UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa County
Press Mentions
Alta
Bumper Crops
Watch your fall garden grow with a little help from these seed purveyors.
"Not only do natives thrive in local soil, but they also tend to use less water and are a haven for birds, beneficial insects, and other wildlife."
California Native Plant Society
Hot Sunny Slopes and the Plants That Hold ‘Em
"Slopes and hillsides can be difficult spaces to garden, so much so that seedswoman and author Judith Larner Lowry, in her book, Gardening with A Wild Heart, says that one of the most common calls her business receives starts with, “I have this slope behind my house…” Plants for slopes must perform many functions: control erosion, hold the slope, be drought-tolerant, and, since slopes are often in fire-risk areas, be firewise. Happily, there are many plants in the native palette which meet these needs."
Sunset
Yes, You Can Create a Super Bloom in Your Own Yard This Year—But Hurry Before It’s Too Late
"Don’t go online and grab just any wildflower mix, even if it purports to be from your locale because there can be aggressive non-native species in the mix. “It’s important to choose the right seeds for your area,” says Maya Argaman, the senior horticulture coordinator at the California Native Plant Society."
Los Angeles Times
Want glorious spring wildflowers? Here’s what you should scatter right now
"Most nurseries sell wildflower mixes, but if you’re interested in building habitat and discouraging invasive species like African daisy, aim for mixes or seeds that are native to California to help local insects and birds."
Topanga New Times
"Larner Seeds offers hard to find native plants, including a wide range of native grasses and even a limited selection of bulbs, but order fast, they sell out quickly. www.larnerseeds.com."
Topanga New Times
Now Is the Perfect Time for Native Garden Plants
"Chinese houses, Collinsia heterophylla, gets its name from its pagoda-shaped flowers. It is an easy to grow spring annual and thrives in light shade, especially under oaks. Seeds are available from specialty companies like Larner Seeds."
Los Altos Town Crier
Add a little garden diversity with native wildflowers
"Reliable online seed sources for California native wildflowers are Larner Seeds (larnerseeds.com) and Theodore Payne Foundation (theodorepayne.org)."
PBS SoCal
Plant Medicine: Grow Your Own Chia
"Back in the day, the fields of California were so full of chia that in some places nothing else was able to grow. Growing each year from seed, the one-and-a-half-foot-tall plants produced nutritious seeds that served as a staple food for native Californians for millennia."
UC Agriculture and Natural Resources: The Real Dirt
Growing Annual Native Wildflowers
"Planting annual native wildflower seed can be a relatively easy and inexpensive way to add native plants to your garden. The best time to plant is from mid-October into November. Water during dry spells between rains for optimal germination."
Plant Natives this Fall
"Planting California native plants in your gardens and encouraging others in your community to do the same is a powerful way each of us can contribute meaningfully to climate change solutions."
The Oregonian
Native plants are essential to an Oregon garden: Here’s how to help them thrive
"Native annuals often get overlooked in our gardens. They used to occupy vast stretches of the Willamette Valley, but civilization has caused those displays to suffer. In our gardens they are precious reminders that we should include every category of native plant."