Tag: Nature
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Final Sage Giveaway Re-Scheduled
With rain forecast this weekend, OCCNPS has re-scheduled the final February 25th white sage giveaway at Shipley Nature Center to Saturday, March 4 at 10 a.m. The March 4th A Sage in Every Garden event is your last chance to get a free, four-inch white sage. If you live near Huntington Beach, stop by Shipley…
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White Sage in the Sunshine
The rain has stopped and the sun is shining in Southern California once again. A Sage in Every Garden (SIEG) volunteers are ready to give away 200 four-inch White Sage (Salvia apiana) plants at two events in Orange County this weekend. A month of rainy weather caused some SIEG dates and venues to change. We…
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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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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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A Sage in Every Garden Coming Soon
The Orange County chapter of the California Native Plant Society (OCCNPS) is partnering with Roger’s Gardens this fall to distribute 2,000 four-inch White Sage (Salvia apiana) plants to Orange County homeowners. The campaign begins November 2022 and extends through February 2023. A Sage in Every Garden is modeled after the 2019 buckwheat giveaway campaign. OCCNPS…
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Working with HOA’s to Install Native Plants
If you are a native plant enthusiast, you can influence the installation of native plants on Homeowner Association (HOA) common area property. Homeowner Association boards are made up of neighbors who likely have little to no native gardening experience. Consequently, board members rely on their HOA landscape contractor for planting suggestions. When boards rely on…
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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…
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Elegant Shrubs for the Garden
Today’s post features California native shrubs that are “front-yard natives” because they look good year-round, are easy to care for, HOA’s love them, and they are evergreen. Manzanitas (Arctostaphylos species) are great in front-garden landscapes because they are leafy evergreen plants with bell-shaped blossoms that support native bumblebees and other wildlife. ‘Sunset’ manzanitas are medium-sized…
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Summer Blooms for Butterflies
You may be aware that milkweed is the only food that monarch caterpillars eat. Monarch butterflies, however, need more than just milkweed to sustain them. Monarchs and other butterflies need gardens that have different species of summer-flowering plants to provide nectar. Today’s post features five terrific summer-blooming California native plants for butterflies that are great…
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A Chemical-Free Garden for Monarchs
Is it possible to have a beautiful garden without using pesticides and herbicides? In my experience, it has been easy to have a healthy garden that doesn’t require chemical pest control. Reducing our reliance on chemicals protects butterflies, and invites wildlife to step in and manage the unwanted insect population. Birds feed their offspring mostly…
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Garden While Spring is Here
Tree of Life Nursery in San Juan Capistrano and Roger’s Gardens in Newport Beach are open and have free buckwheat plants available for pick-up (while supplies last). When you go to pick up your free buckwheat, consider buying a few extra native plants to install in your garden this spring. Tree of Life Nursery is…
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My Interview with the LA Times
Jeanette Marantos, garden reporter for the LA Times, called me in mid-February as I was returning home from a landscape restoration project I work on in Trabuco Canyon. Marantos asked me to provide a short list of the best native plants Southern Californians can plant in their home landscapes, and also why it is important…
A Sage and A Buckwheat in Every Garden 