Keep It Contained: Gardening Above Groundwith California Native Plants by Carmen Wolf Fall

it free, then place it in the center of its new home. Fill in soil all around the roots of the plant and up to the top of the soil surrounding the stem.

Mulch Much. Top the soil in the container with a one-inch-thick layer of mulch, keeping the mulch two inches away from the stem to prevent rot.

continued on page 2

Create your own mini-paradise with native plants in containers. Natives that are naturally adapted to living in small spaces—like this chalk dudleya, which has thrived in a six-inch terra-cotta pot for eight years—are especially well suited to containers.

H aving no yard or minimal outdoor space doesn’t mean you can’t plant California natives at home.

Ceramic, plastic, or concrete pots, galvanized tubs, wooden wine boxes, old wheelbarrows, bathtubs, and practically anything else you can dream up provide excellent means for starting a container garden.

So don’t despair if your balcony is bare. Take comfort in knowing that you, too, can create botanical beauty, restore a little ecological balance, and bring winged friends to your corner of the world.

Follow these simple steps this fall, and your contained native plants should thrive for years.

Give ‘Em Room. Choose containers that will accommodate a few years’ growth of whatever plant you intend to put in them. Roots must have enough room to spread out.

Consider Drainage. Unless you’re planting a water garden (which is possible with certain natives—just check out the riparian plant section of our nursery), any vessel that holds a plant should have drainage holes. Most California natives can’t stand to stay drenched, so it’s essential that the water have a place to escape after saturating the roots. Skip a saucer beneath the container—it just inhibits drainage.

Before putting a plant into a container, cover the drainage hole with pieces of broken clay pots. This prevents soil from dropping out of the pots and enables water to more easily empty from the container.

Pack It In. Gently pack the bottom of the container with enough standard potting soil or cactus mix (which has fewer nutrients) so that the plant’s crown can sit about two inches below the rim of the container. Empty the plant from its nursery pot by carefully turning it upside down and sliding

News for Members of the Theodore Payne Foundation for Wild Flowers and Native Plants, Inc.

FALL 2006

the Poppy Print

The Poppy Print is the membership newsletter of the Theodore Payne Foundation for Wild Flowers and Native Plants, Inc., a nonprofit organization. The Foundation’s mission is to promote and restore California landscapes and habitats, to propagate and make available California native plants and wildflowers, and to educate and acquire knowledge about California flora and natural history. In keeping with this purpose, the Foundation operates a nonprofit nursery where native plants are grown and sold. Wildflower and native plant seeds as well as well as a full range of horticultural and botanical books and information are available at our Sun Valley headquarters and by mail.

Theodore Payne Foundation for Wild Flowers and Native Plants., Inc.,10459 Tuxford Street, Sun Valley, CA 91352 • www.theodorepayne.org

Tel: (818) 768-1802 • E-mail: info@theodorepayne.org

STAFF Office Manager/Bookkeeper: Margaret Robison Seed Room Sales Supervisor: Kathy Parenteau Nursery Manager: Holliday Wagner Nursery Production: Francisco Rosales Nursery Sales: David King Program Director: Carmen Wolf Newsletter Editing/Design: Acorn Publishing

BOARD John Wickham, President Jerry Schneider, Vice President Steve Hartman, Treasurer Lynnette Kampe, Secretary Stephanie Wilson Blanc Daniel Fink, M.D. Nathaniel West

Container Gardening continued from page 1

Mulch is a key ingredient to gardening with native plants, even in containers. It keeps the soil cool and moist and deters weed growth. It is especially crucial during the summer to protect plants against the intense, dry heat.

Most natives do well with shredded redwood bark or chips or oak leaf mulch. California desert plants prefer inorganic materials such as gravel or rocks.

Pick the Right Spot. Plants that require full sun under natural conditions in the ground usually do better in part shade when living in a container. That’s because they don’t have the advantage of endless ground in which roots can grow and seek out cooler temperatures, nutrients, and moisture.

One of the advantages of container gardening is that you can move plants around if they start out in the wrong spot—such as a spot that’s too sunny, too shady, or too windy.

Choose Your Favorites. Myriad natives grow well in containers—from bush anemone and buckwheat to tule and California mint, heuchera, ‘Golden Abundance’ barberry, ferns, dudleya, agave, sage, and much more. Come to Theodore Payne for suggestions from our nursery staff, or get ideas on our Web site. Consult our online guide, “Planting for Special Conditions: Containers,” in the “Guides and Lists” section of our Web site.

