ahhhh. stretch. good to be back. the break was much needed. went too quickly. so enjoyed being with my mum. {can't wait for a trip home in june!}
we finally made the trip to the
Theodore Payne Foundation over the weekend. i had never been, but had heard mention of it, and had been urged to visit after my post on
sew green about
our gardening plans. it was well worth it. they were founded in 1960 with the mission to "promote and restore California landscapes, and habitats", "propagate and make available California native plants and wildflowers", and "educate and acquire knowledge about California flora and natural history". {it was also their annual "poppy day" with plants priced 10% off!} what we thought would be an hour visit turned into a morning. the big bug was fascinated by the variety of plants. and walked around searching for tags with "dry", "full sun", "clay soil".
we are trying to plant by
community. with the notion that plants which would grow together in nature, should grow well together in our yard. their similar needs will also ease maintenance. and they will attract more native critters {birds, lizards, and small mammals} to our yard as well. {we are also basing our plan on the concept of the national wildlife federation's
backyard wildlife habitat program.}
we settled on a range of ceanothus {california lilacs} - some that will serve as low ground cover on what was our front lawn, others that will grow to be small trees around our pool; a largish variety of sage for drama; some toyon ground cover; a couple of native succulents that i couldn't resist; california fuschia for the butterflies and hummingbirds; and for good measure - a
california bush sunflower {which isn't a member of "our community" but i thought i'd throw an outsider in the mix - plus they are a favorite of mine and a
reminder of my prairie home.}
we are also going outside the box with a little meadow for our breezeway, which will also house a new pond for
giselle. it is also an area which will be easy to give a little extra attention {"semi-dry" choices here instead of "dry"} to due to its small size. the girls chose most of the plants for this area, their favorite the dainty coral bells hybrids {as pictured above} and various grasses.
next trip - a few
monkeyflower plants; some
yarrow; manzanita;
buckwheat; and
a vine to cover the wall of the new sitting area off our bedroom.
it's great. neighbors passing by are all very curious about where our {albeit dead} grass has gone - and once they hear the virtues of native planting, they seem to be joining in. it will be curious to see the transformation {if any} along our little street.
i am madly preparing for our
big sunday event for the school at month's end. so far it all sounds pretty on track. with a few bumps i hope to have resolved this week. we will be planting a native garden on the campus, touching up a faded mural and doing some general "sparkling". my mission "to promote and restore" our neighborhood, with our school being the heart of it all. {hopefully attracting new families, and birds and butterflies too!}
happy wednesday!
