David and I pack our belongings and prepare to leave our friend’s house in Arcata, California. To add drama, I might have added “meager” to describe our belongings, but that would not be accurate. We’ve brought plenty of comfort items on this road trip.

Miner's lettuce

A delicious salad of wild miner's lettuce.

We arrived in Arcata the day before from McMinnville, where we had our last bookstore event in Oregon. We stopped in Corvallis at the Great Harvest Bread Company to stock up on Dakota bread – a favorite of mine. We pulled off the road at Illinois River Forks State Park south of Grants Pass for a picnic, and discovered a bumper crop of miner’s lettuce (Claytonia perfoliata, in the portulaca family), with which we made a beautiful salad to go with our sandwiches.

Soon after, we entered the Great Redwood Forests of California’s North Coast, and quickly learned why this is called the “Redwood Curtain”.  The road twists and turns like a serpent, slithering its way through majestic trees. I wonder at what they must have witnessed. I ache for the wisdom I believe they must possess. I don’t know that they are any wiser than a box of rocks; I just believe they must be.

The road through the redwood curtain

Our schedule requires that we move on too quickly, yet the drive is so much longer than I thought it would be. Still, by evening we are in Arcata, at our friend’s. Her house sits on the edge of Arcata Marsh in a co-housing community that appreciates the treasure that lies just beyond. Birds haunt the edges of their garden. Some lead private, secretive lives; others are extroverts, visiting the garden frequently to devour pests that would eat their fill of vegetables.

We spend a quiet evening, strolling beside the marsh, seeing the sights of the sleepy town, where students at Humboldt State are away on spring break. We retire early to rest for our drive the next day. We pack our abundant belongings into our van and set off for Mendocino.

We drive the Avenue of Giants and enjoy another day in the company of towering trees. Individual trees that have lived a thousand years. A forest that has evolved over many millennia, since the last ice age.  I suspect there are secrets to success hidden in the depths of the forest. We stop to walk through the Founder’s Grove, and I place my hand on an enormous trunk. I feel the pulse of its vascular system. Water pulled from the roots by the trans-evaporation of its leaves. The water carries nutrients from the microcosmic world at the tree’s feet. A complex system that supports the deceptively simple “lifestyle” of the Giant Sequoia.

Gigantic, awe-inspiring trees, redwoods capture the imagination

We have time for only a short hike, but we grab the opportunity to inhale the scent of the forest, and to gather what knowledge we can from the presence of the great trees.

The allure of the sea beckons, and our tight schedule dictates our early afternoon arrival in Mendocino. A tiny town perched on the very edge of the continent. Christie and Michael welcome us to the Gallery Bookshop on Main Street. We enjoy wine and cheese and artisan crackers with guests who arrive with plants in peril and excellent questions.

Christie tells me she received anonymous calls beforehand from plant-friendly folk who asked if they could bring their marijuana plants for diagnosis to our plant clinic. She told them they could, but none of them come this evening. Instead questions revolve around houseplants, container plants, and problems that show up early in the season. Perfect.

Polyculture: Planting different kinds of plants next to each other keeps pests from finding their favorite food, and prevents disease from spreading easily.

There is also lively interest in food production (in the front yard, back yard, or in containers), and we share some secrets to preventing plant problems. Beyond our mantra of “put the right plant in the right place” (through which a plant thrives in a location that meets its needs for light, soil, water, and temperature), we discuss polyculture, rotation, and attracting beneficial wildlife.

Every event gives us the opportunity to make new friends. We enjoy the chance to meet and talk with like-minded people. And the drive gives us the opportunity to experience the magnificence of the California coast. What could be better?

If you have a favorite spot we should not miss, please let us know. We invite you to share your stories of the greenworld, and welcome you to join us at one of our stops on the road. See our events page for all the details (www.ddandkw.com/events)

As soon as we returned from our travels by plane to Philadelphia and Boise we drove to Oregon in our car and began the road trip portion of our book tour.

We stayed with friends in Portland and drove out to our bookstore events and then back to Portland each night. We appeared at Powell’s at Cedar Hills, Beaverton, Oregon, on Thursday, March 11. Next we went to Grassroots Books and Music, at The Art Center, Corvallis, Oregon, on Friday, March 12. And after that we went to Third Street Books, McMinnville, Oregon, on Saturday, March 13. Whew! That’s a lot of driving and it’s only the beginning. Next we go to Northern California.

We parked our car, with signs, in front of the bookstores as soon as we got there.

Every place we went we were greeted with the posters telling people where we’ve been and where we’re going next.

The bookstores displayed our book prominently in attractive displays.

And we spoke to the group, letting them know how the book evolved and how it’s structured. Then we held a mini plant clinic and used the book’s diagnostic flow charts to diagnose plant problems for people. When people bring plants to us for diagnosis at these bookstore events they have a lot of fun with the book. It’s a bit like being a forensic scientist on CSI. Like being a detective and that makes using the flow charts almost like a game. It’s fun. And that’s a good thing.

Kathryn speaking at the Idaho Horticultural Society Symposium in Boise.

Our whirlwind of activities landed us at the Philadelphia Flower Show and the Idaho Horticultural Society Symposium week before last. We presented slide shows and seminars at both events.

 When people describe the Philadelphia Flower Show as the biggest flower show in the country, they’re not kidding. It is a mob scene, crammed with exhibits, vendors, and visitors. Long lines form to enter each seminar and exhibition space. And the waits are all worth it. This year’s theme “Passport to the World” inspired exhibits that represented New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, Holland, and India.

