A report on a new Native Public Garden

Betsy Cory is a CNPS member and came to the board several months ago with a request to sponsor a Public Library Native Plant garden in Chula Vista. South Bay has seen some good projects lately, and here isBetsy's report on how her garden is progressing:

Greetings!

Yesterday was the last step in the installation of the Fragrant Garden at the Chula Vista Library.  A Native American elder, Randy Edmonds, blessed and dedicated the garden in a traditional ceremony.  He burned a white sage smudge and wafted the smoke up to the Creator with an eagle feather fan.  With the smoke went our hope and trust that the small plants will grow into an aromatic garden that will be a comfort and source of appreciation for native plants to people of all ages.

In the months before, everything had gone like clockwork.  The soil was analyzed by a laboratory and found to need iron and sulfur.  Those minerals were purchased and dug into the soil by the Chula Vista Garden Club. Kay Stewart selected the plants and designed the garden to make the most of the challenging site, which is a small triangular interior courtyard surrounded by 20-foot walls.  The 27 plants of 11 different species were purchased at the CNPS-SD plant sale and planted the same day.  (Two Artemisia dracunculus were unavailable and were purchased from Recon.)  Kay also printed labels, so that each plant is clearly identifiable.  A poster was placed at the entrance with photographs of the plants as they will look when mature, along with the common and botanical names of each, and acknowledgment of the CNPS-SD funding.  The Chula Vista Parks Maintenance Department adjusted the irrigation system and spread mulch after the plants were installed.  The Chula Vista Garden Club is prepared to do the necessary weeding and pruning at the proper time.

It is fitting that the blessing took place during Native American Heritage Month.  The plants in the garden are native plants that were so important to the native wildlife, as well as to the Native Americans who lived in the area--and still live here.  Thank you for the grant which made this garden possible.  

Betsy Cory

CNPS-SD Member

Chula Vista Garden Club Member

Chula Vista Library Cardholder

Join a lecture on Birding...

Of course, as we garden with natives, we get more birds. Would you like to learn a bit more about how to educate people, especially children in the art of identifying birds?

Try this:

SAN DIEGO NATURALISTS, Tuesday, December 4, 1-3 pm.  
In the past year, naturalists have been meeting to coordinate training, learning, and ways to engage more children (and adults) in nature. This meeting will feature three of the five segments in a Birding for Naturalists training module (I. Importance of Birds, IV. The Tools of Birding, and V. Bird Identification). This module has been developed by about ten birders, educators, and others who have met monthly since May. It builds on critical observation and critical thinking skills, without naming a single bird! An interpretive module for naturalists was developed and presented on July 11, focused on leading interpretive walks and thematic interpretation, and got mixed feedback. This meeting will invite input on the needs for training on interpretive skills, then the module will be revised in early 2013.

This was from San Diego Children and Nature - check out their web site for more info.

You're invited to attend this and other December meetings with naturalists, citizen science network, and early childhood educators (instead of general SDCaN meeting), all at Girl Scout program center, 1231 Upas Street.

DIRECTIONS:  The Girl Scout program center is at 1231 Upas Street, on the southwest corner of Richmond and Upas Street at the northern edge of Balboa Park,Girl Scouts of San Diego program centef.  From 163 south, take Washington Avenue east, very soon turn right on Richmond, and follow that about 10 blocks.  Cross Upas and take the first driveway to the right.  From 163 north, take the Richmond Avenue exit and take the fourth driveway to the left.

Reverse invasion?

Garden Design Magazine published an article online about a new monkeyflower (mimulus) that was discovered in Scotland. This photo accompanied the article:

The really interesting aspect is that the mimulus is a cross with a California native, apparently. The article states, "The ancestors of the new species were introduced from the United States and South America's Andes Mountains in the 1800s."

And it is not  a sterile hybrid, because, for some reason, it duplicated its entire genome, due to some quirk. Cindy Burrascano says, "To me this is just another example of a potential invasive species with unknown consequences for the habitat it is invading."

Every bit of change in the universe has consequences. None of which we can fully predict or even begin to think we can control. And I find that exciting.

New Rebates - City of San Diego

Garden Contessa sent an email: The City of San Diego has launched a new voucher program to provide deep discounts on compost bins, worm bins and red worms. The program is for City of San Diego residents only. Find the details here: http://www.sandiego.gov/environmental-services/recycling/residential/composting.shtml

City of San Diego Rain Barrel program:

I received this note from

Lana Findlay, Public Information Officer lfindlay@sandiego.gov

1:48pm Nov 9

Hello CNPS - SD!

I am one of the Public Information Officers for Think Blue San Diego, part of the City of San Diego's Storm Water Division.

Rain barrels help to reduce the demand on the drinking water system to irrigate gardens and reduce storm water runoff which flows untreated into our rivers, bays and ocean.

The rebate is simple, residents can get $0.50 for every gallon of water their rain barrel holds up to $200! We would really appreciate your support spreading the news about our residential outdoor rebate programs.

Here is a link to our Facebook note with information you can share:
http://www.facebook.com/ThinkBlueSanDiego#!/notes/think-blue-san-diego/city-provides-rebates-for-rain-barrels-to-promote-water-conservation-and-polluti/491527907548085

Or our rain barrel rebate photo album:
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.487202997980576.123730.184291844938361&type=1&ref=notif&notif_t=like

Or you can go to the City's rebate webpage directly at:
http://www.facebook.com/l/MAQHzQiorAQHGqPtQAVQAIPbVg2WC-J0asf4_Hcga9nPyuw/www.sandiego.gov/water/conservation/residentialoutdoor/index.shtml

Did you buy a rain barrel yet? Please do. 

Up the coast, they get serious about water retention

Landscape Online showcases projects that are of interest to people in the horticulture industry - mostly contractors. The Central Coast area has been forward-thinking about this issue. Check out this short article about their new programs for bioretention.

We can create these sorts of benefits for all major public works, and that would help solve cliff erosion, beach pollution and save water. Good benefits, worth the cost in many situations.




Image: landscapeonline.com

Rockin' in the Garden

A lot of native garden efforts incorporate rocks for a number of aesthetic and practical reasons such as drainage paths, areas to recharge water from downspouts, or a 'thematic' statement.
Unfortunately, in this author's opinion (occasionally a rant!), these are not always treated with good, naturally-based design forethought, which should include:

• A variety of rock sizes,used with a 'planned randomness". The best suggestion: find a local canyon or streambed and observe what Mother Nature did! Achieving this may even involve obtaining rock sold or separated by uniform size and mixing 3-4 sizes, with the suggested observations as your guide.
• A stream bed  in a yard without any other rocks tends to look imposed; consider at least a few other 'out croppings' of similar rock, partially buried to avoid "dinosaur eggs".
• There are lots of other garden organization benefits to these efforts including providing natural protection for offsets in elevation, accents for natural-looking paths, accenting certain plant forms in a natural way, plus the fact that rocks are a good water-retention mulch.

...rock on!