Don't plant natives now, they won't grow! Plan a successful garden for late Fall, and educate yourself for success.
Want to see how natives have grown in an established garden? I've seen a number of little native gardens and school nature centers. They are great as far as they go, but that usually isn't very far. Imagine my surprise when, during Spring Break, I discovered a hidden gem tucked between a giant parking lot and glass-sheathed multistory buildings at Golden West College in Huntington Beach.
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| A shady glen at the entrance had strawberries, fescue, native iris, and two colors of monkey flowers. |
The Golden West College
California Native Garden is about 1.5 acres in size and has some spectacular mature trees. It feels like an oasis of nature in the city. It offers a glimpse of some favorite native perennials and shrubs in their mature form, set in a park-like atmosphere. Some corners look like a well-tended home garden. Some are larger in scale.
Some of my favorites were shown to good effect. Some of my favorites get a lot bigger than I realized.
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| See that tiny park bench in the back left? This Catalina Silverlace (Constancea nevinii) is taller than my head. |
When I visited April 1, the wildflowers were going strong: Elegant Clarkia (which would take over if allowed), bulbs like Blue Dicks, Chinese Houses, and more.
The garden is a labor of love by many, but its guiding force is Dan Songster. He was Lead Groundskeeper and Co-Director of the Garden for many years. Now that he is retired, he can't stay away. He takes the honorary title "Curator" and still coordinates the volunteer efforts, hands-on, many mornings.
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| Dan (left) and friends, tending the garden. |
Dan has knowledge of native gardening won by long experience. When I visited, he showed me a fine Sugar Bush (tree, really) that he was pruning to reveal its twisted branches, and pointed out some favorite cultivars.
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| Snails ate all the blue Lupines, Dan says, but they don't eat the yellow ones. Good to know, since they ate mine! |
A little history of the garden can be found
on the Golden West website. The garden is open to visitors dawn till dusk. It can be accessed through the northeast corner where there is no fence or gate. Drive to the middle of the long parking lot just east of Golden West Street between Edinger and McFadden (
here's a map); parking will cost you $2. Check out this resource as you plot your native garden for fall.
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| Sticky Monkey Flower happily blooming between two Deer Grass, all under a giant oak. |
If you come at 9 on a Tuesday or Thursday morning, you can ask Dan your native gardening questions. He is very accommodating. Or just help tend the garden!
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| The garden has Dudleya, of course. This Dudleya (hassei?) is set off nicely by bright green buckwheat. |
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That last image is Dudleya brittonii-a baja plant much like the D. pulverulenta but different flowers. Thanks for the coverage on the garden and really glad you liked it!
ReplyDeleteDan
Definitely not brittoni. Check your internet sources here. Though clearly you are not the only one with this idea, since the whole San Diego CNPS garden tour had this plant, or ones very similar to it, so labeled.
DeleteHave got to get back there for a visit. It's been too long. Great space with a good feel to it.
ReplyDelete