January 22

One evergreen huckleberry (Vaccinium ovatum) and one alder (Alnus rubra - red alder). Again, the alder is from the high school "weeds". Red alder bark is white, reminiscent of birch or aspen bark, and quite striking. The whole tree would be prized except that it's so common around here! Later, in spring, the hills here take on a soft red glow - the alders are gearing up for growth.

Alder is short-lived, but fast-growing. We use the trees that fall as firewood, and plant new alders to keep us in firewood - and beauty. They are excellent furniture building wood, though I think that's a recent opinion - the wood was spurned for years.

The evergreen huckleberries are ones I grew from cuttings taken from our plants here in the yard. There were no evergreen huckleberries here when we moved in. I bought three plants in the early 1990's, at a produce store in Lincoln City. One turned out to be a red (deciduous) huckleberry, and it putters along while the evergreens thrive. I have the original two plants in full sun; this is one plant that is said to grow taller in the shade! Mine are about 4 feet tall.

I planted the huckleberry on the east side of the trail heading uphill beside the tiny pond beyond the mink bench. The alder went in by the flood meadow where I planted alders earlier in the month.

At this point, I was at 20 trees (and shrubs) planted, out of 22 days.

Taking evergreen huckleberry cuttings: This is very easily done. They "strike" readily. I cut a piece of vigorous end growth 4 - 6 inches long, trim off some of the leaves, score the twig by dragging my plant clippers along it for an inch or so (thereby removing some of the outer layer of tissue and encouraging rooting along the "wound"), and dip in rooting hormone (probably optional). Right now I have 20 new cuttings in the greenhouse Gordon built last spring, and about the same number from last year in pots outside, and the same in gallon size pots and ready to go in the ground. I don't understand why these root readily, and plants from the same family (Ericacea) - like salal, rhododendron,and blueberry - give me no luck.