The Shipley Nature Center in Huntington Beach hosted the final A Buckwheat in Every Garden giveaway for 2019. This event marked the 1,400th buckwheat given away to Orange County homeowners between October and December 2019.

Four-inch ‘Dana Point’ is ready for a new OC home.

The California Native Plant Society, Orange County (OCCNPS) chapter has coordinated the cultivation and distribution of California buckwheat ‘Dana Point’ plants to help homeowners improve wildlife and habitat value in their home landscapes.

Marine Blue butterfly visits buckwheat. Photo by Kris Ethington.

Cultivation of more than a thousand buckwheat plants began last summer by Tree of Life Nursery. OCCNPS then partnered with cities, garden clubs, and nonprofit groups to distribute the plants to homeowners throughout Orange County.

OCCNPS’s original goal was to distribute 1,500 buckwheat plants to Orange County homeowners, but demand was so high that the goal was increased to 2,500 buckwheat plants.

‘Dana Point’ buckwheats wait for a new home in Orange. Photo by Thea Gavin.

OCCNPS is mapping the plants as they are installed in home landscapes on an iNaturalist map. You can see the plants as they are installed at the A Buckwheat in Every Garden iNaturalist page.

Buckwheat map on iNaturalist showing 975 buckwheats planted across Orange County.

Please join us at the following events to pick up your free buckwheat in the new year:

1. January 11, 2020, Ron Vanderhoff will be speaking at Orange County Master Gardeners in Irvine. Buckwheat plants will be distributed at this private event.
2. January 20, 2020, San Juan Capistrano Garden Club will give away buckwheat at the monthly meeting held at the San Juan Hills Golf Course in San Juan Capistrano.
3. January and February, 2020, Roger’s Gardens will distribute buckwheat plants at the nursery. More buckwheat plants are growing for the 2020 giveaways, so stay tuned!
   

   California buckwheats are in high demand at Acorn Day in O’Neill Park. Jennifer Mabley of OCCNPS helps hand them out to Orange County homeowners.

OCCNPS is a 501(c)(3) California non-profit organization. A Buckwheat in Every Garden is funded by our small treasury, and is operated with all volunteer labor. Thank you to everyone who has helped make this program a success.

Completed October and November BIEG events are listed below:

1. October 5:  Acorn Day, O’Neill Regional Park, Trabuco Canyon, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., 96 plants distributed.
2. October 12:  Laguna Beach Smart Scape Expo 2019, 306 Third Street, Laguna Beach, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., 64 plants distributed.
3. October 17:  OCCNPS General Meeting, Duck Club, Irvine, 7 p.m., 78 plants distributed.
4. October 18:  Sea & Sage Audobon, Duck Club, Irvine, 7 p.m., 16 plants distributed.
5. October 19: Orange Home Grown Education Farm, 356 N. Lemon St., Orange, 10 a.m. to noon., 48 plants distributed. Thea Gavin planted a two-gallon ‘Dana Point’ buckwheat on site and made a presentation about how buckwheat helps increase pollinators for fruit trees.
6. October 22-24: Roger’s Gardens, 2301 San Joaquin Hills Rd., Corona del Mar, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., 160 plants distributed.
7. October 26: Tree of Life Nursery, 33201 CA-74 on Ortega Hgwy., San Juan Capistrano, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., 87 plants distributed.
8. October 29: H2O for HOA’s, Laguna Niguel Water District, Laguna Hills Community Center, 8 a.m. to noon, 16 plants distributed.
9. November 1-3: Roger’s Gardens, 2301 San Joaquin Hils Rd., Corona del Mar, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., 240 plants distributed.
10. November 1: Fullerton Arboretum, Fullerton, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., 96 plants distributed.
11. November 6: San Clemente Garden Club, St. Andrews Church, 2001 Calle Frontera, San Clemente, 1 p.m., 86 plants distributed. OCCNPS Chapter President Brad Jenkins spoke about integrating wild land plants into your garden.
12. November 8: Laguna Beach Garden Club, 415 Forest Ave., Laguna Beach, 9:30 to noon., 16 plants distributed.
13. November 8: Sherman’s Gardens Lunch and Learn, Corona del Mar, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., 48 plants distributed.
14. November 10: St. Mark Presbyterian Church, 2200 San Joaquin Hills Rd., Corona del Mar, 9 a.m., 48 plants distributed.
15. November 15: City of Dana Point, DP Community Center, 34052 Del Obispo, Dana Point, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., 215 plants distributed. Representatives from the Friends of the Dana Point Headlands (where this buckwheat originated), Doheny State Beach, and San Onofre State Beach all helped promote and hand out buckwheats at this fun OCCNPS event.
16. December 7: Shipley Nature Center, 17851 Goldenwest Street, Huntington Beach, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. 70 plants distributed.