New Year’s Resolutions for Your Native Garden

Native Gardeners Corner— Member’s Tips, Tricks, and Techniques

“Do you have any New Year’s native garden resolutions or plans for changing your garden this season?”

2020 January-February

By Dan Songster

This column is a regular newsletter feature offering chapter members and local experts a chance to briefly share information on many things related to gardening with natives.

Robert Huber: “Complete the updating of my backyard native garden in time for the OCCNPS, California In My Garden tour in April. Taking the Theodore Payne garden tour two years ago is what inspired me to go native in the first place.”

Rama Nayeri: “I resolve this coming year to actually do something with my garden. It is currently a blank slate of 100 square feet of concrete with some empty pots.”

Susan Krzywicki: “I am in love with the idea of simply maintaining my garden—no new projects! Putting the monthly maintenance calendar into effect, paying more attention to small changes and small tasks to romanticize my space, and observing and living with the garden more.”

Linda Southwell: “My New Year’s native garden resolutions: Pull weeds early and often, enjoy the hopefully plentiful Spring blooms, and resist the temptation to put new plants in the ground after the season of rain has ended.”

Orchid Black: “I resolve to actually plant all the plants I buy at plant sales. Also, to consider the mystery of hügelculture.”

Nancy Harris: “Even though I have no open space left in my garden, I purchased two 4-inch Eriogonum ‘Dana Point’ (Buckwheat) at Roger’s Gardens being showcased with the “A Buckwheat in Every Garden” program by CNPS and TOLN. ‘Dana Point’ grows rounder, greener and tamer than the straight species. Well, I squeezed those babies into my garden and hope they grow for the wildlife.”

Chuck Wright: “Just to continue to thin out the non-natives and nurture the natives.”

Alan Lindsay: “Weeds! Every year about this time I am resolute to get a head start on the weeds! This year, with the early rains, I’d better get started. Well—as soon as I take care of a few other chores.”

Dan Songster: “No new year resolutions that will benefit my garden except to hike more often for the garden inspiration only our wildlands can provide.”