NATIVE PLANT WEEK SYMPOSIUM, WILDFLOWER SHOW and PLANT SALE

In 2010, the California State Assembly and Senate approved Resolution ACR 173 (Evans) establishing California Native Plant Week. This measure proclaims the 3rd week of April, each year, as California Native Plant Week and encourages community groups, schools, and citizens to undertake appropriate activities to promote the conservation, restoration, and appreciation of California's native plants.

Sponsored by the California Native Plant Society (Los Angeles / Santa Monica Mountains Chapter) and the Theodore Payne Foundation for Wild Flowers and Native Plants, the Native Plant Week Symposium includes a wildflower show, plant and book sale, activity tables, and demonstrations.  It is scheduled for Saturday, April 21, 9:00am-4;00pm at the Sepulveda Garden Center in Encino.
Admission is free.

The Symposium will feature the following speakers:

Dr. Anthony Valois, Wildflowers of the Santa Monica Mountains, 9:30-11:00am

Dr. Valois will show photos from ten years of hiking the trails and exploring the hidden glens of the Santa Monica Mountains. Beyond the common face-on flower shot the presentation will show photos of all aspects of flowering plants from leaf to seed. The web site "Wild Flowers of the Santa Monica Mountains" with its collection of over 6000 pictures of more than 900 species of wildflower is the principal resource for this presentation. One of the goals is to provide some simple tools to aid in plant identification illustrated with his photos of beautiful,
local California wildflowers.

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Orchid Black, Easy Natives for the Garden, 11:30am-1:00pm

Orchid will present a fabulous palette of bulletproof species and cultivars (that is, plants selected for reliability or consistent bloom) – plants that thrive in a wide range of garden situations. A great session for beginners and experienced gardeners!

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Lili Singer, Native Plants + Pollinators = Bountiful Gardens, 2:00-3:30pm

Lili’s richly illustrated presentation will give attendees a new appreciation of insects and other creatures that populate native plant gardens, provide pollination services, ensure bountiful crops and encourage a balanced garden environment.

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Lunch time Poetry Readings from 1-2pm

Dozens of different native plant flowers will be on display, collected from members’ home gardens and  the grounds of the Theodore Payne Foundation.

Native plants from the Theodore Payne Foundation Nursery will be available for purchase.

Educational displays and activities from various agencies and docent groups will be offered.

Native plant gardening and natural history books will be available for sale, along with t-shirts, maps, and other gift items.

Refreshments will be available for purchase.

California native wildflower cuttings from home gardens to be displayed as part of the Wildflower Show are needed. If you would like to contribute cuttings, contact Snowdy Dodson via email: snowdy.dodson@csun.edu or phone: 818-782-9346 for details. The cuttings need to be available for set up on Friday, April 20, between noon and 1:00 pm

For more information about the California Native Plant Society, visit www.cnps.org
Find the website for the L.A. / Santa Monica Mountains Chapter of CNPS at www.lacnps.org
The Theodore Payne Foundation for Wild Flowers and Native Plants, Inc. is located at 10459 Tuxford St., Sun Valley 91352, 818-768-1802, or visit them at www.theodorepayne.org

About the Speakers:

Dr. Anthony Valois works for the National Park Service doing vegetation mapping and plant surveys. He has spent the last ten years building the Santa Monica Mountains WildFlower website and now recently its iPhone app. He edits the wildflower newsletter of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area and leads wildflowers hikes and gives presentations to Park visitors. On any given weekend he can likely be found at Circle X Ranch chatting with Park visitors.

Orchid Black’s gardens have been featured on the Theodore Payne Foundation (TPF) Garden Tour for many years. With the Friends of Washington Park and TPF, she has been active in the restoration of Washington Park in Pasadena, originally designed by Theodore Payne and Ralph Cornell in 1921. She lectures at TPF, teaches Sustainable Garden Practice for UCLA Extension, and gives lectures and workshops on native horticulture throughout Southern California. Orchid can be found online at http: //nativesanctuary.wordpress.com.

Lili Singer wears many garden hats. She is director of special projects and adult education at the Theodore Payne Foundation for Wild Flowers and Native Plants. An award-winning horticulturist, educator and garden writer, she also heads the Thursday Garden Talks at the LA County Arboretum & Botanic Garden in Arcadia. Lili was named 1997 Horticulturist of the Year by the Southern California Horticultural Society. She received the 1994 Mildred E. Mathias Life Achievement Award from the Friends of the Virginia Robinson Gardens in Beverly Hills.

NOTE: For more information, contact Steve Hartman (naturebase@aol.com) or 818-881-3706.