The Annual Theodore Payne Native Plant Garden Tour, the largest outreach event of the Theodore Payne Foundation for Wild Flowers and Native Plants, takes place Saturday & Sunday, April 1 and 2, 2017, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. The two-day, self-driven, curated tour features thirty of the region’s most beautiful and inspiring private and public landscapes. On Saturday, April 1, gardens in the San Fernando Valley and San Gabriel Valley locations will be open for touring. On Sunday, April 2, gardens in Los Angeles and the Westside will be open.
Photo courtesy of Susan Gottlieb; Celebrated in the new book The Gottlieb Native Garden: A California Love Story, this large and magnificent one-acre estate *(garden #15, open Saturday and Sunday) includes many mature natives, some planted more than 25 years ago, and recent plantings, all of which attract legions of hummingbirds, songbirds, insects and other local fauna. A staircase leads down a steep back hillside, handsomely terraced and planted with slope-stabilizing natives. Other highlights: a running stream, water features designed for birds, a fine succulent collection, and an exemplary cat run that give felines time outside while keeping the birds (and cats) safe. Certified by the Xerces Society as a Pollinator Habitat. Design assistance: Rogers Weld.

In addition to being beautiful, these gardens nurture pollinators, save water and energy, and highlight the native flora and fauna that thrive in our local climate. Examples of outstanding native landscape design in an array of garden styles, budgets, and sizes are represented. These unique landscapes are sustainable, creative and distinctly Californian. Private garden owners – many of whom designed and installed their own landscapes – will be on site to share secrets of their success. Professionally designed gardens are also on tour, as well as a few public landscapes. Theodore Payne Foundation docents are also available at gardens to answer visitor questions.

All tickets cover both days of the Tour. Pricing is as follows: • Single tickets: $25 for members and students; $30 for non-members. •A pair of tickets (two tickets): $40 for members; $50 for non-members. • Sponsor a Ticket: Share the beauty of the Tour by sponsoring a ticket ($15 each) for someone not able to afford one. TPF will distribute sponsored tickets through our education and community partners. Purchase tickets HERE. Tickets available at theodorepayne.org The Tour website, nativeplantgardentour.org, includes photos, descriptions, and plant lists for all participating gardens on the tour. Plant Sale! 
On Sunday, visit Garden #29 in Santa Monica (see image above) This contemporary landscape utilizes an understated native plant palette—including coast live oak, Western redbud, and manzanita— to accompany a modern, prefab home dedicated to sustainability. Planted eight years ago, the front, back, and side yards are all irrigated with graywater and rain captured in the home’s cistern. Design: The Great Outdoors Landscape Design.

In anticipation of the Garden Tour, on Saturday March 18, 2017, the Theodore Payne Foundation’s Poppy Day Plant Sale will be held at the Foundation’s nursery in Sun Valley from 8:30 a.m. — 4:30 p.m. Members receive 15% off plants, seed and TPF wear all day. Non-members receive 10% off after 11:00 a.m. More information at theodorepayne.org. The Theodore Payne Foundation for Wild Flowers & Native Plants, a 501(c)(3) organization established in 1960, re-wilds Southern California by bringing native plants back into our cities, creating habitat that supports local ecosystems, and helping people embrace our shared natural heritage. Learn more about the Foundation and gardening with native plants at theodorepayne.org nativeplantgardentour.org