Category: Vera’s Gardens in Trabuco Canyon
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December Plant Spotlight: John Dourley Manzanita
The December Plant of the Month for the OCCNPS is ‘John Dourley’ Manzanita, a low-growing shrub ideal for various garden settings. Known for its attractive orange-red new growth, pink flowers, and adaptability, it provides nectar and berries for wildlife. It requires careful watering and occasional pruning for optimal growth.
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Celebrate Tree of Life Nursery’s Legacy with OCCNPS
Tree of Life Nursery will close in December, prompting the Orange County Chapter of the California Native Plant Society to hold a Members Celebration Day on October 18. The event includes special rare plant sales, free box lunches for members, expert presentations, and an art activity. Non-members can register for membership on-site.
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Lilac Verbena: A Butterfly-Friendly Garden Choice
Lilac Verbena, or Glandularia lilacina, is an evergreen subshrub that blooms year-round, attracting butterflies with its lilac to violet flowers. Native to Cedros Island, it thrives in various soils and conditions, making it a low-maintenance choice for Southern California gardens. Regular pruning enhances flowering, while two cultivars, ‘De la Mina’ and ‘Paseo Rancho,’ showcase different…
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Woolly Bluecurls: The Must-Have Native Shrub
Woolly Bluecurls, or Trichostema lanatum, is featured as the native plant of the month. This hardy evergreen shrub thrives in full sun with minimal summer water. Its stunning purple-blue flowers attract various pollinators and possess a unique fragrance. While admired, it is also considered challenging to grow, requiring specific soil conditions.
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Join OCCNPS in Supporting Native Plants and Biodiversity
During a visit to Vera’s Sanctuary amid strong Santa Ana winds and ash from a fire, the interconnectedness of nature became apparent. The Orange County Chapter of the California Native Plant Society (OCCNPS) focuses on promoting native plants, offering education and support for conservation efforts, while recognizing the contributions of volunteers and community members toward…
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Systems Analyst Weaves Together Nature and Friends
Brad Jenkins, volunteer, webmaster, and part of the treasurer team of the California Native Plant Society Orange County Chapter (OCCNPS), is featured this month, and answers the question: What draws us to our relationships with nature and native plants? “Innate influences, happenstance encounters, analytical purposefulness, and social associations.“ Brad writes: “My first wedding was in…
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Lesley Bindloss: Champion of California Native Plants
Board Member Lesley Bindloss is featured this month in an article compiled by Thea Gavin. Lesley Bindloss is a fairly new CNPS-OC board member with an “unsung hero” role on the board: Recording Secretary. This is the person who must take accurate notes during board meetings to make sure all discussions and decisions have proper…
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Interview with OCCNPS President Elizabeth Wallace
Elizabeth Wallace, president of the Orange County Chapter of the California Native Plant Society, shares her journey in native plant gardening and community organizing. Inspired by her love for the environment, she initiated projects like Vera’s Gardens, a native plant garden for women in rehabilitation. She aims to boost awareness of native plants and engage…
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Spring to Life
We have had less rainfall than normal in Southern California, so what is a plant to do? Bloom anyway.
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Water for Wildlife
Rainfall has been scarce in Southern California in 2022. After a rainy December, we’ve had warm weather and windy conditions for most of January and February.
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Planting a Seasonal Meadow
Last December 2021, we created a seasonal meadow of local grasses and wildflowers that would provide beauty, color, and life after winter rains in a 12,000 square-foot park space at Vera’s Gardens.
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Creating an Avian Garden
In September, we began work on the east side of Vera’s Sanctuary in Trabuco Canyon, where we created an Avian Garden, a 10,000-square-foot project that is interconnected with two large front lawns.