Natural History Wanderings

Fall Rains Mean It Is Time For Gardeners To Plant In California

After the first serious rain is the ideal time to plant your garden in most of California. That looks like it will be the next few days. Fall planting allows plants to develop well established root systems during the rainy season so they will be more drought tolerant by next summer.

My two favorite nurseries Annies Annuals in Richmond and Mostly Natives in Tomales also have both started their October sales( 20% off at Annie’s, 25% off at Mostly Natives. Both nurseries grow their own plants. Annie’s has all four-inch pots and a large choice of native and non-native plants including lots of rare plants not easily found in the nursery trade and Mostly Natives likes its name says has mostly native plants in small and one gallon pots. Smaller plants almost always do better and grow larger over several years than larger ones. For example  it is common for a one gallon plant to be much larger than a five gallon plant after they have both been in the ground three to five years.

There are many good reasons to consider native plants for your garden including:

• creating habitat for birds, butterflies and beneficial insects
• many are drought tolerant as they are used to California summers
• do not need fertilizers.
• need fewer pesticides compared to lawns
• help reduce air pollution.

Happy Planting