Micheal Moshier's family has generously donated the original artwork he created for LeRoy Davidson's 2000 monograph Lewisias to the Miller Library, and we are so excited to feature these plant portraits in our exhibit space this month. The artist's love for these tiny plants shines from each frame. A remembrance from his friend Dale Greer:

I knew Micheal Moshier back in the day via the Northwest Chapter of the North American Rock Garden Society and we became friends. Over the years within the club, attending meetings, I discovered Micheal's artistic talents as well as his rock garden knowledge and expertise, and over time I worked with him to construct two rock gardens for club members, Micheal designing the gardens, then obtaining and bringing in volcanic basaltic rock from northeastern Oregon for the projects. The first of these gardens was constructed on Mercer Island in 1984, the second in the Pine Lake neighborhood of (now) Sammamish in about 1986. Both gardens used the Oregon basalt to awesome advantage. In 1996 or '97, I dismantled the Sammamish rock garden and rebuilt it in a different configuration after the owner moved to Edmonds.

All during this time Micheal had been exploring habitats of native Lewisias from California to British Columbia, collecting herbarium specimens and photographing and sketching the various species in situ with the purpose of including them in the Lewisia book that fellow NW NARGS member LeRoy Davidson was writing. Also during this time, Micheal had created a small rock garden, rocks and soil on his driveway concrete slab on Capitol Hill, where he grew Lewisias, both from seed and collected plants, to determine how to and how well they would survive and thrive in that 'artificial' environment. From my observations, they all did very well. Micheal had the knack of providing just what they needed to thrive, from his observations of their native habitat conditions.

The genus Lewisia is named in honor of Meriwether Lewis of the Lewis and Clark expedition, but the bitterroot that his company discovered near the headwaters of the Missouri River was already well known to the indigenous people of the area. They ate the roots fresh as an emergency food, but it was more favored when dried and used as a staple to be taken on buffalo hunts. This species, Lewisia rediviva, now known as the state flower of Montana, has a wide distribution but is only one of some 19 species in the genus, all native to western North America.

Question: What are LECA balls, and should I use them for growing my indoor plants? I have been seeing them for sale at garden centers.

Answer: LECA stands for ‘lightweight expanded clay aggregate,’ and is made from clay, brick dust, and waste from the processing of albite (a sodium-rich mineral derived from feldspar). The primary use of the clay balls is as a substrate in hydroponic growing. A similar product is sold under the brand name Hydroton. From the point of view of hydroponics, LECA may be beneficial because the spaces between the clay balls offer more airflow and ease of root development, but the LECA balls have “limited water holding capacity (only a problem if you forget to water or let the water level drop).” Their absorption rate varies based on the make-up of the aggregate; the more pulverized brick and albite, the less they absorb.

Houseplant enthusiasts may mistakenly assume that using LECA balls will free them from being attentive to watering and drainage concerns. Some promoters of the clay balls suggest that you can soak them and grow your indoor plants in a container without drainage holes because the balls somehow magically provide the roots with just the right amount of moisture. It may be a stylish (if expensive) look, but it is still best to grow your indoor plants in the appropriate potting soil for their needs, and in containers with drainage. Definitely do not mix clay balls with potting soil, and do not use them in the bottom of containers. The myth of improving drainage by putting various items in the bottom of a pot (whether an indoor or outdoor container) has been debunked. Don’t create a perched water table by putting anything — clay balls, broken pottery, rocks, etc. — in the bottom of the pot. When we do this, “water percolates through the soil and, upon encountering the different layer, the water moves sideways, creating a saturated zone. Water in this saturated zone gets ‘hung up’ [or ‘perched’] on the layer that is different.”