GaRdenVariety WINTER 2013
e Newsletter of Rancho Santa ana B otanic G aRden
www.rsabg.org
California’s Native Garden
| Welcome
GaRdenVariety
T
is was an exciting year for Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden! We proudly celebrated our 85th year as a valuable community—and worldwide—resource for the preservation and study of California native plants and as a place to play, relax and learn. Many things sustain us during these remarkable times, most importantly the support of friends like you. Our founder, Susanna Bixby Bryant, held a deep curiosity about the natural world and she believed that native California plants—the coastal sages, manzanitas and California buckwheats, to name just a few—are beautiful in their own right. Each day, we take care to stay true to Bryant’s legacy, encouraging discovery and lifelong learning. In recent months, Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden has experienced changes that will continue to help us grow in new and exciting ways. I am pleased to announce that Dr. Lucinda McDade is our new interim executive director. In November, the RSABG Board of Trustees accepted Patrick S. Larkin’s resignation for personal reasons after eight years of service as executive director. He left the organization after a period of considerable growth and in a good position to promote the conservation and appreciation of California native plants. McDade is the RSABG Judith B. Friend Director of Research and professor and chair of the Claremont Graduate University Botany Department. RSABG hosts a master’s and Ph.D. granting graduate program in botany in association with Claremont Graduate University. McDade has been with Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden since 2006 and enjoys the diversity of working in a research institution that is set in a botanic garden, especially the opportunities to interact with members and visitors. She earned her Ph.D. from Duke University and has held previous appointments in natural history museums (the Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, 2001-2006), academia (University of Arizona, 1992-2000) and in science administration (the Organization for Tropical Studies, 1985-1992). McDade’s dedication to the mission of Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden has been evident over the years as she has fulfilled her public and research roles with knowledge and professionalism. You may have met her recently while she staffed the experts’ table at our Fall Planting Festival. I hope you will join me in welcoming Dr. McDade to her new role and in supporting all the staff and volunteers as they continue our crucial work to promote and protect California’s native plants and their habitats.
Elin R. Dowd Chairperson, Board of Trustees
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e Newsletter of R ancho Santa a na Botanic GaRden
WINTER 2013 VOLUME 28, NUMBER 1 editoR/deSiGneR Pauline Amell Nash contRiButoRS Bill Allen, Debbie Carini, Eric Garton, Carol Lerew, Rebecca Lerback, Lucinda McDade, Bart O’Brien, Linda Worlow editoRial office Send letters and submissions to: RSABG, Public Relations, Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden 1500 North College Avenue Claremont, CA 91711 Email: pnash@rsabg.org GardenVariety is published four times a year by the Office of Development. Copyright 2013 by Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden. Postage paid at Claremont, 91711. Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden displays, documents and conserves the native flora of California. Members enjoy many benefits and help renowned horticulture, science and education programs flourish. to become a member visit www.rsabg.org or call (909) 625-8767.
Contents |
WINTER 2013
De par t m e n ts
GaRdenVariety e Newsletter of Rancho Santa ana B otanic G aRden
3 Garden Scene
The Great Horned Owl, Gateways to the Communities, powerPLANT
Feat ures 7 When They Were Wild A collaborative project uncovers the beautiful history of California wildflowers.
6 california native Plants
Discovery Shows Studying Plants is Key to Saving em: A Barrel of Monkeyflowers
11 nursery news
Grow Native Nursery Calendar
12 volunteer today
A Gator for the Garden
13 Garden Guide
Events, Classes and Programs
www.rsabg.org
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California Native Plant Gardeners Sprout at Temple City High
o n the coveR : Clara Mason Fox’s Eschscholzia californica (California poppy). On this page: Milford Zones’ Diplacus longiflorus (southern monkeyflower).
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at last year’s family Bird fest, two great horned owls were added to the tally of 36 species of birds spotted at the Garden during the Great Backyard Bird count.
| Garden Scene
e Great horned owl by Carol Lerew
try to imagine a creepy lost-in-thewoods movie or haunted house adventure without the familiar “hoo, hoo, hoo” call of the great horned owl. e most frequently recorded owl call used as background sound in movies, plays and theme park adventures is that of the great horned owl, Bubo virginianus. Also known as a hoot owl in some areas of the country, it is the largest, most widely distributed owl in the Americas (including both North and South America). Its range extends from central South America north through Alaska and the Central Plains of Canada. e great horned owl is the most daring and adaptable species of all the owls in the PHOTO: BLAIRE BRADLEY Western Hemisphere. It can weigh over five Great horned owls are nocturnal. ey hunt at dusk pounds with a wingspan up to 49 inches. Adults have and dawn from a high perch position where shadows the distinctive large tufts that appear to be horns, but and foliage serve as camouflage. From such vantage this easily recognized feature is actually erect feathers. points, they dive to the ground, wings folded, crushing ere is a wide variation in plumage coloration depending on habitat. ose living in forested regions tend the prey instantly with their long curved talons. ey also hunt by flying low over the ground scanning for to be darker with heavy barred markings. As they roost prey activity or, occasionally, they may walk on the in pine or oak tree canopies, those markings camouflage ground in pursuit of a meal. the owls with their surroundings. Subspecies inhabiting Prey can vary based on opportunity and availability. open areas, such as the desert great horned owl, are not Most prey are small to medium-sized mammals, such as only lighter in coloration, but tend to be smaller. hares, rabbits and rodents. Great horned owls will also e large yellow eyes of the great horned owl are immobile in their round bone sockets. Instead of being able catch and eat small and large birds and reptiles. Anywhere from 6 to 10 hours later owls regurgitate pellets to turn its eyes, an owl has to turn its whole head; the composed of non-digestible bits, often seen below the neck is capable of rotating 270 degrees without turning roosting or nesting site. the body. Its hearing is even better than its vision. e Great horned owls breed late in January or early Febright ear, set higher in the skull at a slightly different ruary and are often heard calling to each other as early as angle, allows for pinpointing the sound source. October. Pairs may mate for life. Like all owls, great
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come add your observation of a cooper’s hawk, mourning dove or owl to the list at the 2013 family Bird fest on feb. 17.
Garden Scene | horned owls do not build their own nests. ey will move into a nest used by some other large bird like a crow or raven, or even a squirrel’s nest. Also used are cavities in trees, sheltered depressions in rocks, deserted buildings and artificial platforms. ere are usually two eggs to a clutch, although there can be more when food is plentiful. Incubation period averages about 33 days. e female does all the incubation and rarely moves from the nest, while the male owl brings food to her. At approximately six weeks, the young owls move onto nearby branches and start to fly a week later, although they aren’t very competent until they are about 10 to 12 weeks old. ey remain nearby, continuing to beg for food from the parents, sometimes as late as five months after leaving the nest. Wild owls may live for up to 13 years, whereas captive owls may live as long as 38 years. Most wild owl mortality is human-related. ey will sometimes fly into man-made objects including power lines, wire fences and moving cars. Pesticides have also taken a heavy toll. Although great horned owls are not considered a threatened species, most states have now outlawed the hunting and trapping of them. In the Garden, at least one pair of the California great horned owl, Bubo virginianus pacificus, makes its home. Fraser Pemberton, RSABG volunteer nature interpreter and Audubon bird walk guide, notes that they have nested in various places including the California Plant Communities. He recently has located them on Indian Hill Mesa between the Container Garden and the orne Council Ring. In past years, visitors have delighted at the sight of four or five downy chicks aligned on a high pine branch loudly begging for food from a harried mom and dad. Frequent visitors watched those chicks grow flight feathers, practice less-than-steady attempts at flying day by day until suddenly, it seemed, they had fledged into the world.
www.rsabg.org
Gateways to the California Communities e California Plant Communities offer visitors a chance to experience the distinct regional association of plants that share growing conditions. But the communities are some of the least publicly appreciated areas in the Garden. Scott LaFleur, director of horticulture, is working to change that. “I want to make the communities more understandable to visitors,” said LaFleur. “e Gateways to the Communities will help us tell the story of our collections and share information about the connections between botanical research and conservation horticulture.” e Gateways project is a long-term undertaking and a critical aspect of RSABG master planning that involves reorganization of the California Plant Communities. e communities’ overhaul will help RSABG better convey plant diversity and adaptations within specific geographical boundaries such as the California islands, Baja California and scrub communities. It will rearrange the communities and gardens to put the right plant in the right place, while preserving accessioned plants that cannot be moved. Following the Master Plan, e Gateways project creates the Communities Trail, a main loop around the California Plant Communities with educational signs and occasional respite with shade, water and plant and communities information. More than a dozen arbors donated to RSABG will soon become the thresholds—gateways—to each plant community. e brightly colored arbors will be interpretative hubs along the Communities Trail and will offer visitors an opportunity to experience the creativity and ingenuity of the RSABG horticulturists who in addition to caring for the Garden’s beautiful plant collections are creating amazing environmental art in the California Plant Communities.
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| Garden Scene
Grant Helps Garden Promote Environmental Literacy with powerPLANT RANCHO SANTA ANA BOTANIC GARDEN IS USING A $50,000 PRIVATE FOUNDATION GRANT TO HELP PAY FOR A NEW ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION PROGRAM, which is expected to broaden K – 12 and community engagement in environmental issues. e BCM Foundation grant helps enhance environmental education through powerPLANT (People Living and Nature riving), a new program that builds on RSABG’s well-regarded educational programs. PowerPLANT, which includes a series of free public workshops, uses unconventional methods to reach students, teachers and school administrators. Designed like a contest, 10 teams are competing for prizes and cash awards for their school and recognition as leaders for positive environmental change. e teams, consisting of at least four students, are spending the 2012-13 school year researching and critically evaluating environmental topics through team-based multidisciplinary activities that promote environmental awareness, scholarship and stewardship. e school-based initiatives, which range from planting native plant school gardens to hosting Earth Day events at their schools, help personalize local environmental priorities. Participants will present their projects at the Environmental Action Showcase on May 18 at RSABG. PowerPLANT encourages knowledge and engagement of relevant environmental issues, especially pertaining to California education state standards in curriculum and California’s Education and the Environment Initiative (EEI), the first of its kind in the nation. RSABG has more than 30 years of experience providing educational programs for students and teachers that convey the importance of native plants, cultures of indigenous people and natural history of California. In 2011, the BCM Foundation awarded the organization a grant to align our longstanding K – 12 school tour curriculum with EEI, helping teachers reinforce classroom learning with hands-on instruction in the Garden.
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powerPlant workshops Get Sustainable! Jan. 29, 5 – 6:30 p.m. Sustainable Claremont provides info on local sustainability projects and how you can get involved.
School Gardens feb. 27, 4:30 – 6 p.m. Learn about the many benefits of school gardens and how you can cultivate efforts at your favorite school.
Botanical Research and Conservation 101 March 19, 5 – 6:30 p.m. See how RSABG botanical research and conservation efforts are vital in advancing knowledge of plants worldwide and protecting native plants.
Earth Day Extravaganza april 2, 4:30 – 6 p.m. Be selective with your time. Come learn about volunteering options at the many local Earth Day events.
Environmental Action Showcase May 18, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Come see the fruits of the powerPLANT projects. Workshops are free and open to the public. Garden admission free for workshop attendees.
California Native Plants | Discovery Shows Studying Plants is Key to Saving Them by Bill Allen A new study of native California monkeyflowers shows how little is known about plant species even as some slide toward extinction. The study also demonstrates one of the key goals of botanical gardens: to learn more about the diversity of plants and their status in the wild. e research was conducted by Naomi Fraga, a conservation botanist at Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden and doctoral candidate at Claremont Graduate University, in Claremont, Calif. Among the field projects Fraga has conducted over the past decade as a botanist in Southern California, one focused on monkeyflowers, so named because some of their flowers resemble monkey faces. California has dozens of species of monkeyflowers, but the tiny plants often find themselves in harm’s way. e threats include development, water diversion and off-road vehicles. “ey’re very emblematic of the California flora,” Fraga says. “ey’re very diverse here.” In the past, scientists who specialize in classifying species studied monkeyflowers that had been dried and compacted as herbarium specimens. is obscured physical characteristics of the plants important to identifying differences among the species and “led to confusion,” she says. at, in turn, impeded understanding of the true nature of monkeyflower diversity. With help from several botanical garden staffers and interns, Fraga spent 60 days in mountains and deserts collecting data on more than 100 populations of
monkeyflowers, photographing them and observing their characteristics in their natural state. Among other findings, her study revealed that what was once considered a single species of monkeyflower is instead five separate species. Analysis of DNA confirmed this. ey are not technically new species because they evolved over eons. But in the parlance of botanists they are called newly described. Why is all this important for plant conservation? Fraga estimates that four of these five new species, after going through a conservation status review, would be considered imperiled or critically imperiled—the nearest categories to extinction. Knowing how close to disappearing these newly described species are, conservationists can now take steps to save them. e bottom line, Fraga and other scientists say, is that more field and lab work will be needed if California’s imperiled biodiversity is to be conserved intelligently. e case of the monkeyflower is just one example of that. “ere are lots of botanists working in California, but you’d be surprised,” she says. “A lot of things remain to be discovered.”
This article was originally featured in the special issue of the Center for Plant Conservation newsletter, Oct 2012. You can download the entire newsletter at http://tiny.cc/calplants
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When they
When They Were Wild: Recapturing California’s Wildflower Heritage The Huntington’s Boone Gallery March 9 – June 10, 2013 A collaborative project of e Huntington, Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden and the eodore Payne Foundation. Special Membership Benefit! RSABG members may visit e Huntington at no charge through the duration of this special exhibition with a valid RSABG membership card.
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were wild California’s
rich plant life has captured the imagination of horticulturists, scientists and artists for more than a century. A collaborative project of Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden, e Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens and eodore Payne Foundation for Wildflowers and Native Plants, When ey Were Wild interprets the unique diversity of the California flora from its origins to its current popularity. This diversity has been depicted by talented artists who were also amateur naturalists, including Alice Brown Chittenden, Clara Mason Fox and James Milford Zornes. Illustrations by these and other artists, complemented by herbarium collections (museum specimens of dried plants), publications and ephemera, depict an era when many of these species passed from growing wild into domestication. Some 200 items in the exhibition from the three collaborating institutions and from a number of other public and private collections tell the story of the iconic beauty of California plants and share the botanical, ecological and horticultural nature of native flowers. Over the past three years, I have gathered and cataloged RSABG’s holdings that will be part of the exhibit and/or part of the extensive online resources for the exhibit. Irene Holiman, RSABG’s library specialist, and two Getty Multicultural Undergraduate Interns, Jessica Torres in 2012 and Jessica Dewberry in 2010, have been immensely helpful. Torres and Dewberry were indispensable in researching and writing up the artists’ biographies as well as scanning a wide array of paintings and documents. e exhibit will be organized around several themes: a brief introduction to the biological setting of California; the discovery, describing, cataloging and depiction of California wildflowers; the science and horticulture of California wildflowers and a gallery featuring dozens of images that we’ve nicknamed “the garden.” Many of these artists portrayed dozens to hundreds of California wildflowers. ese works illustrate remarkable
www.rsabg.org
by Bart O’Brien
stories of beautiful plants. ese stories are the stuff of legends; they meld scientific discovery and horticulture. On display will be RSABG’s first edition copy of the original published image of the first California native plant to flower in cultivation in Europe: beach sand verbena (Abronia umbellata). is California wildflower was described and published by Jean Baptiste Lamarck in 1791 in his landmark 21-volume treatise, Tableau Encyclopedique et Methodique des Trois Regnes de la Nature. As with many early images of California’s flora, this one has quite a backstory. e seeds of the plant were collected in Monterey in September of 1786, by JeanNicholas Collignon of the La Pérouse Expedition. is French expedition’s two ships, L’Astrolabe and La Boussole, carried the first non-Spanish European explorers to reach California’s shores since Sir Francis Drake’s landing in 1579. From California, the expedition crossed the Pacific and landed in Macao, and then traveled north until they reached Petropavlovsk on Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula on September 7, 1787. e expedition departed from Petropavlovsk on September 30, 1787, but left Jean Baptiste Barthélemy de Lesseps to carry the expedition’s materials overland in order to report to the French Ambassador in St. Petersburg. It took de Lesseps an entire year to reach St. Petersburg. From there, he traveled to Paris arriving on October 17, 1788. e La Pérouse Expedition was subsequently lost and was never seen again, leaving de Lesseps the only survivor. Interestingly, the botanist Jean Baptiste Lamarck writes that the beach sand verbena had been growing in the Jardin des Plantes in Paris since 1788. In my research, I have not been able to ascertain whether the seeds were sown and germinated in 1788 (highly likely) or whether they were blooming in 1788 (highly unlikely, given the time frame). In any event, it is clear that this sand verbena is the first known California native plant to be grown from seed to flowering in Europe.
O’Brien is the RSABG director of special projects and co-curator of When ey Were Wild.
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California Native Plant Gardeners Sprout at Temple City High by Debbie Carini IT ALL STARTED WITH A HUG FROM ACTRESS RENE RUSSO. Well, not entirely, but that’s how Scott Randles, chair of the science department at Temple City High School, likes to remember it. Ten years ago, Randles, who teaches AP environmental science, was looking at a grassy strip of land outside his classroom door and thinking of putting in a vegetable patch, a place where his students could enjoy hands-on access to gardening. When he went to Garden with a View, a fundraising event at Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden, and heard Russo speak about her native garden, it got him thinking about a project that students could enjoy during their time at school, from September through June. “With a vegetable garden, everything ripens in the summer, when no one is around,” said Randles. “Students could be responsible for all aspects of a native garden.” ough he had to wait a full year to receive the hug from Russo, he set his student crew to work, ripping out the grass, removing the sprinkler system and creating lists of native plants. With purchases and donations from Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden and the eodore Payne Foundation, one-gallon containers of native species like California flannel bush, Nevin’s barberry and buckwheat were transplanted to the new garden.
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One student of Greek descent learned about native grapes but was worried that his vine would never grow. Today, that grapevine weaves its way through a beautiful arbor, another community project designed by architect, Claremont resident and Garden enthusiast Michael Shea and built by students. e Temple City High School native garden has opened a world of opportunity for students who choose plants with an eye toward utility and bringing in other aspects of nature such as butterflies and hummingbirds. According to Randles, several plants have naturalized. He cites the example of hummingbird sage, “From one plant, we’ve now had three generations,” he explained. Students and teachers conduct labs in the garden, for example, doing calculations on biodiversity such as the Shannon-Wiener Index (used to measure the effects of habitat quality such as effect of pollution effluents). English classes use it as an inspiration. e garden grew so popular, in fact, that it branched out to a nearby seating area where students can eat their lunches amid potted native plants. e project, known as Operation Sprout, was carried out by Temple City High School’s Environmental Club and won first place at the Fairchild Challenge Awards ceremony held on May 17, 2012. e space is available for further plant study, displays of artwork and social gatherings.
Photos: Pauline Amell Nash Scott Randles and the California native plant garden at Temple City High School
Randles jokes that the native garden is often besmirched by those who don’t understand its purpose. “It’s been referred to as the weed patch,” he said with a chuckle, “but it’s important to show the value of the native plantings. Kids come into my class and they’ve never even been out there. en, it’s part of their class work and they see all the species and the complexity of it.” Randles went on to explain that many of his students have few opportunities to engage with nature. “A lot of them don’t come into contact with another living thing that isn’t a person or a lawn,” he said. In the garden, students observe aphids on milkweed (demonstrating trophic levels—the position an organism occupies in a food chain); they do comparisons with the grassy areas and find that the birds and lizards prefer the native habitat. “Last week, a black widow captured a beetle in its web underneath a bench near the native garden,” said Randles. “I told my students, ‘you won’t see that on a grassy lawn!’”
www.rsabg.org
With community involvement, the garden continues to flower. Local Girl and Boy Scout troops have contributed to the construction of planters and mulching. And the garden has inspired several other environmentally friendly efforts. e school’s Environmental Club has taken on the issue of ridding the cafeteria of Styrofoam products and the student parking lot now sports a photovoltaic shade structure that provides 400 kilowatts of power for general use. “e students even collect plastic recycling around the campus to raise funds for projects in the garden,” said Randles who sees the project as learning in action. He also brings tour groups to Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden so that students can get a concept of what their garden could look like. At the most basic level, though, the Temple City High School native garden does what every good garden should do—provide a respite from the busy day. “Sometimes I see the kids just stopping to smell the native sages,” said Randles. “It’s nice to be able to tell them, ‘these plants belong here.’”
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Grow Native Nursery Grow Native Nursery in the Veterans Garden Claremont VA Greater Los Angeles Rancho Santa Ana Health Care System Botanic Garden 100 Davis Ave. 1500 N College Ave. Los Angeles 90049 Claremont 91711 Free Native Plant Clinic (424) 234-0481 (909) 625-8767 ext. 404 Grow Native Nursery Claremont gnnwestla@rsabg.org gnnclaremont@rsabg.org Jan. 5, feb. 2, March 2, april 6, 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. Bring gardening questions to Claremont on first Saturdays.
| Nursery News
Volunteer Day in the Veterans Garden Grow Native Nursery in the Veterans Garden Jan. 12, feb. 9, March 9, april 13, 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. Bring a hat, sunscreen, sturdy shoes and water and lend a hand to the veterans and GNN staff on second Saturdays. Free Worm Tea Sundays Grow Native Nursery in the Veterans Garden Jan. 13, feb. 10, March 10, april 14 Bring a liter container and take home worm tea—your plants will thank you. Saturday Mornings in the Nursery Grow Native Nursery in the Veterans Garden free workshops, open to the public, 10 a.m. Jan. 10 Worm Composting Workshop Jan. 26 Planting to Pruning: e Basics of Native Plant Horticulture Feb. 10 Good Bugs, Bad Bugs, Beneficials in the Native Garden Feb. 16 Container Gardening with California Native Plants Feb. 23 Caring for a California Native Garden March 16 Planting to Pruning: Basic Native Plant Horticulture March 30 Veggie Gardens with Stephen Baldonado Tomatomania! Grow Native Nursery in the Veterans Garden april 5 and 6, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Find native plants and tomatos at the renown heirloom tomato seedling sale. Housewarming Grow Native Nursery in the Veterans Garden april 15, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Join the fun and festivities as we celebrate the opening of new retail facilities and demo gardens at GNN in the Veterans Garden.
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New-bee Workshop: Basics of Beekeeping with Honey Love Grow Native Nursery in the Veterans Garden March 9, 2 – 3 p.m. Bees thrive all year in Los Angeles, which means now is a great time to learn beekeeping. Honey Love is a L.A. nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting honeybees and educating new urban beekeepers.
Photos: Pauline Amell Nash
Volunteer Today |
A Gator for the Garden appreciation to the Garden and its important mission; and its practice of treating its volunteers with consideration and appreciation,” noted Annette. “e John Deere Gator is really cool,” remarked Albert. “I worked closely with Joan McGuire, grounds manager, to find the right cart for the best price. Richard Rojo Joan McGuire and Albert Finnerty discuss one of the oak [RSABG horticulturist] said he would be afraid to put a saplings he planted in the California Plant Communities. scratch on it. So would I.” lbert Finnerty is not one to shy away from tack“RSABG is thrilled to have this new cart,” said Scott ling difficult projects at RSABG. Since 2008, he LaFleur, director of horticulture. “It will make a big difhas helped out in many ways, including assisting ference in our efficiency on the grounds, and has the with last year’s vocational horticulture training program added benefit of improving the comfort and safety of our for parolees and as a weekly volunteer in the vast plant valued volunteers.” communities section of the Garden. e key to working in the communities is to have patience, thick gloves, “My father was raised on a farm in plenty of water and a reliable electric cart to bring you— Illinois and having a John Deere would and your heavy tools—safely from place-to-place. warm his heart,” said Annette Finnerty On a particularly hot and sunny day last June, when he was working at the farthest corner of the Garden, Albert had all he needed except for one thing. His cart would not start when it was time to leave. Feeling stranded and frustrated, he was determined not to let this happen to him, or anyone else, again. “at night, I told my wife Annette that I wanted to get a new cart for the Garden,” said Albert. “I knew it would be put to good use immediately, and would be a welcome addition to the horticulture department.” Timing was just right for them to make this gift. Annette had recently benefitted from her parents’ estate, and she wanted to do something in their honor. anks to the Finnertys’ generosity, RSABG now has a fully loaded John Deere Gator TE cart given in memory of Parker and Dorothy Daughhetee. “is gift reflects our
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RSABG volunteers put the Gator to work right away helping to clean up the Communities.
www.rsabg.org
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feb. 27, 4:30 – 6 p.m. School Gardens powerPlant Workshop From elementary to colleges, school gardens are flourishing. Learn about the many benefits and how you can cultivate efforts at your favorite school.
| Calendar
March
January Jan. 5, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. free native Plant clinic Grow Native Nursery Claremont Bring gardening questions to Claremont on first Saturdays (Feb. 2, March 2, April 6). Look for more nursery events listed on page 11. Jan. 6, 8 a.m. Beginning Bird Walk Bring binoculars and join Pomona Valley Audubon Society on guided bird watching walks. Free event and free Garden admission for participants. Jan. 20, 10 a.m. Guided tram tour of the california Plant communities Tickets: $5/person Jan. 26, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. Medicinal Plants of california Join experienced herbalist William Broen for a Garden walk and presentation featuring medicinal and edible plants native to California. Fee: members $20, public $25. Jan. 29, 5 – 6:30 p.m. Get Sustainable! powerPlant Workshop Sustainable Claremont will provide information on local sustainability issues and projects. Learn how you can get involved.
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February feb. 3, 8 am. Beginning Bird Walk Bring binoculars and join Pomona Valley Audubon Society on guided bird watching walks. Free event and free Garden admission for participants. feb. 17, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. family Bird fest Free with Garden admission. Learn about the diverse bird life in the Garden and participate in the “Great Backyard Bird Count,” a national citizen-science project. feb. 17, 10 a.m. Guided tram tour of the california Plant communities Tickets: $5/person. feb. 17, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Gift Shop Sale: Birds in focus You’ll be happy as a lark when you save 25% on any bird-related merchandise in the California Garden Gift Shop. Visit our website to print a coupon to present when you visit for savings. feb. 24, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. Medicinal Plants of california Join experienced herbalist William Broen for a Garden walk and presentation featuring medicinal and edible plants native to California. Fee: members $20, public $25.
R ANCHO SANTA ANA BOTANIC GARDEN
March 3, 8 a.m. Beginning Bird Walk Bring binoculars and join Pomona Valley Audubon Society on guided bird watching walks. Free event and free Garden admission for participants. March 9 – June 9 friday – Sunday, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. When ey Were Wild (at Rancho Santa ana Botanic Garden) Selected original works not included in the exhibition at e Huntington will be on display at RSABG. Free with Garden admission. March 16, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. Medicinal Plants of california Join experienced herbalist William Broen for a Garden walk and presentation featuring medicinal and edible plants native to California. Fee: members $20, public $25. March 17 exclusive director’s circle event Dinner and behind-the-scenes tour of the When ey Were Wild art exhibit, co-curated by Bart O’Brien. Seating is limited, reservations are required. March 17, 10 a.m. Guided tram tour of the california Plant communities Tickets: $5/person
Garden hours Daily 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. Closed Jan. 1, July 4, anksgiving and Dec. 25
Calendar |
admission Free for RSABG members $8 Adults $6 Seniors (65+) and Students $4 Children (3-12)
Membership Individual $45 Family $75 March 19, 5 – 6:30 p.m. Botanical Research and conservation 101: powerPlant Workshop How botanical research and conservation efforts at RSABG play a vital role advancing knowledge of plants worldwide and protecting native plants. March 23, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Spring open house free Garden admission day Welcome spring at the California Garden Gift Shop, complimentary refreshments and prize drawings. March 23, 11 a.m. Member appreciation day Learn more about RSABG and the Garden during the Spring Open House. Welcome remarks and refreshments for members at 11 a.m. March 30 and 31 Wildflower Show Free with Garden admission. Special exhibition of wildflowers brought indoors for an intimate viewing. Free Garden admission and tram tours on April 1 for visitors over 65 (no April fooling).
April april 2, 4:30 – 6 p.m. earth day extravaganza powerPlant Workshop Be selective with your time. Come learn about volunteering options at the many local Earth Day events. april 4 exclusive Gold card donor event Opening Reception for Gateway to the Communities exhibit. Seating is limited, reservations are required. april 5 and 6, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. tomatomania! GNN in the Veterans Garden e longest-running heirloom tomato event in the nation gets a California native plant twist! Select from hundreds of heirloom tomatos and grow the best of both worlds—edibles and a California native garden! Look for more nursery events listed on page 11. april 7, 8 a.m. Beginning Bird Walk Bring binoculars and join Pomona Valley Audubon Society on guided bird watching walks. Free event and free Garden admission for participants. april 15 - 19, 5 – 6 p.m. california native Plant Week Sunset Tours free with Garden admission. Guided walking tours conclude with a view of the setting sun.
www.rsabg.org Manzanita are not only beautiful, the berries and fruits of many species are edible.
april 15, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. housewarming GNN in the Veterans Garden Join the fun and festivities as we celebrate the opening of new retail facilities and demo gardens at GNN in the Veterans Garden. Look for more nursery events listed on page 11. april 15 – 21, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Gardening Book Sale In honor of California Native Plant Week, the gift shop is offering 20% off all gardening books. Visit our website to print a coupon to present for savings on popular gardening books. april 21, 10 a.m. Guided tram tour of the california Plant communities Tickets: $5/person.
Weekly Sat., 8:30 a.m. Garden Walking club Free with Garden admission. Wed., 9:30 a.m. Yoga for Beginners Members: $10, public: $12/each class. urs., 9 a.m. tai chi Members: $48, public: $60/month. Sat. and Sun., 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. March 23 – June 9 Wildflower Walks Free with Garden admission.
Winter 2013
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Rancho Santa ana Botanic GaRden 1500 North College Avenue Claremont, CA 91711 Address Service Requested
Nonprofit Organization U.S. Postage PAID Claremont, CA 91711 Permit No. 469
June 15, 2013 claremont folk festival
Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden is proud to welcome the Claremont Folk Festival to the Garden next June! Bring the family and join us for two stages of live music, an artists’ village, food trucks, children’s entertainment and music and art workshops. thiS iS a SPecial ticketed event. e Garden will not be open for general admission. Guest, membership or admission passes are not accepted for this event. e Claremont Folk Festival is presented by the Folk Music Center and Museum, a nonprofit organization.