About

About CA Native Garden…

I write this blog to:

• Share the joy I experience in my native garden,
• Support and encourage gardeners to grow natives successfully,
• Cultivate appreciation and conservation of CA native plants in the wild and in restoration projects,
• Be part of developing a native garden aesthetic,
• And help spread the horticultural knowledge that will allow CA natives, and environmentally friendly gardening in general, to become a more viable choice for landscapers and homeowners. 

I hope you enjoy it!

I welcome conversation and feedback; email me at tjinirvine@gmail.com.

The front garden, May 2014.

About the gardener…

I have lived with my husband Scott in the University Hills neighborhood of Irvine (UC Irvine faculty housing) since 1995. After watching my next door neighbor Tomaz make the transition successfully, I went native in winter of 2013.  This involved trucking in about 11 cubic yards of sandy soil, ripping out 2/3 of my yard (with help from a gardener), and planting some 75 or 100 pots (with help from Tomaz).  How did I learn to love gardening?  From my dad, who enjoyed gardening in the yard of my childhood home in Sunnyvale, as well as spouting factoids from the Sunset Garden Book.  How I get so technical?  I have a PhD in Chemistry.  (I have botanical pattern china with the Latin names on it–  enneagram type 5.)   What about the philosophical and spiritual part?  I have a Masters of Divinity from Claremont School of Theology.  When I work for pay, I serve United Church of Christ churches as an Intentional Interim Minister. You can check out my blogs:  Inspiring for Action and Just Shine. In addition to gardening, I enjoy teaching with Compassionate Communication and Peaceful parenting, practicing yoga, and stalking my grown son Mark on Facebook.

Scott and Mark, my two other loves.

To subscribe to this blog, click here.
To use text or photos from this blog, click here.
To share this post (do share!) click on the appropriate tiny icon below (email, facebook, etc.)