It’s a Good Time to Plant a Native Garden!
January 13, 2025
The mild conditions characteristic of late fall through early spring allow plants to get established before the heat of summer arrives.
January 2025. With cooler weather upon us, now is an ideal time to plant a native garden. The mild conditions characteristic of late fall through early spring allow plants to get established before the heat of summer arrives. Most California native plants require little irrigation once established, provide habitat for pollinators, are low maintenance, and are perfectly suited to our local climate and soils.
Native plants have evolved over thousands of years to survive in our hot, dry summer climate. Make sure you select those that are specific to our region. Native plants differ from drought-tolerant plants in that they are adapted to survive without much irrigation in summer, whereas drought-tolerant plants generally require some watering all year.
Native plants provide the following benefits:
Water Savings: A sustainably designed native garden can use 85 percent less water per year than a traditional landscape. Once native plants are planted, a well-designed drip irrigation system is more efficient than traditional spray sprinklers and saves watering costs.
Maintenance Reduction: A water-wise California native garden can reduce maintenance dramatically once it is established. It eliminates the need for mowing and fertilizing lawns, applying pesticides and fertilizers, and watering thirsty plants, leaving you more time to enjoy your garden and other activities.
Wildlife and Biodiversity Increases: Adding native plants helps create functioning ecosystems in the garden by attracting the native insects and wildlife that depend upon these plants. Native plants and animals have developed relationships with each other, and research shows that our wildlife prefers native plants over non-native plants because of these dependencies. Native pollinators can improve fruit and vegetable production in your home garden, and beneficial native insects, reptiles, and birds can manage pests such as mosquitos, aphids, and others.
Pesticide Use Reduction: Native plants have not only developed their own defenses against many pests and diseases, but they can also attract beneficial insects and animals that attack pests. Reducing or eliminating pesticides keeps toxins out of our waterways and soil, improves environmental and human health, and allows natural and beneficial pest controllers to thrive.
Connection to a California Sense of Place is Enhanced: A garden planted with species native to our region creates a strong sense of place and helps connect you more deeply to the natural world. Including native plants in your garden connects you to the unique biological web created by the environmental history and culture of the land your home sits on. These small patches of habitat become part of a larger collective that nurtures and sustains a living landscape that not only enhances a sense of sanctuary for you, but for the plants, insects, birds, and other animals that have always lived there.
Getting Started
Ready to pick up some California native plants and get started with your garden? A great place to start is our toakswater.org webpage, which links to native plant guides and other helpful native gardening resources.
For planting tips, read the California Native Plant Society’s article on Planting California Natives.
So, grab your shovel and gloves and get started on an attractive, water-wise native garden!
Get Connected
California Native Plant Society (CNPS) – a comprehensive resource for everything you need to know about California native plants. CNPS also has local chapters across the state. Here's the link to our local one: https://chapters.cnps.org/channelislands/
Master Gardeners of Ventura County - The Master Gardener program is sponsored by the US Department of Agriculture and overseen by University of California scientists. Their mission is to share science-based gardening information and best practices and provide training for home gardeners. Click HERE for a schedule of free workshops on native plants, drip irrigation, and pollinators.
Tree of Life Nursery – provides excellent information and resources on caring for your native garden.
Power Outages
Irrigation controllers frequently reset to factory settings after a power outage. Visit this webpage for tips for resetting your controller.