Autumn is planting season for natives

November through February offer the best planting months in Southern California gardens.

Poppy Print goes live

The return to the Theodore Payne Foundation of some of Jane Pinheiro’s botanical watercolors is among the subjects covered in the summer edition of the Poppy Print, which has just gone live online for non-members. Also read it to learn about the foundation’s new executive director, Lynnette Kampe, then proceed to summer gardening tips, a schedule of classes, and a nifty gallery of our local lizards.

Sow and ye shall reap

It smelled of sage and spring in the seed room of the Theodore Payne Foundation in Sun Valley this week as supervisor Kathy Parenteau showed how the fruit of their native plant collection is sorted and stored for propagation and sale. Pictured above are the English apothecary spoons that Payne himself used to sort seeds, with the tiny Chalk Dudleya specimens contrasted to the aptly named fruit of the Bigberry Manazanita.

With heavy and persistent rain in the forecast for next week and spring around the corner, now is the time to sow seeds or plant saplings. For information on the seeds from the Theodore Payne Foundation, which are carefully selected for Southern California, click here. Or, for beginners just contemplating converting to native gardening or advanced gardeners always eager to learn more, Chance

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    Emily Green by e-mail at emily.green [at] mac.com
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