You can pot up a single specimen or group several natives in one container to beautiful effect. If you’re looking to bring hummingbirds to your home, try this red-hot flowering trio in a nice big pot or half whiskey barrel: Penstemon eatonii, centranthifolius, or bridgesii along with Epilobium canum or canum canum and Monardella macrantha macrantha ‘Marion Sampson.’

Place the plant that will grow the tallest toward the back, the mid-height plant near the middle, and the lowest grower (in this case the ‘Marion Sampson’ monardella) in the front so it can spill over the container’s edge.

2 Poppy Print, Fall 2006

Write to UsWe welcome letters at poppyprint@theodorepayne.org.

Water Wisely. Be sure to water newly potted plants right after transplanting and keep an eye out for droopiness during

the heat.

Water your container garden in the mornings, when the soil is dry. Not sure whether it’s time to water? Use a handy water meter, or stick your finger two inches into the soil. Unglazed, clay, or wood containers dry out more quickly than glazed and plastic ones. Keep black plastic pots out of direct sun so the roots don’t get cooked.

Potted natives should get a little fertilizer once a year, too.

Besides minimal TLC, contained natives are super low maintenance. Combinations are endless, so let your mind wander, get your hands dirty, and then sit back and admire the view!

Make a dramatic composition by grouping plants of different heights, foliage colors, and growth habits.

Photograph © Pete Veilleux

Poppy Print, Fall 2006 3

Bryden Johnston Plant Whisperer, Multitasker ExtraordinaireWe were pleased to award Bryden Johnston this summer’s Horticulture Scholarship, funded by the Southern California Horticultural Society. Bryden cheerfully helped with every nursery task, from mixing soil, watering, and weeding to propagating from seed and cuttings, moving plants into larger containers, and helping customers. The seed room saw Bryden’s helping hand, too, as she assisted with collecting and cleaning seed. Bryden also took special care of the plants we use for cuttings. Thanks to her talent, this year they should be bursting with fresh tips ready to become vigorous new plants.

We wish Bryden the best at her internship with Hidden Villa Organic Farm and Wilderness Preserve.

Ronald Clark Eagle Eye, Seed Maven, HumoristRonald Clark was selected as our first Ed Peterson Intern. This internship is part of our member-supported Ed Peterson Fund for Native Plant Education, which provides hands-on educational opportunities for young people. Ron has worked with us in the past, but this year he outdid himself—and the rest of us. A whiz at identifying California natives, Ron identified many specimens in the gardens for which documentation was lost. Carrying on in the Ed Peterson tradition, he collected much-needed seed from the San Gabriel Mountains. He also gave tender loving care to plants in the sales yard, pruning, fertilizing, and repotting them in 110-degree heat—and entertaining them with his jokes.

We wish Ron well in his senior year at Humboldt State University!

How to Convince Your Friends and Family to Go Native by Ronald Clark, Ed Peterson Intern

Several years ago a friend got me involved in the native plant movement. Since then, I’ve often faced the challenge of how to prove to others that they should join us in “going native”—as I know you have, too.

One of my most effective strategies is to show the harm that not choosing native plants can cause. By conservative estimates, exotic invasive species cost the nation roughly $138 billion a year—and that’s just the economic cost. The ecological costs are much greater.

Take Caulerpa taxifolia, a seemingly innocent saltwater alga. In 1980, researchers at an aquarium in Stuttgart discovered a strain that was unusually tolerant of the colder water found in home aquariums. They gave samples of this new variety to the Oceanographic Museum of Monaco. Soon, thousands of acres of Mediterranean sea floor were covered with the invasive seaweed, which has poisoned marine mammals and reduced fish populations by nearly half.

Nevertheless, C. taxifolia was easy to buy, and in 2000 someone emptied an aquarium full of the stuff into Aqua Hedionda Lagoon in San Diego. Eradicating the infestation required draining the lagoon and killing everything in it.

This is just one example of how exotic species can damage or destroy ecosystems. Most of the plants sold at our local hardware and garden stores are not native to California, or even to North America. By using native plants, we can send a signal to these businesses that it is time to change—and we can prevent the introduction of the next superweed.

Interns Keep Nursery Humming All Summer by Holliday Wagner

We were extremely fortunate this summer to have not one, but two knowledgeable and dedicated summer interns.

Ron thins sunflowers in the stock garden.

Bryden moves seedlings to roomier quarters.

4 Poppy Print, Fall 2006

Calendar of Events and Classes Fall 2006Fall is the optimal time to plant California natives, and we have lots of activities and classes to help get your garden underway. Please call (818) 768-1802 to reserve your space in classes, and check in at the bookstore on the day of the class or volunteer activity.

There is much more to come! Please check our Web site (www.theodorepayne.org) regularly for updates. Feel free to e-mail class ideas to Carmen Wolf, program director, at programs@theodorepayne.org.

