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Thank you, Will Miller, for our first public introduction to the larger community in the YLP newsletter.
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Here’s what the corner of Longhollow and Yosemite Springs Parkway looked like prior to 10AM yesterday: Before:
A virtuous crew, thanks to our marvelous Jeannie Cosby, got to work around 10AM. 
By the time I got there, all the really hard work had been done (great plan on my part, lol). And the spot was transformed! We got on hands and knees and weeded up most of the rest: AFTER:
Wednesday from 12-3 we will finish up. Please join us!
Here are resources for you as you plant your natives. If you are coming to the class on Thursday, please watch these videos and glance at the handout ahead of time. That will allow us to get the most out of our time together. If you aren't able, don't worry...we got you covered.
NOTE: He recommends digging a hole twice the width of the plant. I don't. We dig a hole the same size as the plant.
VIDEOS:
Planting California Natives: Preparing and Planting
Planting California Natives: Watering In
HANDOUT:
On Wednesday, Jan. 22, we will have a meeting on creating wildlife habitat in our yards. I am sharing these resources in advance of the meeting. Take a look and the meeting will be even more useful to you.
A bounty of pix, how-to’s and plants: https://www.laspilitas.com/garden/wildlife.htm
Yummy information and photos, and links to things like building a birdbath, and which creatures benefit from which native plants.
Focus on California: https://www.cnps.org/gardening/habitat-value-gardens-5261
https://www.cnps.org/gardening/native-design-basics/habitat-gardening The California Native Plant Society (CNPS) has literally hundreds of pages of beautiful, educational articles and pictures of native gardens that provide wildlife habitat. Click around in this website! 
The master, Doug Tallamy: https://youtu.be/3wzcz8dWyBc An hour-long presentation by the nation’s leading expert on the importance of providing habitat in our yards. Gorgeous California how-to video: https://youtu.be/omyFNYqd3MI
A southern California habitat garden as backdrop for advice on creating it in our own yards. 
©Pete di Girolamo
On November 13 this is what we did at our Streetside Demo meeting at Carolyn's house: We placed nearly a hundred flags in the ground for small sage (Celestial Blue), large sage (Allen Chickering), small grass (Purple Needlegrass), and large grass (Deer Grass). Carolyn, left to her own devices, and incorporating the areas to the right and the left of the main planting area, did this:  Address area planted out with twelve natives and a Native Plants Live Here sign. Notice how even this small, immature planting helps give focus and presence to the majestic oak.
I love how Carolyn has stretched her planting to the corners by creating individual "islands" for the plants. Perhaps she will end up connecting them as the plants mature, creating a continuous border. Come spring, as the weeds come up between the islands, she will have a lovely front area punctuated by, and celebrating, our California native plants. Fabulous job, Carolyn.
 Last week my husband planted 49 plants in the rain. Many were delicate little things -- a single leaf, a cloud of tiny transparent leaves clinging to a drooping stem. Las Pilitas Nursery in Santa Margarita sends these healthy, humble babies to serious native plant gardeners, who trust that care and rain will rehome a native plant, and set it to thriving.  Las Pilitas ships 1 gal plants in plastic bags The Plants
4 Lepechinia calycina, “Pitcher Sage” 5 Peritoma arborea, “Bladderpod” 18 Muhlenbergia rigens, “Deergrass” 3 Salvia ‘Celestial Blue’, “Celestial Blue Sage” 9 Baccharis pilularis consanguinea,“Coyote Brush” 2 Salvia clevelandii, “Cleveland Sage” 2 Penstemon centranthifolius, “Scarlet Bugler” 5 Penstemon spectabilis, “Showy Penstemon” |
AuthorA CA native plant gardener for 20 years, Leslie has been caring for her habitat garden in Yosemite Lakes Parks, Coarsegold, CA, since 2013. Archives
February 2020
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