Dicentra formosa

Dicentra formosa (Native Bleeding Heart)

Dicentra formosa is a perennial forest plant native to the Northwest Coast, from the Pacific Ocean to the Cascade Mountains in Washington & Oregon.  It is one of our most beautiful native plants.  The flowers are usually a pale pink, but darker individuals, like the one shown in this photo, can be found. In time, one plant will spread widely by its creeping rootstock & also by seed.  Over several years it may fill up a shaded area.  Dicentra formosa does not grow well in full sun, but will take some partly sunny locations.  This is primarily a plant of the forest floor with moderate water needs in summer.  The leaves have a pleasing, fern-like appearance.  They die to the ground in winter.  Dicentra formosa pairs nicely with Oxalis oregana, a native forest groundcover.  Find them in the native plant section of most nurseries in the Seattle area.

Pinnacle Lake Trail

Bear Lake on the Pinnacle Lake Trail September 2012 

Oplopanax horridus (Devil's Club) & Tsuga heterophylla (Western Hemlock) Pinnacle Lake Trail September 2012 

Cladothamnus pyroliflorus (Copperbush) Pinnacle Lake Trail September 2012 

Mountain tarn on the Pinnacle Lake Trail September 2012  

Pinnacle Lake September 2012

Click here to see more photos of the Pinnacle Lake Trail.

The Pinnacle Lake Trail takes you through a beautiful forest to the subalpine zone near Mount Pilchuck on the Mountain Loop Highway in Snohomish County.  The flora & terrain are both very interesting here.  It is mucky & grassy in the subalpine zone.  This is quite a contrast to the nearby Ashland Lake Trail, which ends in a wet environment filled with trees & bog plants.  The difference must be that Pinnacle Lake is 800 feet higher in elevation.  The trail was in poor condition in September 2012.  It was rocky & filled with the roots of huge trees.  It is also steep.  Pinnacle Lake itself is fairly small & not exceptionally beautiful.  The smaller tarn, in the same narrow cleft that contains Pinnacle Lake, is much more charming.  Bear Lake, near the start of the trail, is also pleasing.  The trail starts at 2,700 feet in elevation & climbs to 3,800 feet (1,158 meters).  It is 3.8 miles round trip.  

Kelcema Lake Trail

Kelcema Lake Trail in August 2013

Cornus canadensis (Bunchberry) in August 2013

Kelcema Lake Trail in August 2013

Kelcema Lake Trail in August 2013

Kelcema Lake in August 2013

Click here for more photos of the Kelcema Lake Trail.

The Kelcema Lake Trail is a short trail through sub-alpine forest off the Mountain Loop Highway in Snohomish County.  While the trail & lake are pretty enough, there are many more interesting & beautiful hikes in the immediate area.  Because you can drive on the forest service road to very nearly the level of the lake, this is an easy (1.2 mile round trip) walk for those not interested in, or able to do, a more strenuous hike.  Most of the short hikes off the Mountain Loop Highway are at lower elevations.

Big Four Ice Caves Trail

Big Four Ice Caves Trail August 2012

Crossing the South Fork Stillaguamish River on the Big Four Ice Caves Trail August 2012

Avalanche area along the Big Four Ice Caves Trail August 2012

Big Four Ice Caves August 2012

 Epilobium angustifolium (Fireweed) Big Four Ice Caves Trail August 2012

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The Big Four Ice Caves Trail is the Disneyland attraction of the Mountain Loop Highway.  There is a huge parking lot & a wide, smooth, handicapped-accessible trail.  Views of the surrounding mountains are spectacular.  The trail does not lead directly to the ice caves, but to a scenic overlook.  The ice caves are dangerous.  People have been injured, trapped inside the caves & even killed by falling ice.  Nevertheless, you will see many people walking inside & on top of the caves.  The caves generally form in the ice field at the foot of Big Four Mountain & remain visible until August.  According to local legend, Big Four Mountain was named after 4 husky brothers who lived in a cabin at the foot of the mountain. The trail starts at 1,700 feet in elevation & climbs gently to 1,900 feet (579 meters).  The hike is 2.2 miles round trip.

