Matson-Mowder-Howe
Celebration Garden

Special Plants to See

• Blue elderberry (Sambucus nigra ssp. caerulea) is a host plant for the Valley Elderberry Longhorn Beetle.
• Matilija poppy (Romneya coulteri) flowers prolifically in June and July and is very photogenic.
• Pacific bleedinghearts (Dicentra formosa) that dance with flowers from March to June.
• Coyote mint (Monardella villosa) is a low-growing perennial herb loved by smaller pollinators.
• Bush anemone (Carpenteria californica) is an evergreen shrub producing wonderful white flowers in June and July.

Volunteers Welcome!

Volunteering to maintain this historical garden is a good chance to get outside, have fun, and learn about the pruning and regular activities needed to sustain a native plant garden. Maintenance sessions are typically two hours and can include planting, pruning, spreading mulch, and weeding. Please contact shastacnps@gmail.com for more information or to volunteer.

History

This public garden originated in the early 1980s when the Carter House Natural Science Museum was located there.  During that time, Gary Matson, horticulturist and co-creator of the science museum, began planting California native plants at the west end of the building.

In the late 1990s, the museum was absorbed into Turtle Bay Exploration Park.  In 2004, the North Valley Art League (NVAL) leased the Carter House building as their art studio and gallery.  At the same time, a community group began looking for a location for a memorial garden for Gary Matson, Winfield Mowder, and Marcia Howe.  Both Gary and Winfield were avid native plant enthusiasts and members of Shasta Chapter CNPS.  With renewed collaborative energy, NVAL and this community group resurrected and expanded the original garden.

Recently, with help from a Shasta Chapter CNPS grant, the east end of the building was landscaped with mostly native plants.  The garden contains shade-loving natives on the building’s west side and a mixed representation of native and non-native perennials on the south side.  The soil is silty and rich and many of the plants thrive and grow larger here than in the heavier soils prevalent in Shasta County.