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Welcome To Your California Native Garden Source
The non-profit California Native Garden Foundation provides both education and grants. Classes, lectures, and workshops are available on water-wise gardening, 12 months of color in your garden, designing a native garden, native edibles, and more.
Grants are awarded to schools, colleges, museums, and public spaces, whose stewards commit to providing help with installation and maintenance. CNGF offers pro bono garden design, native plants (donated by generous native plant nurseries), and volunteer assistance. The resulting planting and care of native gardens provides enjoyment and education to children and adults for years and years.
To learn more about California natives, point to the links at the left for access to a wealth of information.
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Watch the video!
Paul Holowko interviews Alrie Middlebrook.
Why Native Gardens?
Gardens comprised of beautiful native California plants have many advantages.
- Natives are best adapted to the places we live and are more resistant to local fungal diseases and pest.
- Natives save money by requiring less water, very little fertilizer, and a minimum of other maintenance chores.
- Natives are diverse and display a wide range of sizes, growth patterns, cultural requirements, and flowers.
- Natives create wildlife habitats because the local fauna, particularly the pollinators, are already adapted to live with and benefit by them.
- Natives provide food for migrating birds and butterflies.
- Natives are beautiful in the garden, showy with unique floral designs.
- Natives create a sense of place unique to the area in which you live.
- Natives can recreate natural ecosystems, discouraging invasive species.