Boardman Lake Trail

Boardman Lake Trail August 2012 

Lake Evan on the Boardman Lake Trail August 2012 

 

Fungus on the Boardman Lake Trail August 2012 

Boardman Lake August 2012 

Boardman Lake August 2012

Click here for more photos of the Boardman Lake Trail.

The Boardman Lake Trail is a pleasant & easy hike in the Cascade Mountains of Washington along the Mountain Loop Highway.  The way is densely forested.  There are 2 lakes here. First comes Lake Evan, then Boardman Lake.  I wouldn't say this is the most spectacular hike in the area.  But the trail is only 2 miles round trip & 200 feet in elevation gain.  In August, there were lots of ripe huckleberries around Boardman Lake.  It was pretty there.  At the highest point, the trail reaches 3,000 feet (914 meters) in elevation.

Ashland Lakes Trail

Beaver Plant Lake, Ashland Lakes Trail August 2012

Spiraea douglasii (Hardhack) Ashland Lakes Trail August 2012

Lysichiton americanum (Skunk Cabbage) Ashland Lakes Trail August 2012

Upper Ashland Lake August 2012

Upper Ashland Lake August 2012

Click here for more photos of the Ashland Lakes Trail.

The Ashland Lakes Trail is a very pleasant & fairly easy hike in the Mt Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest on the Mountain Loop Highway in Snohomish County, Washington.  The flora here is different from that on other hikes in the area, because it is very boggy.  At least, I could see that it was very boggy at other times of the year.  In August 2012, it was fairly dry.  The boardwalks (then being repaired) that circled Upper Ashland Lake seemed pointless.  I think I would rather have gone earlier in the summer when the water was more abundant.  Nevertheless, Upper Ashland Lake was lovely & Beaver Plant Lake was more beautiful still.  There was plenty of Spaghnum (Peat Moss) & Lysichiton americanum (Skunk Cabbage) both evidence of a swampy environment.  The Mount Pilchuck Natural Resource Conservation Area is one of the wettest places in Washington, with between 100 and 180 inches of annual precipitation, about the same as the Hoh Rain Forest.  The trail begins at 2,200 feet in elevation & climbs to 3,000 feet.  It is 5.5 miles round trip.

Mount Pilchuck Trail

Mount Rainier from the Mount Pilchuck Trail August 2012

Mount Baker from the Mount Pilchuck Trail August 2012

Mount Pilchuck August 2012

Phyllodoce empetriformis (Pink Mountain-Heather) Mount Pilchuck Trail August 2012

 Mount Pilchuck Fire Lookout August 2012

Click here for more photos of the Mount Pilchuck Trail.

The Mount Pilchuck Trail offers interesting terrain & sweeping vistas.  There are great slabs of granite resting on the slopes of the mountain like so many toppled dominoes.  The flora is not particularly exciting.  I found this trail to be fairly difficult: steep, crowded with hikers & strewn with sharp rocks.  There was snow on parts of the trail in August.  I slipped & fell on my back.  However, there were people of every age & description on the trail.  I was utterly amazed to see one man hiking barefoot.  At the very top of the mountain, you must climb over large boulders (& around the people climbing down) to get to the old fire lookout.  You can see forever from up there.  I'm not sorry I did this hike.  But I don't ever want to do it again.  The trail starts at 3,100 feet in elevation & climbs to the summit at 5,324 feet (1,623 meters).  It is 5.4 miles round trip.  The road to the trail head can be found off the Mountain Loop Highway in Snohomish County, Washington.

Heather Lake Trail

Heather Lake July 2012 

Avalanche at Heather Lake July 2012

Pedicularis groenlandica (Elephant's Head) at Heather Lake July 2012

Heather Lake July 2012

Lilium columbianum (Tiger Lily) at Heather Lake July 2012

Click here to see more photos of the Heather Lake Trail.

