Enjoy a fuss-free, water-wise garden by growing plants naturally in tune with the climate and wildlife of Northern California
SunflowerHelianthus annuusA perennial sunflower with year-round blossoms that can withstand very dry soil. Bright yellow flowers attract native pollinators. Arroyo LupineLupinus succulentusBeautiful purple blossoms decorate the spring and summer season. Lupines are part of the legume family of plants that fix nitrogen into the soil. They are an important larval food for many butterflies and […]
This drought adapted Snowbell always serves as a reminder to me of the very special place billions of years of evolution have gifted us. Like a sailor marooned, this is one of the connecting elements left from when the continents were joined, the other Styrax crewmates left in Asia and the Mediterranean.
The California Native Color Garden design features a long-blooming colorful collection of favorite and easy-to-grow California native plants for home gardens. This plant collection provides a uniquely California look to your yard, while maintaining a focus on color, including green, blue, and grey l
Enjoy a fuss-free, water-wise garden in the Golden State by growing plants naturally in tune with the climate and wildlife
Make your Bay Area landscape thrive by installing CA native plants that are water efficient and provide biological diversity.
The optimal time for planting most California natives is autumn, except in the mountains, high deserts, and other cold-winter areas of the state. Planting during this period—at the beginning of the rainy season—gives natives many months to establish root systems that will be much better prepared to survive California’s long, warm, dry summers.
Learn hummingbird's habitat needs and favorite blooms to add to your garden. To attract these winged wonders, focus on increasing the “carrying capacity” of your garden.
Rare plants, rain gardens and wildlife habitats are just a few of the features showcased on the 2016 Theodore Payne Native Plant Garden Tour
Make your Bay Area landscape thrive by installing CA native plants that are water efficient and provide biological diversity.
Given our current drought situation in Southern California, THIS was the best year to take out our front lawn and put in native, drought tolerant plants. My cit…
Tips in response to the question, “What advice regarding installing a new native plant would you give to a new native gardener?”
Learn what plants thrive in the hot, dry conditions of southern California. Some plants are both colorful and hardy, and native plants are the easiest to take care of.
Incorporating plants native to your climate means less water, less maintenance, and more wildlife. Here are our top picks around the West.
The new fronds of this fern called Amau in Hawaiian come out this beautiful red and bright green color. In nature this is to protect new shoots from the harsh sun as red can handle the full sun. I went up into the cloud forest on Hualalai Volcano to find these ferns today and they were definitely in the clouds around the 5-6,000 ft elev.
Earlier this month, we spent a day guiding ourselves around home gardens all over L.A.’s Eastside and San Fernando Valley. They varied in size, design and mood, but here’s what united them: All the gardens primarily grew native plants—flora indigenous to this region. Yes, it...
See paths and plantings from the 2017 Theodore Payne Native Plant Garden Tour
Many native plants are fragrant year-round, but the quality of fragrance depends on the season, and sometimes on the time of day. Create a garden me with an enchanting aroma.
Learn what plants thrive in the hot, dry conditions of southern California. Some plants are both colorful and hardy, and native plants are the easiest to take care of.
With so many aesthetic and ecological benefits, consider one or all of these 7 California native grasses for your next project.
Last Saturday, I spent a very enjoyable day touring 13 of the 21 gardens featured in the 2018 Gardens Gone Native Tour, hosted by the Sacram...
California's native flora is widely celebrated and renowned for its abundance and diversity which is largely due to our climate and varied geology, physiography and soils. This list of plants includes over 100 popular California native species and cultivars that can be grown across the Inland Empire. Many of these plants are organized into garden styles and helpful lists to assist in making good planting choices for beautiful, water conserving gardens. As you review these plants it is important to remember: (1) The water needs of natives varies; some are adapted to low amounts of water while others do best with moderate moisture. (2) Native plants need care and maintenance. Mulching, weeding, seasonal pruning and replacement are important practices for any garden. (3) Most gardens have a variety of microclimate and moisture conditions as well as many sizes of spaces and activities. Creating a diverse planting palette is encouraged as a means to achieve both beauty and to find plants that fit soil, moisture and microclimate conditions.
Incorporating plants native to your climate means less water, less maintenance, and more wildlife. Here are our top picks around the West.
This spring, you can see some of California's most spectacular native gardens and plants on tours taking place in the Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, East Bay, Sacramento and beyond.
Explore anniesannuals' 5862 photos on Flickr!
Learn which California Native Plants are best for your garden in this illustrated presentation that offers tips on designing a native garden
Learn what plants thrive in the hot, dry conditions of southern California. Some plants are both colorful and hardy, and native plants are the easiest to take care of.
One of California's top nurserymen and his wife debate the need for summer irrigation in their garden, which is dominated by native plants and those from other mediterranean-climate regions of the world.
Did you know you can use native plants to create any design aesthetic? Many people have no idea what to put in place of their lawn, so here are some ideas to get you started!
Explore anniesannuals' 5862 photos on Flickr!
What's the good side of our historic drought here in California? Native gardens, of course! In this episode of the podcast Kelly and I share the lessons we learned from a native garden tour put on by the Theodore Payne Foundation.
I believe this plant growing in my neighborhood is the 'James Roof' of our native Garrya elliptica. The "tassels" are long enough. This plant get more garden water than it needs (automatic watering system), which it does not seem to mind, and it is helpfully situated on a raised bank. This handsome evergreen is very adaptable to the home garden and too little planted. This time of year (winter) I often have people asking me "what's that bush with the 'long drippy' flowers on it?" Striking enough even to catch the eye of non plant persons.
Learn what plants thrive in the hot, dry conditions of southern California. Some plants are both colorful and hardy, and native plants are the easiest to take care of.
Water-conserving gardens that receive abundant summer sun are perfect places to feature this plant community. Chaparral shrubs need minimal care once established and often have dramatically beautiful leaves and flowers. Many leaves are covered as well with whitish or silver hairs that reflect the sun’s rays or trap moisture. Some smaller shrubs – a whole
With so many aesthetic and ecological benefits, consider one or all of these 7 California native grasses for your next project.
