March 29, 2026 – Garden Tour — Call for Gardens

CNPS South Coast is planning our Poppy Day garden tour on March 29th.  Our date is chosen to try to deconflict from the much larger Payne Foundation Tour, which typically occurs later in April, to honor Poppy Day*, which is April 6 every year, and to avoid major holidays.  This is the second annual Poppy Day Garden Tour and a re-imagination of what was once an annual event for us. We are looking for volunteers who will open their gardens for a day to share them as well as volunteers who will help us carry out the tour.  We already have a good list with some new and some repeat gardens.  Please email SouthCoastCNPS@gmail.com to let us know your interest.

We adore native plants, of course, so your garden should feature them prominently – a target of 50% or more by species seems reasonable.  However, there are special circumstances that make some gardens appealing even if there are fewer natives such as low water use, adjacency to public lands or preserves, habitat gardens, gardens of  unique interest (for example one that solves a difficult problem or has an interesting design approach).

* Poppy Day – Section 37222.12 of the California Education Code states: …On California Poppy Day, all public schools and educational institutions are encouraged to conduct exercises honoring the California Poppy, including instruction about native plants, particularly the California Poppy, and the economic and aesthetic value of wildflowers; promoting responsible behavior toward our natural resources and a spirit of protection toward them; and emphasizing the value of natural resources and conservation of natural resources.