Although the forest along the Heather Lake Trail is varied & lovely, the amazing natural garden contained in the glacial cirque surrounding Heather Lake is truly amazing.  At the end of July, the last patches of snow were melting.  Some plants were just emerging from the ground.  Wildflowers were blooming everywhere.  At midsummer, it was spring recapitulated.  It was the most beautiful, diverse & abundant collection of flora I had seen in the Cascade Mountains.  The broken trees & piles of snow that remained from several avalanches were also quite interesting.  The Heather Lake Trail was easily the most impressive of the 10 hikes I made along the Mountain Loop Highway during the summer of 2012.  This trail starts at 1,400 feet in elevation & climbs to 2,500 feet (800 meters) in the subalpine zone.  It is 4.6 miles round trip, not a particularly difficult hike.

Middle Fork Snoqualmie River Trail

Middle Fork Snoqualmie River July 2012

Oplopanax horridus (Devil's Club) Middle Fork Snoqualmie River Trail July 2012

Hylocomium splendens (Step Moss) Middle Fork Snoqualmie River Trail July 2012

Middle Fork Snoqualmie River Trail July 2012

Dingford Creek Bridge, Middle Fork Snoqualmie River Trail July 2012

Click here for more pictures of the Middle Fork Snoqualmie River Trail.

The Middle Fork Snoqualmie River Trail follows the river very closely through the Mt Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest northeast of North Bend in King County.  Even though this is a recently disturbed, definitely not old growth forest, it is still quite beautiful.  The land is moist & lush.  The flora is varied & abundant.  The understory here is much more interesting than the trees.  The sight & sound of the river are constant companions.  There are often views of nearby mountains.  The elevation gain is only a few hundred feet, starting at about 1,000 feet above sea level.  It is possible to connect to other trails & continue hiking into steeper country for many miles.  About 4 miles from the trail head is a large & sturdy bridge crossing the roaring falls of Dingford Creek.  This is where I turned back.

Construction of the Ell Alley Garden

The native soil is clay.  

The first pile of compost.

At NurseryTrees.com in November 2013

Stone wall with utilities meters behind.

Ell Alley Garden in November 2013

I moved into Ell Alley with Rusty & Steve on Saturday, November 2, 2013. It was a new townhome at the north end of a building of 5 units, within a development of 41 units in 10 buildings, plus 20 single family homes. Ell Alley is bounded on 2 sides by alleys lined with single-car garages. Because these alleys form an ell (a configuration in the form of the letter L) we decided to name our new home Ell Alley. Ell Alley is located in the Rainier Vista neighborhood, in the Rainier Valley of Seattle. Rainier Vista is comprised of 65 acres of land controlled by the Seattle Housing Authority, which manages apartments rented to people with low incomes, many of them refugees from Somalia & Ethiopia. There are also a number of developments like ours, which are privately owned. The Seattle Housing Authority (SHA) maintains control of the land-use issues for all of Rainier Vista.

The story of the Ell Alley Garden starts at the offices of the Seattle Housing Authority, in Uptown. I met with the project lead on June 1, 2013 to discuss the guidelines for landscaping at Rainier Vista. Screening was strictly prohibited. Shrubs over 4 feet were allowed only against the walls of buildings. It was impossible to place tall shrubs against the walls of our particular townhome, because the utilities meters (gas & electricity) as well as cable boxes for internet & television, for every unit in our building, took up the only blank wall. There was space for planting taller shrubs on 2 walls of the garage. Plants cannot exceed 3 feet in the front yard, or 4 feet in the back yard. After some consideration by the project lead & one revision of my landscape, we were allowed 4 trees spaced 12 feet apart.

10 cubic yards of Cedar Grove compost was delivered on Monday, 11/4. It didn't rain that day & rained very little on 11/5 & 6. I spread most of the compost during that time. It rained fairly heavily on 11/7. It didn't rain on 11/8 & another 5 cubic yards of compost was delivered. That was spread during the next few dry days. There was very little rain until 11/18. I had completed most of the planting & stonework by then. Temperatures were mostly in the 40s & low 50s. Saturday, 11/23 was a beautifully sunny day. Rusty, Steve & I went to NurseryTrees.com in Snohomish to buy 3 Acer circinatum (Vine Maple) & 1 Thuja plicata 'Excelsa' (Excelsa Cedar). Rusty helped me place them in the holes I had already dug. The trees were 7 feet tall with root balls 2 feet in diameter. On 11/25, I bought bark & spread it on the paths. In the evening of 11/26, Rusty helped me place pavers for the walk between the front door & the alley. By Thanksgiving Day on 11/27, the initial work on the garden was done.

