Have you read about declining bird & pollinator populations? Learn how you can help in a free class on habitat gardening with native plants.
native gardens
Seed Library of LA – Altadena: Gardening to Help Save the Monarch
Gardening to Help Save the Monarch. Barbara Eisenstein, author of Learning to Garden with Native Plants, shares secrets of how to attract monarch butterflies into your garden, and how this will benefit your edible garden.
Keep It Messy for Nature
Native plants are only one element of a good native garden. Banish all leafblowers and machinary to make your garden hospitable to birds and other critters.
Native Plant Garden Tour
Everyone is talking about this year’s heavy rains, and the promise they bring of spectacular wildflower displays throughout the state. I will be taking some wildflower trips – hopefully starting this weekend – and will post about these as time allows. Our native plant gardens have also responded to the life-sustaining and cleansing rains. There is no better way to experience wonderful […]
Parks & Gardens Featuring CA Native Plants
Nothing like a rainy day to get me to check and correct info on this website! I spent the day converting an old pdf file of “Where to See Native Plants” to a new and hopefully more accurate webpage of Parks & Gardens Featuring CA Native Plants. This all came about because I forget to include the […]
New native gardens are popping up
During my walks around the city of South Pasadena, I frequently come across new low water-use, native plant landscapes that I have not seen before. Surprised, I ask myself, “When did this happen?” That is just what occurred a couple of weeks ago. Check out these wonderful before and after pictures that I was able to […]
Oaks grow fast – pretty fast, that is
I am sitting at my desk working on a presentation for a class called “What Should I Plant?” to be given on October 16th at the Theodore Payne Foundation. It is an introductory class that will hopefully inspire rather than overwhelm people who are new to native plants. Checking over my slides of natives from […]
Nature Park Cleanup (with Hahamongna Coop Nursery)
Excited that once again we will be working with volunteers from Hahamongna Cooperative Nursery. These joint cleanups are especially productive, fun, and educational. Meet at the park to pull, bash, curse, chop and behead weeds, water the new plantings, pick up litter, spread mulch, and enjoy the park. Come for the whole time, for an hour, […]
Prisk Native Garden
Prisk Elementary School in Long Beach is fortunate to have the most amazing native garden. The garden was started in 1996 by teacher, Candy Jennings, and three dedicated volunteers. The garden has grown over the years with the care and loving attention of Mike Letteriello. Each year Mike holds an open house in spring. This […]
From Lawn to Native Plant Garden
If you’ve been wanting to transition from a lawn to a sustainable native garden, horticulturist Barbara Eisenstein has tips to help you get started. Eisenstein will discuss topics ranging from lawn removal and garden preparation to plant selection.