed south listening to The Sins of the Fathers (part of the gritty Matthew Scudder series, written by Lawrence Block). We enjoyed the wide vistas along Interstate 5 and monitored a weather app for signs of snow on the Grapevine. We spent the first night at Days Inn at the base of the Grapevine near Lebec.

Distant hills through a frame of leafless trees

Pastoral scene

The next day the golden hills and bare branches were beautiful. There was a dusting of snow on the mountain tops, but the freeway over the Grapevine was clear and dry. We ate breakfast and spent a little time exploring the "new" outlet mall and eating places of Tejon Ranch, then crossed over the Grapevine into the sprawling LA basin and heavy traffic.

Snow on the hills of the Grapevine

Chinatown

Decorations for the Lunar New Year and Spring Festival

We checked into our hotel in Tustin, and then enjoyed a wonderful family-style dinner with our friends and their extended family, with lots of conversation to catch up on each other's lives. On Sunday our group made an excursion to Chinatown to feast on Dim Sum at Ocean Seafood, and purchase decorations for the Lunar New Year (Year of the Rat). On the way home, we stopped at Portos Bakery in Buena Park for coffee and Cuban pastries (sweet and savory). We drove by our old home in Garden Grove, where we spent many happy years living in a roomy, ranch-style house, complete with an apricot tree, a Japanese-inspired garden, and fantastic soil that could grow anything.

Shopping in LA's Chinatown

Porto's Bakery in Buena Park

Our old home in Garden Grove

On Monday, my husband and I said our goodbyes and headed north. We stopped in San Marino for a quick tour of The Huntington library and several of its gardens. We only stayed a couple of hours (you could spend days), but we each felt satisfied with our time in the beautiful surroundings. We spent the night in Lebec again, and enjoyed our view of the mountains, and the black cows standing in contrast against the golden fields and foggy hills.

The Fern House at The Huntington

Vines in Winter

The weather was cold on our final day of driving, but we were snug in our car enjoying the audio book, Eight Million Ways to Die, another Matthew Scudder story. It was interesting to see the farms and ranches along Interstate 5, with many almond orchards alongside fallow land from the drought a few years back (see Living with Drought). We stopped for an early supper and a quick stretch at Pea Soup Andersen's. By the time we arrived in the San Francisco Bay Area, clouds had moved in and a heavy rain had started. We were happy to return to our cozy home, and glad that we didn't have to worry about driving in snow over the Grapevine!

Beautiful hills of the Tejon Ranch

A quick bite at Pea Soup Andersen's