Native Plant Club


Mission Statement We exist to support the cultivation and enjoyment of Native Plants within northwest San Diego County and to provide community education on the benefits of Native Plants. The Buena Vista Native Plant Club was formed to support a $70,000 grant that was given to the City of Oceanside and the Buena Vista Audubon Nature Center. The grant is funded by the Metropolitan Water District, which is promoting lower water use through native and drought tolerant landscaping. The City, Audubon, and the Fish&Game Department joined forces for an opportunity to showcase natives as the landscape of choice. The site has been divided into 4 main gardens: two were designed and installed by the The Buena Vista Native Plant Club (us!) and two were designed and installed by the City. Overall, it has been a very collaborative effort. The Buena Vista Native Plant Club is now a recognized resource for north county native plant gardeners. We continue to meet on the 3rd Sunday of the month at the Buena Vista Audubon Nature Center, 2202 S. Coast Hwy, Oceanside.
		What is a Native Plant Garden? Our coastal hillsides are covered with plants that some people call weeds, but anyone who takes time to learn about these "weeds" soon finds a vast number of attractive and interesting native species that would make great additions to their gardens. San Diego Coastal Sage Scrub rivals the rainforest for the diversity of plant and animal life! The BVAS native plant garden is a small scale demonstration habitat that showcases these native species and increases our understanding of the world as we observe the web of life in action. Island Mallow Native plants are those plants that have evolved here, not those introduced by man. When a plant has been introduced within the past few hundred years, the necessary adaptations haven't had time to occur. Often native species are lost as the new plant takes over. Pampas grass is an example of an introduced plant. It does not provide food or shelter and has destroyed native areas. Isn't it Hard to Maintain? Native plant gardens are easier to maintain than ornamental gardens once you understand them. The plants rest during Summer/Fall and grow in Winter. If native plants are watered in the late summer, the dormant season is interrupted and harmful bugs and microbes continue to multiply. It is best to let the garden dry out for one month during August. The growing season starts with the rains in October. Pruning is twice a year in January and August. *Recommended Reading* The California Landscape Garden: 'ECOLOGY, CULTURE AND DESIGN' By Mark Fransis and Andreas Reiman Growing California Native Plants: By Marjorie Schmidt Roadside Plants of Southern California: By Thomas J. Belzer Southern California Native Plant for School Gardens: By Betsy Landis California's Changing Landscape: By Barbour et.al. Reference Sources For more information, the following links will guide you in the right directions... California Native Plant Club www.CNPS.org San Diego chapter of CNPS www.CNPSSD.org Tree of Life Nursery www.TreeofLifeNursery.com California Invasive Plant Council www.cal-ipc.org Las Pilitas Nursery www.laspilitas.com Natives Provide Color and Variety Marsh Fleabane This beautiful native plant sprang up on its own all around the BVAS Nature Center after the invasive non-native species were removed.		Events Calendar We invite you to join our friendly group to talk, share, garden, and learn at our regular “Third Sunday” meetings at the Nature Center. Next Meeting September 24th, 2 p.m. Designing Your Native Garden All your garden design books probably talk about picking individual plants based on color, shape, texture, etc. Sure, those are factors for consideration, but how do you pull it all together? Native plant lovers know it can be much more rewarding and reliable to design your garden by considering a unifying habitat theme - choosing plants with compatible personalities that belong together in nature. Come to our September meeting and let’s talk! The Buena Vista Native Plant Club meets on the 3rd Sunday of the month at the Nature Center. For more info, e-mail Joan Bockman at BVNPC@sbcglobal.net or call the Buena Vista Nature Center at 760-439-2473. Thursday Mornings with the Natives Joan Bockman and Debra Barrows invite any gardeners interested to join them on Thursday mornings at 9 a.m. for some casual gardening and friendly chatter at the Center. Illustrated Brochure With Map California Native Plant Gardens Tour of Downtown Oceanside Want to check out the premier Oceanside native plant gardens yourself? Click here for a brochure with map that you can print out and take with you. (Adobe Reader is required. Click here for a free download if you don't already have it). Click below for a list of plants that may be seen on the tour: Oceanside Yard Plant List Scenes From 2008 Tour All Photos by Steve Lacy _________________________ Monthly Nature Center Grounds Cleanup - Saturday, September 7 Join us from 8-10am on the first Saturday of every month. We do some hand weeding and pick up trash around the Nature Center and along the trail. Bring your hat, gloves, sunscreen and hand gardening tools. For more information on any Native Plant Club events, call the Nature Center and leave a message for Joan Bockman 760-439-2473. Riparian Habitat What is in the garden? The Nature Center garden is made up of 3 zones. The street frontage of the building is intended to show a large scale native landscape that simulates a riparian scene. The entrance to the building is surrounded by a specimen garden that showcases various plants. The back patio area demonstrates a smaller "condo" garden. Directly adjacent to the lagoon, plants are selected more for compatibility with the lagoon ecosystem. This area is more of a habitat than a garden." Garden Layout/Description Additional plants to be found: Big Mesa Sage Salvia California Fuschia Zauchneria septentrionalis Checkers Sidalcea neomexicana Live Forever Dudleya pulverulenta Mallow Malacothamnus fasciculatus Manzanita Arctostphylus densiflora "Harmony" Matilija Poppy Romneya Coulteri Sagebrush Artemisia californica "Canyon Grey" Sagebrush (taller) Artemisia californica


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Webmaster: Larry Spann
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