We had been planning make a garden of native plants in the area beside the house & garage. We loved the native plants at our private campground & along the trails of the Mountain Loop Highway in the Cascade Mountains. The ecosystem of the Pacific Northwest Coast extends from northern California into the Alaskan pan-handle. I decided to use a few plants that were not native to Washington, but to the region. I moved many from the Cascadia Garden. Some of those had been moved from the Phantom Lake Garden at the home of my grandparents in Bellevue to the Cascadia Garden in 1961. That garden was largely a second-growth forest of 60 acres. We collected other plants from our private campground. I bought more from the Washington Native Plant Society plant sale & from Go Natives!Nursery.

I left our small Patio Garden open to plants from around the world. I ordered quite a number of different bulbs, adding Ajuga reptans 'Black Scallop' & Sedum spathulifolium 'Cape Blanco' as ground cover. Hebe recurva, Hemerocallis 'Bela Lugosi, Hemerocallis 'Rootbeer' & Luzula sylvatica 'Aurea' was moved from the Cascadia Garden. I bought Alchemilla mollis, Campanula 'Birch Hybrid', Chamaecyparis lawsoniana 'Ellwood's Column', Daboecia cantabrica, 3 more types of Hebe (H. ochracea 'James Stirling', H. pinguifolia 'Pagei' & H. 'Red Edge') & Panicum virgatum 'Heavy Metal'. The patio garden includes a wall of cement blocks, in 2 tiers, down to the parking pad. I placed Arctostaphylos uva-ursi 'Massachusetts', Juniperus conferta & Rosmarinus officinalis 'Prostratus' to trail down from the upper tier.

The area in front of our unit was landscaped by the builder with a wide swath of Sarcococca hookeriana var. humilis & Juniperus conferta, along with a single Hydrangea quercifolia. This garden is shaded by a large ash tree (Fraxinus sp.) of undetermined species. Digitalis purpurea (Common Foxglove) Dryopteris erythrosora (Autumn Fern) hellebores (H. foetidus, H. x hybridus & H. 'Ivory Prince') & Lamium maculatum 'Beacon Silver' were added to the Ash Tree Garden.

Native Garden Plant List

Trees

Acer circinatum (Vine Maple)

Thuja plicata ‘Excelsa’ (Western Red Cedar)

Shrubs

Chamaecyparis nootkatensis ‘Glauca Compacta’ from Forest Farm 2008 via the Cascadia Garden 2013

Mahonia repens (Creeping Mahonia) from Cascadia Garden 2013

Ribes sanguineum ‘White Icicle’ (White Flowering Currant) from cuttings taken from the Cascadia Garden 2012

Rubus parviflorus (Thimbleberry) from TRC 2012

Sambucus racemosa ssp. pubens var. arborescens (Red Elderberry) from TRC 2012

Thuja plicata 'Grune Kugel' (Globe Western Red Cedar) from West Seattle Nursery 2013

