Over the first two days of April there will be an opportunity to visit some thirty gardens in Los Angeles County that will be open for the Theodore Payne Foundation?s annual Native Plant Garden Tour. If you are unable to make these dates you can still enjoy a virtual tour of ten of these inspiring gardens. The gardens are described in an article by Annie Thornton which I found on the Houzz website.
Paths and the plants that edge them can create some of the most memorable and magical garden spaces, from meandering, overgrown walks to clean-lined, neatly framed runways. Over the course of two days, April 1 and 2, 2017, garden enthusiasts will be able walk through and experience over 30 gardens throughout Los Angeles County that will be open for the Theodore Payne Foundation?s annual Native Plant Garden Tour. Planted with mostly native California plants, these gardens buzz with wildlife as they celebrate the beauty of the region.
1. Hummingbird Garden
Location: Beverly Hills, CaliforniaDesigner: Homeowner Susan Gottlieb, with the assistance of Rogers WeldMatilija poppy (Romneya coulteri), with its beautiful papery white petals and golden centers, anchors the end of the path in this Beverly Hills garden. Reaching up to 8 feet tall and with flowers attracting a range of wildlife, it?s a beautiful (though somewhat challenging) native for the California garden.With a running stream, an elevated catwalk and a water feature for birds, this mature native garden near downtown Beverly Hills transports visitors to another world. Here, a path of concrete block (which has since been changed to flagstone) and pink garden rock leads along the side of the house from the front yard to a back garden. Gray-green plants mound toward the path, visually cooling an especially hot, bright area.
The plants were chosen for their heat and drought tolerance, especially the desert lavender (Hyptis emoryi), which runs against the house, and their ecological benefit. ?Using plants native to our area is extremely important to me, as my mission is to provide habitat for the creatures that are native to Southern California and the Los Angeles basin,? says homeowner Susan Gottlieb. ?Many native California plants are endangered, so using them in our gardens is important from a conservation standpoint.?
Plants lining the path include deergrass (Muhlenbergia rigens), black sage (Salvia mellifera), desert mint (Monardella odoratissima), ?Canyon Prince? giant wild rye (Leymus condensatus ?Canyon Prince?), fragrant pitch sage (Lepechinia fragrans), California buckwheat (Eriogonum fasciculatum) and Matilija poppy.
