7 minute read
Get Horticulture’d: Cultivating Community Through Native Plants
By Alejandro Lemus, Horticultural Educator
The beautiful part of working in a botanic garden is having the privilege to experience the seasonality of plants. In the two years since I made the move to Santa Barbara and joined Santa Barbara Botanic Garden as the horticultural educator, I’ve seen amazing displays of native habitat. From the showstopping flowers in the spring to the subtle beauty of fall dormancy, I’m reminded that the plants are the teachers. One of the most profound lessons I’ve learned is that a plant’s own cycles of change are similar to a human’s own periods of change, dormancy, and bloom. Through my role at the Garden, I enthusiastically foster these types of connections between people and our plant teachers.
Working in the world of native plants has taught me the ways in which humans are very much part of the web of life. In the face of a changing climate, habitat loss, and destructive wildfires, we, as a species, have the power to help our plant and animal cousins. When we collectively harness the power of our front yards, container gardens, and hellstrips (the narrow space between the sidewalk and street curb), we can create vital habitat that supports the web of life and makes our communities resilient. Anyone and everyone can be a part of environmental conservation through habitat gardening. As an organization at the nexus of conservation, horticulture, and education, the Garden is committed to empowering our community to participate in and to grow the native plant movement.
Gardening Is a Relationship
I remember the first native plant I ever planted in a garden. I can still smell it, actually. Its arrow-shaped foliage perfumes the air with a musky but oddly sweet aroma. Its pagoda-like inflorescences brighten the understory of oak (Quercus spp.) woodlands with brilliant shades of magenta. The unmistakable sound of a hummingbird captures you, fluttering from flower to flower in search of its sweet nectar. If you guessed that I’m describing hummingbird sage (Salvia spathacea), we’d be fast friends. If you aren’t familiar with this plant but were captivated by my ode to its beauty, you may have already formed your first connection to this woodland character. I like to think of hummingbird sage as my gateway native plant. Once I inhaled its saccharine scent, I never looked back. I found myself visiting the plant on a weekly basis to water and check for pests, but most importantly, to say hi. To me, it was akin to visiting a friend, checking in with them, assessing their needs, and watching them grow. Through my weekly visits, I realized that gardening is a relationship. Just as human relationships require care, patience, and nurturing, so too do plants. I encourage you to seek out gateway plants that inspire you to engage in acts of reciprocity with a garden. It all begins with forming a connection to our plant kin.
Grow With Us
Once you’re ready to take the first step in your native plant odyssey, I’d like to extend an invitation to one of our many horticulture classes. Through sharing our horticultural know-how, the Garden staff are inspiring and training advocates for native plants. Since I joined the Garden in 2023, we have been ramping up our horticultural classes each season and have welcomed over 500 participants. Whether led by me, colleagues in our talented Horticulture Department, or other experts in the field of native plant horticulture, our classes are great for native plant gardeners of varying skill levels. By growing native plants, not only are we restoring habitat, but we are also cultivating a resilient community of advocates.
Certified Landscapers Cultivate Even More Native Plants
An integral part of the native plant community is professional landscapers. As we encourage the shift from turf to native plant habitat, it is vital that the workforce have the knowledge to successfully grow and tend to native landscapes. In 2023, the Garden began teaching the California Native Plant Landscaper Certification (CNPLC) program, a native plant horticulture certification codeveloped by Theodore Payne Foundation for Wild Flowers & Native Plants and California Native Plant Society. Over the last year alone, we have certified over 100 gardeners, including landscaping leaders in homeowner associations (HOAs), city/county parks staff from Santa Barbara and Ventura counties, and professional landscapers.
Ensuring that our professional workforce is educated in native plant horticulture promises a future where we are in conversation with the plants, engaging in acts of stewardship that promote biodiversity.
Access our list of certified professionals here: SBBotanicGarden.org/gardening-resources.
Rooted in Community
I’ll admit that moving to Santa Barbara was quite an intimidating experience. I was new to the community, an uprooted plant anxious to find the right soil. Like a newly transplanted plant, it took time to root in my new home, and I appreciated the assurance that those established around me would be there for support. From our talented staff members to passionate community gardeners, I’m incredibly grateful for all the connections I have made. I’ve cultivated relationships with the people around me, just as plants in a garden do — by being attentive to my needs, asking for support, and experiencing growth and setbacks. Specifically I think back to the very special experience with students of the CNPLC program as we worked to install a native plant demonstration garden at Alice Keck Park Memorial Garden in downtown Santa Barbara. In the process of getting our hands dirty and shoveling mulch, we became an intrinsic part of a community. I’m thankful to homeowners who trust the Garden and allow us to visit their home gardens through our landscape consultation services. With each home that we visit, we seed beauty in native plants and further our mission. I have tremendous gratitude also for the families who participate in our youth horticulture programs, allowing young people to get their hands dirty and grow our propagation efforts in the Garden’s Backcountry. As we sow plants, plants sow community. We are all always growing, shedding old leaves, and awaiting reinvigoration and our spring bloom.
Be Part of the Solution
From backyards to business parks, Santa Barbara Botanic Garden is on a mission to cultivate landscapes that sustain all life on Earth. The Garden’s goal is to achieve 30% native plant coverage in developed areas. Reaching this crucial milestone will help protect the heath and well-being of people and the planet for generations to come. Through our horticultural education programs, we are increasing the use of native plants, working toward achieving a minimum of 30% coverage of native plants in the places where we — as a community — live, work, and play.
We welcome you to be part of the solution. Studies show that there are detrimental effects to biodiversity when we fall below 30% plant coverage. I encourage you to think about ways you can achieve 30%. Maybe for every 15 plants you buy, five are native. Or, if you have the space, consider adding an oak tree that will grow and contribute 30% coverage in your garden. While we recognize this goal won't be achieved overnight, we hope you are empowered to take the pledge and join us in growing the native plant movement. Let's all get growing together!