 I thought all the exhibits were extraordinary. A gigantic hot-air balloon made of flowers floated above a stage of musicians and scarcely clad Bollywood dancers. It reminded me of car shows I’ve attended in the past.

Tree ferns and palms rose above a lush understory of white lilies in New Zealand. A tropical display featured huge bromeliads. The South Africa exhibit was a favorite. Small grass huts fitted with tools, everyday items made entirely from plant material, and elaborate masks adorned the walkway through the middle of the exhibit. Protea flowers and grasses predominated. I found it creative and evocative.

The shipping containers painted with lively graffiti decorated with cut flowers and grasses were apparently provocative. The Philadelphia Enquirer condemned the display as glorifying graffiti. I did not find it so. I found it rather, to be about “plants in cracks”. Life blooms wherever it can. A subtle statement of hope. One of these shipping containers featured a study of extreme contrasts. The totally functional and ordinary container held an elegant and sophisticated table setting of fine china and crystal decorated with purple Vanda orchid flowers.

Although the show is several weeks in the past, the exhibitor’s creative endeavors stay with me. I’m grateful for my first opportunity to go to “the biggest show on earth.”

 The same week we went to Philadelphia, we also blew into Boise, Idaho, for two gracious days of sun and spring weather.

 The Idaho Horticultural Society does an amazing job with their spring symposium. Plant aficionados from all over Idaho gather to take classes to improve their growing techniques. They also gather to share their passion. Teaming with the Idaho Botanical Garden the Horticultural
Society is involved with many incredible projects, and they do a great job.

David speaking at the Idaho Horticultural Society Symposium in Boise.

The Society runs a series of contests as part of the symposium. Individuals, neighborhoods, and community gardens compete in categories such as “Best Community Project”, “Most Improved Front Yard”, “Best Dryland”, “Most Sustainable”, and others. The contest is only open to non-professionals and the contestants enter photographs.

 I looked over a display of the winner, and thought about what a great way to get more people involved in gardening, in beautification, in civic participation. I saw lots of thoughtful effort on display.

 We returned home after these events, briefly, to finish packing and then we took off on our driving tour of the West. We’re driving south through Oregon now, visiting bookstores and posting blogs along the way.

We went to the Philadelphia Flower Show last week, the biggest flower and garden show in the country. It was our first time and we were amazed by the crowds of people thronging into the show. We attended the show as part of our book tour. We presented a seminar and autographed books for people and we had an opportunity to view all the spectacular displays.

The theme of the show this year was “Passport to the World”, and exhibits highlighted the flowers of South Africa and other exotic locations. Of course, I was particularly enamored by the orchids, as usual. And the display by Waldor Orchids was exceptional. Their display represented the National Orchid Garden of Singapore and allowed us to imagine what it must be like to be there, in Singapore, seeing the orchids in the garden.

Here are some photographic highlights of the beautiful orchids we saw.

A splash-petal Cattleya hybrid with a peloric gene that makes the petals similar to the lip.

A bright red cattleya alliance hybrid that looks like a Sophrolaeliocattleya to me.

A spectacular Vanda, probably close to Vanda rothschildiana a hybrid between Vanda coerulea and Euanthe sanderana.

The lovely Ascocendas, hybrids between Vanda and Ascocentrum, are delightful and colorful miniature vandas.

Oncidiums, sometimes called "dancing ladies" in Hawaii, are always lovely.

Village Books in Bellingham, Washington, hosted our first bookstore appearance of the Great ‘Here Come the Plant Docs’ Book Tour of 2010. There is something very comforting about beginning such a venture talking about a book surrounded by good books, in the company of bibliophiles and phytophiles.

On this, my first trip to Bellingham, I discovered what a delightful town it is. Kathy, at the Village Inn, greeted us with an enthusiastic, “Oh, I should have recognized you. I have your book.”  Making us feel a little like the Olympic athletes who were also staying there (overflow from the games in Vancouver, just across the border). Naturally this welcome warmed my heart immediately and made me very predisposed to love Bellingham.

Robert, our host at Village Books, was equally kind and welcoming at this great bookstore filled not only with great books, but intelligent readers. I overheard some fascinating discussions about books as I wandered the store. As wanton book-o-holics David and I had to be very careful not to fill our van with books.  This may have been a dangerous place to begin the tour. But we survived. And we only bought four books. Whew.

 We had a good turnout for the talk and even sold and signed some books We got some great questions, such as: “What is the white stuff covering the soil in our houseplant pots?” Naturally we asked some questions and found that these folks were new to growing plants. We asked about their water and fertilizer practices, because we thought perhaps that the white substance was salt build-up in the potting media. But no. So we asked if tiny black bugs flew up into their faces when they moved the plants? Yes. Okay, those are fungus gnats. And is the white stuff soft and fluffy? Yes. Okay, that is a fungus that grows on the potting media. Use a mulch such as decorative stones or sand on top and that will cut down on the fungus problem and help to control the fungus gnats. We signed their new book and they went away happy.

We ate breakfast the next morning with a flowering plum. The early spring exuberance encourages and energizes us for the road ahead.

Today we are in Philadelphia, about to venture into the huge Flower Show at the convention center next door to our hotel. We traveled all day yesterday to get here. Got a great night’s sleep and are ready to roll. We look forward to giving a lecture tomorrow (March 3, 2010) here at the Flower Show.

We invite you to share your stories of the greenworld, and welcome you to join us at one of our stops on the road. See our events page for all the details (www.ddandkw.com/events)