OCTOBERRegular Hours ResumeFrom October 2 until the end of June 2007, we will be open Tuesday through Saturday, 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.

Field Sketching with Melanie Symonds Thursdays, October 5, 12, 19, and 26, 9:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. $35 members, $40 non-members (single session) $120 members, $140 non-members (series)This fall’s series of sketching classes focuses on “the products of summer.” Join award-winning artist Melanie Symonds to capture on paper the beauty of dried seeds, seedpods, flower heads, and leaves of native plants on the Theodore Payne grounds. Each class begins with a short demonstration and features plenty of time for individual exploration in pencil, colored pencil, or watercolor.

First Saturday Volunteer Project Saturday, October 7, 9:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. Learn how to properly care for a native garden by helping us in ours! We’ll clean, clear, plant, prune, mulch, and more on an area on our 22-acre property. Tools are provided. Please bring gloves, knee pads, sunscreen, a hat, and any tools for your personal use. We will have coffee, juice, bagels and doughnuts for all hard-working souls!

Native Plant Horticulture Saturday, October 7, 10:00 a.m. –12:30 p.m. $50 members, $65 non-members. Special price for couples working on one design.Landscape designer Cassy Aoyagi teaches the basics of gardening with California native plants, including pruning, proper watering, soil analysis, location evaluation, and the fundamentals of garden design.

Theodore Payne Fall Festival Friday, October 13, Saturday, October 14, and Sunday, October 15, 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.Celebrate the fall planting season and enjoy an expanded nursery selection, a 15% discount on plants for members (10%

for non-members), and 10% discount on seeds for everyone. Enjoy demonstrations and presentations, browse native bulbs for sale, snack on treats from Auntie Em’s Kitchen in Eagle Rock, and pick up garden goodies from Los Feliz’s Pot-ted and bird accessories from Wild Birds Unlimited. Art from the Botanical Artists Guild of Southern California and the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators will be on display and for sale. Visit www.theodorepayne.org for the entire schedule.

Correct Pruning Techniques for Woody PlantsSaturday, October 21, 10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. $35 members, $45 non-membersGary Knowlton, a certified arborist and oak tree specialist with 30 years of experience, shows you how to make the proper cuts to help your shrubs and trees grow beautifully.

Native Garden Design Workshop Saturday, October 28, 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.$90 members, $120 non-members (fee includes Native Plant Horticulture class on October 7—mandatory prerequisite)Landscape designer Cassy Aoyagi gives you hands-on experience and expert guidance in designing your own native plant garden. Bring your garden design plans and photos of your garden, along with your ideas and questions about “nativescaping.”

NOVEMBERFirst Saturday Volunteer Project Saturday, November 4, 9:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. See October 7 listing for details.

Native Plant Horticulture Saturday, November 4, 10:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m.$50 members, $65 non-members. Special price for couples working on one design.See October 7 listing for details. Uses of California Native Plants by the Native People, with Craft-Making SessionSaturday, November 11, 10:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.$30 members, $40 non-membersDiscover how native people use nature for food, shelter, music, and spiritual beliefs and make a bracelet using both traditional and nontraditional materials. Instructor Oscar Ortiz is a cultural and environmental specialist affiliated with Chumash cultural groups.

Native Garden Design Workshop Saturday, November 18, 10:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m.$90 members, $120 non-members (fee includes Native Plant Horti-culture class on November 4—mandatory prerequisite)See October 28 listing for details.

DECEMBERFirst Saturday Volunteer Project Saturday, December 2, 9:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. See October 7 listing for details.

Fall Festival October 13–15

Sign up for our free e-newsletter!Get program highlights in your inbox each month. Sign up online at www.theodorepayne.org/tpf_email.html.

Fall Festival

Poppy Print, Fall 2006 5

Help Us Create Our New Education Centerby John Wickham

Have you ever noticed that small house just north of the sales yard in our nursery? For nearly a decade, we have wanted to convert this 1940s-era cabin into a site dedicated to our educational programs. After years on the drawing board, this project is finally ready to move forward!

First, the Idea… We’ve worked hard these last few years to create new programs and classes. Frances Liau jump-started this effort in 2000 with a terrific seminar for teachers and the introduction of garden design classes. Since then, we’ve added classes in native plant horticulture and field drawing, as well as a staff position dedicated to the development and scheduling of classes and programs.

The growth of this important element of the Foundation’s life is a direct result of a generous grant from the Stanley Smith Horticultural Trust and financial support from you, our members.

