LOCAL COLOR THEODORE PAYNE GARDEN TOUR PUTS THE SPOTLIGHT ON CALIFORNIA FLORA BY JENNIFER ERRICO CORRESPONDENT.Putting California plants back in her garden was a revelation for Debbie Taylor Debbie Taylor was a black American female vocalist whose short recording career between 1968 and 1975 saw her produce some of the most impassioned vocal performances ever committed to vinyl. . "It changed my life," said the Sherman Oaks resident. "I went home from a class about California natives, tore up the lawn and started planting. I fell in love." Taylor is one of 30 homeowners whose gardens will be showcased on the Theodore Payne Theodore Payne was born in Northamptonshire, England in 1872 and served an apprenticeship in horticulture. He moved to Los Angeles in 1893 and fell in love with the California flora, dedicating his life to its preservation. Society's third annual native plant tour. The self-guided event, today and Sunday, includes gardens in the San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. , Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. and San Gabriel Valley The San Gabriel Valley is one of the principal valleys of southern California. It lies to the east of the city of Los Angeles, to the north of the Puente Hills, to the south of the San Gabriel Mountains, and to the west of the Inland Empire. that reflect a variety of styles and use at least 50 percent native plants. "This is not your typical tour with a one-way approach to gardening," said tour organizer Keith Malone. "The owners will all be there to answer questions and educate people about the beauty of California plants." Gardening with plants from the state may seem like a no-brainer, but people often gravitate grav·i·tate intr.v. grav·i·tat·ed, grav·i·tat·ing, grav·i·tates 1. To move in response to the force of gravity. 2. To move downward. 3. to what's cheap, available and common when it comes to home landscaping. "California is full of people who came from a different place, and they brought with them what they were used to," said Malone. "When you look around, you see a false ecology - most people have never seen the real California." Many people incorrectly think all Southern California Southern California, also colloquially known as SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Centered on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Southern California is home to nearly 24 million people and is the nation's second most populated region, is a desert and that native plants are cactuses and succulents. But the area has many different regions in which hundreds of trees, shrubs and ground covers are native. Some native gardens look Mediterranean, while others have a more woodsy, wild feel. Native plants, having evolved in California, also provide food and shelter for the area's wildlife - including songbirds, hummingbirds and butterflies. "Before I had natives, I had no birds," Taylor said. "Now I have wild finches." Some of Taylor's favorite plants are the coastal live oak, hummingbird sage Hummingbird sage is a common name for two different species of sage:
"The neighbors were really curious when I started my garden," said Taylor, who designed her yard to look like a mountain retreat, complete with a path leading to a little cabin tucked in the back. "Now they have started planting." Taylor and other enthusiasts enjoy the many benefits of natives. They use less water, they're more disease-resistant than non-natives, and they are adapted to this climate so they grow quickly and need no fertilizer. "It's the easy way of gardening. You don't feed them, and they need just a little water," said Taylor. "People are so used to buying annuals, but if you want pretty all year around, you can plant natives." Gardeners interested in California natives should start small, suggests Malone, the tour organizer. A visit to the Theodore Payne nursery or the local foothills may give you inspiration. Once home, select a section of your garden and plant some natives - there's no need to pull out the lawn right away, especially if you have pets or children. Bill Entz of Granada Hills, whose garden is also featured on the tour, says that anyone who isn't convinced that a California native garden can be beautiful should look to nature. "Anyone who has been hiking knows that the plants you see are different than what you will find at the local store," he said. "Other plants are cheap and available, but they just don't have the right feel." It took just one trip to the Theodore Payne nursery and Barbara Beckner of Studio City was hooked on California natives. "I saw these plants that were so happy with whatever Mother Nature threw at them," said Beckner, whose garden is also part of the tour. Her roses were removed to make way for salvia salvia: see sage. salvia Any of about 700 species of herbaceous and woody plants that make up the genus Salvia, in the mint family. Some members (e.g., sage) are important as sources of flavouring. and oak trees. Some of Beckner's other favorites: the manzanita manzanita: see bearberry. , which offers cover and berries to a variety of wildlife; the California poppy California poppy: see poppy. California poppy Annual garden plant (Eschscholzia californica) in the poppy family, native to the western coast of North America and naturalized in parts of southern Europe, Asia, and Australia. , now in bloom; and the quail bush, with its yellow flowers against gray leaves. She finds the most common misconception about natives is that they take more time to tend than non-natives. Beckner says the opposite is true - natives are easier to care for because they have evolved to thrive in this region. She even lets her wildflowers go to seed to attract birds and ensure the plants will come back the next season. "Now that I have found how wonderful these plants are," she said, "the poor nursery doesn't see me anymore." 2006 THEODORE PAYNE CALIFORNIA NATIVE GARDEN TOUR What: Self-guided tour of 30 local gardens featuring native plants. Where: Various locations. When: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. today and Sunday. Tickets: $10. Information: (818) 768-1802 or theodorepayne.org. The Theodore Payne Foundation  This article or section is written like an .Please help [ rewrite this article] from a neutral point of view. Mark blatant advertising for , using . is located at 10459 Tuxford St., Sun Valley. Nursery hours: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. CAPTION(S): 10 photos, box Photo: (1 -- cover -- color) CALIFORNIA GARDENS Going native (2 -- 4 -- color) Barbara Beckner, below, poses in her picturesque Studio City garden which features native Southern California plants, above and at right. (5 -- 6 -- color) At left, a bee buzzes around a lupine lupine or lupin (l  `pĭn), any species of the genus Lupinus, annual or perennial herbs or shrubs of the family Leguminosae (pulse family). plant; below, Barbara Beckner's garden is a tour stop. (7 -- 10 -- color) From top, the Entzes' native lupine and poppies add splashes of orange and purple; Debbie Taylor's dainty golden abundance. At left, Beckner's red and white blooms liven up the garden's greenery. Photos by John Lazar/Staff Photographer and Gus Ruelas/Staff Photographer Box: Summer-blooming natives Source: Theodore Payne Foundation |
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