One of the first steps in any gardening project is to gather inspiration, including identifying the community of plants you want to cultivate and designing your space for maximum visual and sensory appeal.
Many California native plant nurseries—including the Theodore Payne Foundation and the Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden in Southern California—have demonstration gardens where you can see what many native plants look like when they’re mature.
Garden tours through a variety of local organizations—like the Theodore Payne Foundation Annual Garden Tour in Los Angeles—are also a great way to see how others are gardening with California native plants.
And don’t be afraid to ask questions of your native plant nursery staff. They have a wealth of expertise and will be happy to share ideas and help you come up with a plan for your garden.
Planting Natives: Healing Nature
On January 31, 2022 the Gottlieb Native Garden hosted a panel that included Doug Tallamy, Garry George, Beth Pratt, Susan Gottlieb, Diane Shader Smith, Lili Singer, Scott Logan and Will Battersby using Salt in My Soul as the springboard to a conversation about the connection between the environment and human health with the goal of understanding the importance of gardening for wildlife and, as using native plants to help save the world.
Own the Book
The Gottliebs and their unique garden are the subject of the acclaimed book, The Gottlieb Native Garden: A California Love Story. Writer Mallory Smith captures the story of Susan’s life and her passion for native gardens and biodiversity.