Tag: gardening
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Jennifer Mabley Receives Native Perennial Award
Guest article by Dan Songster Jennifer Mabley was presented with the “Native Perennial Award” at the Orange County Chapter of the California Native Plant Society (OCCNPS) June 21, 2023 general meeting. The following heartfelt words were on the Native Perennial Award presented by Dan Songster: “Presented in honor of 15 years of giving selflessly of…
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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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OCCNPS Past, Present & Future: Insights from Board Members
Guest Article by Thea Gavin The Orange County Chapter of the California Native Plant Society (OCCNPS) presents a Q and A that will highlight our Board Members’ experiences and knowledge. We begin this monthly series with an interview arranged by Thea Gavin that features Dan Songster, long-time volunteer and past president of OCCNPS. Dan Songster…
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1,904 Sages and Counting
Your last chance to get a free four-inch White Sage (Salvia apiana) happens tomorrow morning (Saturday), at Shipley Nature Center in Huntington Beach. OCCNPS will give away the final group of 96 sages to Orange County residents starting at 10 a.m. After the last 96 sages are gone, the A Sage in Every Garden (SIEG)…
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Free Sage February
February is the final month to get a free four-inch White Sage plant from The California Native Plant Society Orange County Chapter’s (OCCNPS) A Sage in Every Garden (SIEG) giveaway. Volunteers from OCCNPS have been bringing White Sage (Salvia apiana) to events across Orange County since last November and have almost completed their goal of…
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Winsome White Sage
White Sage (Salvia apiana) blooms in the spring with showy flower stalks that are covered with lavender/white flowers. This gorgeous accent plant can grow four-feet wide with six-foot tall flower stalks. White sage has an aromatic fragrance that clings to your clothing when you lightly brush past the plant. If you live in Southern California,…
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Sage Sings Tonight
Tonight the doors open at 6:30 p.m. as the Orange County chapter of the California Native Plant Society launches A Sage in Every Garden. OCCNPS will also screen Saging the World at the Norman Murray Community Center this evening, Wednesday, November 9 at 7:30 p.m. Four members of the Acjachemen Nation will join us and…
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Sage Celebration Begins November 9
The California Native Plant Society Orange County chapter (OCCNPS) has a multi-event evening planned on Wednesday, November 9 at the Norman Murray Community Center in Mission Viejo. Everyone is invited to join us. 6:30 p.m. Doors Open 6:45 p.m. A Sage in Every Garden Giveaway Begins At 6:45, OCCNPS will begin giving away 96 four-inch…
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White Saging
I’ve met several people recently who believe that burning white sage smudge sticks will remove evil spirits from their house. Yesterday, someone told me that she burned white sage for cleansing her house, but it didn’t work. I suggested that she might consider planting a white sage and caring for it as a more healing…
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White Sage is Wild
When I first began gardening with California native plants thirty years ago, I was often unsuccessful. I planted my new native plants in flat planters next to my grass lawn. I overwatered and wondered why the plants weren’t surviving. Even poppy seeds didn’t grow. But one of the plants that survived my beginning native plant…
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Why White Sage?
White sage, also known as Sacred Sage, is a sacred plant to Indigenous Peoples, used ceremonially for prayer. White sage is special because it grows only in Southern California and in Northern Baja California. It grows nowhere else in the world. Unfortunately, current television shows and movies have popularized sage smudging as a quick and…
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More Fab Front-Yard Natives
Let’s explore a few more “front-yard” California natives that are HOA-approved, evergreen, and are pleasing to the eye no matter what the season. The California lilac (Ceanothus sp.) is a must-have native plant for every front landscape. This gorgeous shrub blooms in the spring with soft, fragrant flowers. When not in bloom, the shrub has…