California Native Plant Community Garden
As construction plans for the new park were being finalized, SPNF became increasingly aware that the amount of proposed landscaping would be limited somewhat due to a lack of sufficient park maintenance staff to weed and prune. Walter Hood and the City agreed to add a 1400 square foot Community Garden that we could plant and maintain ourselves. Since we wanted a hardy, low maintenance garden, we decided to limit it to California Native perennials. Tora Rocha ( a City Gardener), Michael Sasso (then owner of Potrero Gardens) and Tom Nelson (Manager of Ace Grand Lake Ace Nursery), put together a plant list and Mary Ellen Navas solicited donations.
On October 4, 2003, over twenty enthusiastic and hard-working volunteers landscaped the entire bed in one morning. One hundred per cent of the plants were donated. Donors included Michael Sasso, the Grand Lake Nursery, the California Horticultural Society, Emerisa Gardens and Sebastapol Growers in Santa Rosa, the Suncrest Nursery in Watsonville and the Native Sons Nursery in Arroyo Grande.
Two years later, most of what we've planted is thriving -- but we do have a few holes in the landscaping we'd like to fill with other California Natives and would welcome donations. Also, would love to have identification tags and maybe even an onsite brochure to identify and encourage planting of California Natives.
Plant Identification Guide for Splash Pad Native Plant Garden
Fremontodendron Californicum
Flannel Bush
Photo By
Brother Alfred Brousseau
c. St. Mary's College 1995
Girl Scout Volunteers, October 20, 2003
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Salvia Clevelandii
Cleveland Sage
Photo by
Charles Webber
c. California Academy of Science
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Ribes Sanguineum
Red Flowering Currant
Photo by
Brother Alfred Rousseau
c. St. Mary's College, 1995
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Iris Douglasiana
Pacific Coast Iris
Photo by
Brother Alfred Brousseau
c. St. Mary's College, 1995
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Mimulus Aurantiacus
Sticky Monkey Flower
Photo by
Gary A. Monroe
c. 2002
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California Native Plant Links:
