Inside the Garden Nursery: Staff Tips for Fall

By: Zachary Kucinski, Plant Sales Coordinator and Living Collection Assistant

Over the years I’ve worked at the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden Nursery, I’ve heard all kinds of questions about planting native plants. Can toyon (Heteromeles arbutifolia) grow in shade? My soil doesn’t drain well; can I still plant matilija poppy (Romneya coulteri)? Will my coast sunflower (Encelia californica) pair well with my sage (Salvia)? It doesn’t need watering if it’s drought tolerant, right?

I like to tell visitors that gardening with California’s native plants is a dance: not every move will be perfect and your timing might be off, but it’s all about learning and enjoying yourself. You’ll have successes, but you’ll also find opportunities to improve as you develop your garden. One of the many joys of home gardening is truly learning your site — what plants work where and how they change over the seasons.

With this article, I hope to clear the canopy of confusion and let some sunlight in on the topic of native plant gardening. I want home gardeners to know they have a green light to experiment with native plants. To start, here are some of the most pressing questions I routinely receive, as well as a few guidelines to consider as you continue your gardening journey.

I’m overwhelmed. I know the benefits of native plants, but I don’t know where to begin.

You don’t have to transition your entire garden space. Start small! Even a single native plant is a step in the right direction and can reveal a lot about your garden’s conditions.

Pro tip: Pick a corner of your property that you walk past daily. Someplace you are familiar with where you can keep an eye on your new plantings.

What do I need to know about my site before choosing plants?

One of the first things to consider is the amount of sun your specific site receives. Does it get morning shade and afternoon sun? Is it blasting hot or is there an overhead canopy of shade? Is your site irrigated, or do you hope to rely mainly on rainfall? Is the soil heavy and muddy when wet, or does it drain water relatively quickly? Answering these questions will help get you on the right path.

Pro tip: Plant for the most extreme conditions of the site. For example, if your spot has morning shade and hot afternoon sun, try a plant that does best in that hot sun and trust that it will tolerate the mild morning shade.

How do I choose the perfect plant?

The truth is, the perfect plant is the one you love and are able to get established. In some cases, it may take a year or two of that plant being in the ground before you realize if it was or was not the right plant for the spot. We even deal with this at the Garden! What most people see when they visit the Garden is a curated symphony of native plants, but behind the scenes, our dedicated gardeners are always removing plants that didn’t make it and experimenting with new ones.

Pro tip: There are great resources to help guide you. If you can make it to the Garden, our staff is ready to help or check out some of the books available at our Garden Shop. There are also great online resources on our website (SBBotanicGarden.org/grow), as well as at Pacifichorticulture.org or Calscape.org, just to name a few.

I am at the Garden Nursery, standing among all the happy plants. Where do I go from here?

Welcome! There are a lot of awesome plants to explore at our Nursery, especially during the fall planting season, which kicks off in November. Start by reading the care cards to get a sense of how each plant will act in your garden. See if the average growth sizes will work for your area and if the conditions preferred are a match for your site. While these cards are based on years of horticultural insight, they are guidelines. Every garden is different and the more you know about your specific space, the more you can tailor these guidelines to your needs. For instance, I recently planted California fuchsia (Epilobium canum) in heavy shade, despite the fact it generally likes sunny habitats, but it has bloomed all summer long. I think that’s a success!

There was this plant … it had leaves and flowers. Do you have it for sale?

Did you see something in the Garden that you liked? Did you get something last year that took off, but you can’t remember what it’s called? It’s a lot easier to identify a plant from a photo than it is to verbally describe it. Many plants may look similar, but they can vary drastically when it comes to how to care for them, so being able to identify a plant sometimes requires zooming in on the details.

Pro tip: Bring several photos of the plant you’re interested in. Make sure you get a couple of close-up shots and blooms if you can. Nursery staff should be able to help you identify it or find something close.

I’m looking for something specific, and I can’t find it.

Ask us! Our inventory is always changing and plants are constantly being shuffled around. There are more than 6,000 plants native to California, and, unfortunately, the Garden can’t carry them all. We do our best to keep a large variety available year-round.

Some plants are easy to find and are growing in our Living Collection Nursery that could be ready in just a few weeks. Other plants are difficult to propagate and slow growing, which means they can take months before they are retail ready (if they’re available at all). If you’re curious about a specific plant, please ask our staff. Although never guaranteed, we can put your desired plant on our wish list, and we will keep an eye out if it does become available.

Pro tip: When a plant is in bloom at the Garden or around town, there is a higher demand for that plant and subsequently can be harder for us to keep in stock. For example, if you want a bush anemone (Carpenteria californica), don’t wait until it blooms in April. The time to get it is when you see it available!

Does my drought-tolerant plant really need additional water?

So many of California’s native plants are drought tolerant, emphasis on the word “tolerant.” As in they put up with drought, causing many of them to go dormant or lose leaves in drought conditions. While this strategy is advantageous in a wild setting, it may not be preferable for home gardeners. Supplying additional water to your native plants helps keep your plants greener and may help them bloom longer.

Pro tip: Native plants are less thirsty than a traditional garden, so adjust your irrigation accordingly.

Wait, I have more questions!

The Garden wants you to be successful when it comes to native-plant gardening — that is at the heart of our mission. We’d love to help you along the way.

Pro tip: With our website update, we now have an option for you to submit questions directly to our Horticulture Team. Visit SBBotanicGarden.org/grow/ gardening-resources and scroll to the bottom of the page to submit your question.

With some of the basics now under your belt, we hope you’ll join us in cultivating biodiversity right in your backyard by growing native plants. Even just one to get you started can be a catalyst for change. So, start small and build a relationship with your plants and property. You’ll soon find what works to make your garden thrive. And remember, your garden is a living and changing place. Some plants will take off, and others might not, but you won’t know until you give it a try.

We look forward to seeing you in the Nursery soon.