…And Now, the SpaceBut we’ve always been missing a room ideally suited for learning. Our library is full of noise and activity from the neighboring bookstore—and our sycamore grove is full of noise and activity from birds! The new Education Center will finally provide the dedicated place we’ve always needed.

Theodore Payne member Blair Seibert has generously dedicated her time and expertise to the evaluation phase of the project. An architect specializing in green building design and materials, Blair is helping to evaluate structural, systems, and design issues. Once that’s done, we will develop construction plans, begin fundraising for this project, and make the needed improvements.

What’s in Store We’ll have plenty of work to do. The roof is in a pitiful state—made worse by last year’s windstorm, which tore roofing and flashing off the building. Electrical upgrades are in order, the doors need to be widened for access to people with disabilities, the septic system needs repair, and the gardens need improving. It’s one of the biggest projects we’ve tackled in years.

But why wait? We’re already holding classes up there! Things may be a little rugged, but our cozy cabin is still the perfect place for a slideshow, a talk, or working sessions on garden design. The old wood-plank floors and big bay windows give the space a relaxed and charming feel.

Lend a Hand If you are interested in helping with this project, please let us know. We’ll need seasoned help and support in several areas, as well as funding, to make the Education Center an exceptional resource for the programs we hope you’ve come to enjoy.

This cozy cabin nestled into the hillside above the sales yard will soon begin its tranformation into our new Education Center.

Wood floors and plenty of light make the cabin a welcoming spot for our education programs, even in its current rugged state.

“It’s one of the biggest projects we’ve tackled in years”

6 Poppy Print, Fall 2006

in the Art Gal l eryNew Exhibit Captures Beauty of California Plantsby John Wickham

This fall, don’t miss Native to California, an exhibit of spectacular recent works by artists from the Botanical Artists Guild of Southern California and the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators. It’s part of the new exhibition program in our Art Gallery, which features fresh displays every season.

Native to California will include original paintings and drawings of California flora and fauna by ten artists known nationally for their sensitive artistic approach to the natural world—Sharon Belkin, Cherie Ann Gossett, Irene Horiuchi, Suzanne Kuuskmae, Joann Leonard, Tania Marien, Sasha McMullen, Gilly Shaeffer, Deborah Shaw, and Melanie Symonds (see page 4 for upcoming drawing sessions with Symonds).

The founders of the Theodore Payne Foundation knew the power of art to inspire us with the beauty of California native plants. We are honored to carry on this tradition with these exceptionally beautiful works, which we hope will move you to even greater appreciation of our state’s beauty.

Native to California is on view from October 3 through November 30. The gallery is open Tuesday through Saturday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Join us for a special artists’ reception to celebrate Native to California at Theodore Payne’s Fall Festival on Saturday, October 14, at 2:00 p.m.

Meet the Artists

Data Loggers Yield Gold Mine of Horticultural Info

by Holliday Wagner

In early summer, you may have noticed a young man stooping over plants in the sales yards with a funny box in his hands. That was Dwight Beltz, a graduate student at California State University, Los Angeles, measuring the amount of light reflected by native plant leaves.

Research by Dwight’s major professor, Dr. John Gamon, suggests that leaf reflectance can tell us a lot about plants’ water use. Scientific categorization of plants based on real data of water use, not anecdote, will support water-saving measures, such as large-scale revegetation of California natives into the urban landscape.

Thanks to Dwight and John, there are now data loggers (elegantly housed in upside- down foam cups) collecting data on light intensity, temperature, and relative humidity every hour.

What can we learn? Check out this graph (below left), which shows a sample of data from Shade House 2 on July 12. It’s not a big surprise to see that the temperature (center line) goes up during the day, while the humidity (bottom line) goes down.

It is interesting to see how much the light intensity (top line) skyrockets at 8:00 a.m. Unexplained shadows loom at 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m., lessening the light intensity—but not the temperature.

The quick cooling-off sprinkle we give the plants at noon and 3:00 p.m. on hot days does not, it seems, have any effect on on temperature or humidity. On to our next experiment in protecting the plants from 115-degree heat!

Data loggers recorded this massive light spike in one of our shade houses this summer. Information like this helps us tailor our plant care for specific conditions in our growing areas.

Nursery News

Climate in Shade House 2 July 12, 2006

Melanie Symonds uses colored pencil to bring out the delicate textures of native plants such as this Salvia clevelandii.

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midnight 3:00 a.m. 6:00 a.m. 9:00 a.m. noon 3:00 p.m. 6:00 p.m. 9:00 p.m.

