Why Native Plants?
The Ivanhoe Path understory, Silver Lake Meadow Native Plant Garden, Armstrong Garden, and Tesla Pocket Park are all composed almost exclusively of locally native shrubs and flowers. We have planted these because these plants are uniquely adapted to our cool wet winters and hot dry summers, so they thrive with little extra care or water. They also provide habitat (food and shelter) for the birds, bees, butterflies and other critters that evolved along with them. Once established, California native gardens can use 80% less water than conventional gardens while still providing colorful flowers year-round. These flowers provide pollen and nectar for our pollinators (and leaves for their caterpillars), and seeds for the birds. Those caterpillars become beautiful butterflies, and also moths (which also feed the birds!).
Go to calscape.org for more information about individual plant species and ideas about how to create a beautiful and sustainable landscape in your own yard or container garden.
Learn more about What Grows Here @ Calflora, find especially Bird Friendly Plants @ Audubon Society, and also plants that support Butterflies and Moths @ the National Wildlife Foundation.
Trees and Large Shrubs
Some of the trees and shrubs that shelter and feed our local wildlife. We tend them and will be planting many more soon.
Wildflowers
We scatter seeds of these annual and perennial wildflowers around the Reservoirs every year.
Coastal Sage Scrub, our local native plant community
Flowering perennial plants and small shrubs are planted around the Reservoirs, in all of the gardens. Here are a few of our favorites…
