We have begun selling California poppies and native bulbs, such as Calochortus and Brodiaea, in 4-inch pots. Pick up a few soon and get them in the ground before the last of the winter rains and watch your garden glow this spring!

Reminder: You can always check TPF's nursery inventory online at our Web site. Once you're at the home page, click on "Plants at the Nursery" and then "Nursery Weekly Inventory."

Live in or near Hollywood and TPF is too far of a drive? Not to worry because we're in your neighborhood every Sunday!

Armed with plenty of California native plants and related literature, we're setting up shop at the famed and ever-popular Hollywood Farmers' Market at the corner of Selma and Ivar.

Hours are: 8:00 am to 1:00 pm - plenty of time for leisurely shopping. You can even get breakfast too! What a lovely way to spend a Sunday morning. Hope to see you there.

The 2008 TP Garden Tour will take place on Saturday, April 12th and Sunday April 13th from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. each day. We'll be showcasing 38 California native plant gardens in the Los Angeles area - from Monrovia to Eagle Rock to Woodland Hills to Mar Vista.

On the evening on April 12th, we're offering a free talk by landscape designer Alrie Middlebrook, coauthor of Designing Native Plant Gardens (UC Press, 2007 - click title to buy at TPF online) at Barnsdall Theatre. Everyone is welcome to come to the talk (not just Garden Tour ticket-holders).

We need volunteers who are outgoing and knowledgeable about California native plants to be docents during the Tour. To sign up for one or both of the days, please call 818-768-1802.

Tickets ($20 per person for both days of the Tour) may be purchased through our secure online store or by phone: 818-768-1802. They make a terrific present, be it for Valentine's Day (a promise to take your sweetheart on a romantic stroll through some of LA's most beautiful gardens), birthdays, Easter, Passover, you name it. Or just treat yourself to a botanical bonanza beyond compare!

Pick up a pot or two (or three!) on your next trip to Theodore Payne and discover the creative world of container gardening with California native plants. We're serving up a wide variety of styles, shades and sizes at prices that are a steal!

In February we're offering Atriplex lentiformis breweri (common name: Quail or Salt Bush) to our current members at a 20% discount. Photo by Ken Gilliland.

Atriplex lentiformis breweri is probably the best bird native shrub money can buy-- but be prepared for it's size-- it does get big (3' - 10' h x 6' - 15' w). Salty tasting (hence the common name), the leaves were used as seasoning by Native Americans. During flowering in late summer, it can be quite striking with yellow/rust plumes against the grey/green leaves. Salt bush is an excellent addition to bird, moonlight and drought-tolerant gardens.

More info can be found at our Web site's plant gallery. Once there, simply scroll down to the plant name and click on it.

We've recently begun offering fun and informative field trips for 3rd & 4th grade students. There are two programs from which to choose. Each one lasts a little over an hour, with a break in the middle, and will be held in the Picnic Area under sycamore trees. The fee for each program is $50.00 per class. Classes are welcome to stay and eat lunch after the program and visit our nursery and bookstore as well.

"All About Leaves," our life sciences standards-based program for third and fourth graders, centers on the leaf adaptations of California native plants. Students will examine the leaves of plants from different habitats, then draw and describe the leaves and analyze their characteristics to link them to their adaptive purpose. In addition, there will be a demonstration of the varying heat absorption rates for leaves of different colors, as well as a demonstration of how plants combat water loss through plant oils. Throughout the program, the vital ecological link between butterflies and birds and native plants will be emphasized so that students understand the importance of preserving and restoring our California landscape. Students will learn not only about the water-saving benefits of native plants, but also about the crucial ecological function they fulfill. This program satisfies, for third grade, science content standards 3.3.a, 3.3.d, 3.5.c, 3.5.d and 3.5.e, and for fourth grade, science content standards 4.2.a, 4.3.c and 4.6.b..

"Tongva Rope-Making and Tools from Native Plants," our social science standards-based program for third and fourth graders, centers on rope-making, one of the most crucial skills of California's indigenous peoples. Through making rope with yucca fibers, students will learn how the indigenous peoples of our region adapted to the natural environment and used its natural resources. Various other goods and tools made from natural resources will also be shown to demonstrate how native plants formed the basis for the material culture of southern California's indigenous peoples. This program satisfies, for third grade, social science content standards 3.1.2 and 3.2.2, and for fourth grade, social science content standards, 4.1.3, 4.2.1 and 4.2.5.

Field Trip Testimonials: Here's what some recent attendees had to say about their experiences at TPF:
"My favorite part is when we were doing science. I learned a lot about leafs. My favorite leaf is the toyon leaf. I had so much fun." - Rayne G.
"Me and my friend enjoyed the white sage. I liked to smell it a lot." - Pedro.
"I liked that we studied leaves. We measured the temperature of cups of water. Most of all, I loved being there with you and the Theodore Payne Foundation. I wish I could stay for the rest of my life." - Andrea G.

For further information and to schedule a field trip, please contact Lisa Novick at lisa@theodorepayne.org.

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