Temperature Humidity Light Intensity

© M

elanie Symonds

Yes! I would like to support the work of the Theodore Payne Foundation with a tax-deductible contribution of:

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Please designate my gift to support:

Area of Greatest Need Education Programs Facility Improvements

Seed Program Oral History Project Archives Project Endowment

Ed Peterson Fund for Native Plant Education

My employer, __________________________, will match my gift. My employer’s matching gift form is enclosed. (company name)

I would like more information about making a bequest. Please contact me.

IMPORTANT: Please complete name, address, and payment information on the reverse side of this form.

Thank you for your support!

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES & ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Volunteer assistance and enthusiasm are integral to the continued success and growth of the Theodore Payne nursery, bookstore, seed room, and education programs. We simply could not exist without the dedication of those individuals who so generously give of their time. We truly appreciate every moment our volunteers devote to us.

It’s always exciting to see more of our members join the volunteer ranks, and there are plenty of opportunities to do just that this fall. We will resume attendance at the Montrose Harvest Market and need outgoing people to staff our booth. It’s a fun and creative way to showcase natives and mingle with the community. We are also looking for assistance the week before and during Fall Festival, held this year October 13–15, 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. If you are interested in these activities and more (see the categories in bold below), please contact Carmen at (818) 768-1802.

And now, to the following folks who have volunteered over the past few months, we extend our gratitude!

Ken Gilliland for the constant updates, improvements, and maintenance of our outstanding, comprehensive Web site. His generosity with technical expertise and patience with our lack thereof are enormous assets. We are supremely grateful.

Judy Cammer, Andrew Peck, Roxanne Correa, Mary Brooks, and Hilary Mau for helping to propagate the plants that are essential to our nursery business.

The wonderful folks from Tierra del Sol, Mary Brooks, Elizabeth Miles, Eddie Condit, and Julie Takayama for pulling weeds and making more space for natives to grow.

Philip Kratz, Katie Galang, and Paula Fink for data entry.

Joe Grant, Fred and Kathy Heslep, and Elizabeth Miles for grounds maintenance and beautification during First Saturday Projects.

Ollie LaPlant for research assistance.

Kathy Sedwick, Eddie Condit, and Mike Mersola for construction assistance.

Nate West for computer help.

Keith Malone for assistance with publicity and programs.

Steve Hartman for transferring Theodore Payne audio files to digital format.

Stephanie Wilson Blanc for her pro bono teaching services.

Greg Maltby for seed room assistance.

Mary Brooks and Eddie Condit for assistance in the sales yard.

John Wickham for teaching, First Saturday leadership, group presentations, and guiding us all along every day!

Learn, make new friends, and continue Theodore Payne’s legacy— volunteer with us!

M E M B E R S H I P / D O N AT I O N F O R MYes! I would like to become a member: $20 Student/Senior $30 Regular $65 Friend $100 Supporting/Membership Org. $150 Hort./Prof./Bus. $250 Patron $500 Golden Poppy $1,000 Life Member I would like to support the Theodore Payne Foundation by making a tax-deductible gift. (Please complete reverse side.)

Name ________________________________________

Address ______________________________________ City _____________________ State _____ Zip ____________

Phone (_____) ____________________________ E-mail address __________________________________

My check in the amount of $ _____________, payable to Theodore Payne Foundation, is enclosed.

Please charge $ _____________ to my Visa Mastercard Credit Card No: _________________________

Expiration Date: _____________ Cardholder Signature: __________________________________________________Credit card membership orders and gifts may also be phoned in at (818) 768-1802.Membership contribution and gifts are tax deductible within the limits allowed by law. 501(c)(3) EIN 95-6095398 Printed on recycled paper

Theodore Payne Foundation for Wild Flowers and Native Plants, Inc. 10459 Tuxford Street Sun Valley, California 91352-2126

Tel: (818) 768-1802 Fax: (818) 768-5215 Wildflower Hotline: (818) 768-3533 E-mail: info@theodorepayne.org Web site: www.theodorepayne.org

Return Service Requested

PresortedFirst Class

U.S. PostageP A I D

Permit #1246Van Nuys, CA

PL ANT OF THE MONTH PROGR AMEach month we feature a different species and offer a 20% discount to members.

October Juncus mexicanus —Mexican rush

November Quercus chrysolepis—canyon live oak

December Iris ‘Purple and White’—Pacific Coast iris hybrids

Please note: We reserve the right to make changes. Offer is good while supplies last— sorry, no rain checks or holds. We may need to limit quantities. Please check our Web site for more information on the plants listed here.

Quercus chrysolepis

Theodore Payne Foundation for Wild Flowers and Native Plants, Inc. 10459 Tuxford Street, Sun Valley, CA 91352

Phot

ogra

ph ©

Ken

Gill

iland

Fall Festival October 13–15 see page 4