Member-at-Large Sabrina Okamura-Johnson led a native plant propagation workshop at Chapter President Chris Lewis' house on a beautiful sunny day in late March, `06. Participants were treated to views of Chris' beautiful native front and back gardens and her wildlife pond, which feature multiple plant communities from sunny dry chapparal plants to local wetland species. Participants snacked on lemonade, cookies, and veggies while propagating plants for their gardens with cuttings taken from our Chapter's Demonstration Garden at the Old City Cemetery. Sabrina demonstrated the propagation techniques for Cleveland's sage, black sage, hummingbird sage, and California fuschia, and participants were provided with handouts that detailed the requirements, maintenance, and plant communities of these species.  

The next workshop will probably take place sometime around September.  

Turnout for the event was higher than anticipated, illustrating that people are very interested in using native plants in their private home gardens.  Reasons cited by participants for their involvement in the workshop were to 1) to conserve water, 2) to reduce biocide and fertilizer use and 3) to attact more beneficial wildlife and insects to their homes.   

Converting to a Native Plant Garden -- if selected appropriately -- will drastically reduce water use in our semi-arid climate. Water metering is on the horizon, so money will ultimately be saved from a native conversion, as well.  Because natives do not require additional fertilizers and many have built-in immunities to native predators, using natives in a garden can help reduce fertilizer and pesticide use. Lawns and other non-native plants are currently part of the single largest "non-point" or general source of water pollution in California. Using natives instead reduces stormwater pollution from these chemicals which affect our drinking water and fisheries.

And while nothing can substitute for true conservation of native plant communities, native gardens can help to reduce impacts to certain bird and insect species resulting from wildland to urban conversions and use of invasive plants in wildland-urban interfaces. For instance, one CNPS member who lives downtown recently cited the common appearance of swallowtail butterfly in her backyard because of her incorporation of Dutchman's pipevine into her backyard garden. People spend -- on average -- 2,000 hours in their lifetime mowing their lawns. 

 Anyone interested in reducing this chore and others involved in conventional gardening should consider adding at least a section of natives to their yard. While natives in urban landscapes do require care at appropriate times of the year (usually involving trimming back), the overall maintenance is reduced when compared to a lawn. Additionally, because lawnmowers and leafblowers are not requisite pieces of equipment for a native plant garden, going native will help you reduce your fuel costs and the noise and air pollution that result from using these traditional landscaping tools.  

Two members pot up Cleveland's sage.

Contact Jessica Hankins, Horticulture Chair, at (916) 731-4910 for more information about how you can convert your yard to native California plants.

Mix and mingle and learn a lot with a good group of folks

Don't miss the next Plant Propagation Workshop!