Perennials

Achillea millefolium (Yarrow) from WNPS 2013

Achlys triphylla (Vanilla Leaf) from Cascadia Garden 2013

Aruncus dioicus (Goatsbeard) from WNPS 2013

Aster chilensis (California Aster) from seed collected where? 2013

Athyrium cyclosorum (Lady Fern) from Cascadia Garden & TRC 2013

Blechnum spicant (Deer Fern) from City People’s & TRC 2013

Camassia quamash (Camas) from John Scheepers 2012

Erigeron speciosus (Showy Fleabane) from Cascadia Garden 2013

Erythronium oregonum (Fawn Lily) from Cascadia Garden 2013

Geum macrophyllum (Largeleaf Avens) from WNPS 2013

Gymnocarpium dryopteris (Oak Fern) from Cascadia Garden 2013

Lilium columbianum (Tiger Lily) from WNPS 2013

Iris douglasiana (Douglas Iris) from Cascadia Garden 2013

Luzula piperi (Wood Rush) from Cascadia Garden 2013

Penstemon serrulatus (Coast Beardtongue) from Cascadia Garden 2013

Penstemon venustus (Blue Mountain Penstemon) from WNPS 2013

Polypodium glycyrrhiza (Licorice Fern) from Cascadia Garden 2013

Polystichum munitum (Western Sword Fern) from Cascadia Garden & TRC 2013

Potentilla anserina var. pacifica (Silverweed) from WNPS 2013

Smilacina racemosa (False Solomon’s Seal) from Cascadia Garden 2013

Stachys cooleyae (Cooley’s Hedge Nettle) from WNPS 2013

Tellima grandiflora (Fringe Cup) from Cascadia Garden 2013

Trillium ovatum (Western Wakerobin) from Cascadia Garden 2013

Groundcovers

Arctostaphylos uva-ursi ‘Massachusetts’ from McClendon’s 2013

Arctostaphylos uva-ursi ‘Vancouver Jade’ from McClendon’s 2013

Asarum caudatum (Wild Ginger) from Cascadia Garden 2013

Dicentra formosa (Pacific Bleeding Heart) from Cascadia Garden 2013

Fragaria vesca (Woodland Strawberry) from Cascadia Garden 2013

Maianthemum dilatatum (False Lily of the Valley) from Cascadia Garden 2013

Oxalis oregana (Redwood Sorrel) from Cascadia Garden 2013

Smilacina stellata (Starry False Solomon’s Seal) from Cascadia Garden 2013

Patio Garden Plant List

Plants in Pots

Acer palmatum (Japanese Maple) seedling found in Cascadia Garden 2012

Alnus rubra (Red Alder) from TRC 2012

Callistemon pallidus from Pat Calvert Greenhouse 2005, moved from Cascadia Garden 2013

Callistemon subulatus seedling found in potted plants brought from Cascadia Garden 2013

Chamaecyparis lawsoniana (Port Orford Cedar) seedling found in pot at Rusty’s house 2011

Cupressus lusitanica (Portuguese Cypress) from seed collected at Castelo de São Jorge in Lisbon in 2012

Cupressus sempervirens (Italian Cypress) from seed collected at Villa Cimbrone in Ravello, Italy in 2006

Eriogonum umbellatum (Sulfur Wild Buckwheat) from WNPS 2013

Fritillaria pudica from seed from WNPS 2002

Hebe recurva seedling found in Cascadia Garden 2012

Lewisia leana from Mt Tahoma Nursery 2005 & 2008

Maihuenia poeppigii from Kerston’s Nursery @ NHS Fall Sale 2005

Phlomis fruticosa from seed collected on Cascadia Avenue 2011

Pinus bungeana (Lacebark Pine) from Forest Farm 2008

Pinus edulis (Pinyon) from Forest Farm 2005

Pinus leucodermis (Bosnian Pine) from Forest Farm 2006

Pinus peuce (Macedonian Pine) from Forest Farm 2008

Quercus gambelii (Gambel Oak) from Forest Farm 2005

Quercus kelloggii (California Black Oak) from Forest Farm 2008

Thuja plicata (Western Red Cedar) seedling found in Cascadia Garden 2012

Tsuga heterophylla (Western Hemlock) from Copper Creek 1993

Shrubs

Chamaecyparis lawsoniana ‘Ellwood’s Pillar’ from Wells Medina 2013

Daboecia cantabrica ‘Atropurpurea’ from City People’s 2013

Hebe ‘Red Edge’ from City People’s 2013

Hebe ochracea ‘James Stirling’ from City People’s 2013

Perennials

Alchemilla mollis ‘Auslese’ (Lady’s Mantle) from McClendon’s 2013
Allium cristophii (Star of Persia) from McClure & Zimmerman 2013

