Wanted: Gardens gone native

The Jelly Bean monkeyflower is a hybrid California native adapted for the home landscape. (Photo courtesy UC Davis Arboretum)

Annual spring tour needs local landscapes that feature native plants


Has your garden gone native? Are you willing to share it with about 1,000 guests?

Make your landscape a stop on the 2019 Gardens Gone Native Tour. Organizers are now accepting applications from possible participants.

Hosted by the Sacramento Valley chapter of the California Native Plant Society, the self-guided tour has quickly grown into a major event. The ninth annual Gardens Gone Native Tour is set for April 27, 2019. Gardens are open from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. that Saturday.

Organizers need about 20 private gardens in Sacramento, Yolo and Placer counties. Each garden should include at least 50 percent California native plants. Visitors may be limited to front yard only if preferred.

"By becoming a garden host, you help to educate the public about the benefits of gardening with native plants and hopefully inspire others to transform their landscapes," according to the organizers.

An application and full details are available at www.sacvalleycnps.org along with articles and photos from tours past. Questions? E-mail Colene Rauh at gardensgonenative@gmail.com.

Sow seeds now for California poppy
blooms later. (Photo: Kathy Morrison)

Whether or not you apply for the tour, it's not too late to add some natives to your garden. Plant native perennials and shrubs now to help get them established. Sow wildflower seeds including California poppies.

-- Debbie Arrington