Why Use California Natives?

The benefits of using California native plants in landscaping are economic, aesthetic, and ethical. First, planting California natives will lower your water bill, eliminate the need for fertilizing, and reduce the time and energy spent maintaining the landscape (less mowing, hedging, and trimming). Second, California native plants will enliven the landscape, whether through colorful blooms, aromatic foliage, or the hummingbirds, butterflies, and other wildlife this vegetation attracts. Finally, too much of our world is becoming homogenized, and the landscaping in one part of the country (or the world) is largely the same as in another. Let's keep California's unique identity by using our state's natural abundance.

This site will have its primary focus on plants that will grow in Bakersfield and surrounding environs.

Thursday, March 13, 2014

Purchasing California Native Plants

When selecting native plants, it's essential to find plants grown the "right" way; these plants will have been grown naturally from seed or cuttings and will not be spurred to artificial growth through the use of fertilizers and hothouses. Furthermore, the best nurseries will use soil that has beneficial bacteria "partners" to foster healthy growth and immune systems. Here is a list of the nurseries that I recommend:

Las Pilitas is off of Highway 58 near Atascadero. They're only open for retail on Fridays and Saturdays, but you can order online, and they are fantastic about answering questions. They have the largest selection of California plants of any nursery.  They also have a superb website --encyclopedic in scope-- that lets you search by zipcode or select criteria to find the perfect plants for your site.

Theodore Payne is located just over the Grapevine in Sun Valley. Their plants are generally a little bigger than the plants at Las Pilitas, and they have an extensive indoor gift shop of art, seeds, and books related to native California plants. They also have tours and classes for anyone wanting to learn about specific aspects of native gardening.
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