Allium karataviense from McClure & Zimmerman 2013

Allium nigrum from McClure & Zimmerman 2013

Campanula ‘Birch Hybrid’ from Wells Medina 2013

Calochortus venustus (Mariposa Lily) from McClure & Zimmerman 2013

Chionodoxa luciliae (Glory of the Snow) from McClure & Zimmerman 201

Crocus sieberi from McClure & Zimmerman 2013

Euphorbia rigida from Cascadia Garden 2013

Hemerocallis ‘Bela Lugosa’ from Roots & Rhizomes 2004

Hemerocallis ‘Root Beer’ from Roots & Rhizomes 2010  

Hyacinthus orientalis ‘Woodstock’ from McClure & Zimmerman 2013

Iris ‘Blue Magic’ (Dutch Iris) from McClure & Zimmerman 2013

Iris bucharica from McClure & Zimmerman 2013

Leucojum vernum from McClure & Zimmerman 2013

Lewisia cotyledon from City People’s & Wells Medina 2013

Lilium ‘Ariadne’ from The Lily Garden 2013

Lilium ‘Copper Crown’ from The Lily Garden 2013

Lilium ‘Yellow Whoppers’ from The Lily Garden 2013

Lilium ‘Pizzazz’ from The Lily Garden 2013

Lilium ‘Silk Road’ from McClure & Zimmerman 2013

Luzula sylvatica ‘Aurea’ from Cascadia Garden 2013

Narcissus ‘Baby Moon’ from McClure & Zimmerman 2013

Narcissus ‘Beersheba’ from McClure & Zimmerman 2013

Narcissus ‘Hawera’ from McClure & Zimmerman 2013

Narcissus ‘Jack Snipe’ from McClure & Zimmerman 2013

Narcissus ‘King Alfred’ from McClure & Zimmerman 2013

Narcissus ‘Little Gem’ from McClure & Zimmerman 2013

Narcissus ‘Minnow’ from McClure & Zimmerman 2013

Narcissus ‘Thalia’ from McClure & Zimmerman 2013

Narcissus ‘W. P. Milner’ from McClure & Zimmerman 2013

Ornithogalum umbellatum (Star of Bethlehem) from McClure & Zimmerman 2013

Paeonia mascula (Peony) from Botanica 2013

Paeonia veitchii (Peony) from Heronswood 2004 & Botanica 2013

Panicum virgatum ‘Heavy Metal’ from Wells Medina 2013

Scilla peruviana (Giant Squill) from McClure & Zimmerman 2013

Tulipa batalinii ‘Red Jewel’ from McClure & Zimmerman 2013

Tulipa ‘Little Princess’ from McClure & Zimmerman 2013

Tulipa tarda from McClure & Zimmerman 2013

Tulipa turkestanica from McClure & Zimmerman 2013

Groundcovers & Trailers

Ajuga reptans ‘Black Scallop’ (Carpet Bugle) from West Seattle Nursery 2012

Hebe pinguifolia ‘Pagei’ from City People’s 2013

Lamium maculatum ‘Beacon Silver’ from Cascadia Garden 2013

Rosmarinus officinalis ‘Prostratus’ (Trailing Rosemary) from City People’s 2013

Sedum divergens (Spreading Stonecrop) from Cascadia Garden 2013

Sedum oreganum (Oregon Stonecrop) from Cascadia Garden 2013

Sedum oregonense (Cream Stonecrop) from Cascadia Garden 2013

Sedum palmeri (Palmer’s Stonecrop) from Cascadia Garden 2013

Sedum spathulifolium ‘Cape Blanco’ (Pacific Stonecrop) from Cascadia Garden 2013

Sedum spathulifolium ‘Carnea’ (Pacific Stonecrop) from Cascadia Garden 2013

Thymus vulgarus (Culinary Thyme) from City People’s 2013

Ash Tree Garden

Dryopteris erythrosora ‘Brilliance’ (Autumn Fern) from McClendon’s 2013

Helleborus foetidus (Stinking Hellebore) from McClendon’s 2013

Helleborus ‘Ivory Prince’ from McClendon’s 2013

Hydrangea quercifolia installed by builder 2013

Juniperus conferta (Shore Juniper) installed by builder 2013

Sarcococca hookeriana var. humilis (Himalayan Sweet Box) installed by builder 2013