Gardening in Southern California

I was born and raised in southern California, in the city of Glendale. Jim grew up in Berea, Ohio and came west to California when he was about 15 years old. We now live in eastern Los Angeles county where we have hot, dry summers with usually low humidity, and mild winters with light frosts and not enough rain. Our lowest winter temperatures are around freezing. Last winter (2002), it actually snowed at our house. Otherwise, the yearly snowfall is confined to the San Gabriel mountains behind our home (which Jim likes to point out "is right where it belongs!"). Our gardening zone is USDA zone 9, Sunset zone 19. Be sure to check out the list of plants in our garden to get an idea of how they grow in our zone.

Helpful Gardening and Horticultural Links

This list includes resources for all of California.

• University of California Cooperative Extension in Los Angeles County. Yes, we really do have our own Cooperative Extension office! Also be sure to check out the Common Ground Garden Program.
• Southern California Horticultural Society
• Digitalseed ~ A Southern California gardening resource.
• California Native Plant Society (CNPS)
• CNPS - Los Angeles / Santa Monica Mountain Chapter
• CNPS - San Diego Chapter
• CNPS - Orange County Chapter ~ This is their "old" site which provides a link to their new site, a page which has nothing to do with the Chapter. For the time being, follow my link to their "old" site.
• A List of CNPS Chapters
• The Theodore Payne Foundation for Wildflowers and Native Plants, Inc. Dedicated to promoting, preserving, restoring, and providing plants and habitats native to California.
• California Native Plants, a list of plants, some with links to pictures.
• CalFlora Database ~ Information about plants that are native or naturalized in California.
• Southern California Branch of the Mediterranean Garden Society
• Wildflowers of Southern California provides photographs of southern California wildflowers, organized by region and indexed by scientific, common or family names. Includes a search tool and a neat "What's that plant?" section to help you determine the name of a plant you've seen but can't identify.
• UC Integrated Pest Management Program
• The Bay Area Gardener ~ A comprehensive online resource for gardeners in the Bay Area.
• @LA Plants/Horticulture in Southern California ~ Comprehensive listing of all things horticultural in Los Angeles, Orange, and Riverside Counties. Includes community gardens, botanical gardens, plant societies, etc.
• Monrovia Nursery ~ Select "For Gardeners". Has a nice plant database; many plants include pictures and planting suggestions.
• California Gardens ~ A source of information for plants and gardening in California. Includes a nice table of Plant Lists with images -- including a special list of Salvias!
• California Gardening forum at the best gardening site on the internet, the GardenWeb.
• Sunset Garden and Outdoor Living ideas at Sunset's web site.
• Garden California includes helpful tips, plant lists and a gardening calendar for each month. The list of California gardening links has some dead links, but the other information is useful.

Nurseries and Other Places to Buy Plants

Just a few of the many wonderful nurseries and other sources for plants in California, listed in no particular order. They are all worth visiting.

• Burkard Nurseries in Pasadena.
• Armstrong Garden Centers in various locations.
• San Gabriel Nursery & Florist in San Gabriel.
• H&H Nursery, 6220 Lakewood Blvd., Lakewood, CA; (562) 804-2513.
• Persson's Nursery, 3115 East Sierra Madre Blvd., Pasadena, CA; (626) 792-6073.
• Annies Annuals in Richmond, CA.
• Mt. Fuji Nursery, 1555 W. Foothill, Upland, CA; (909) 985-2219.
• The Theodore Payne Foundation in Sun Valley; sells plants that are native to California.
• Buena Creek Gardens in San Marcos. A nursery and display gardens located on 4 acres. Well worth a day-trip if you live out of the area.
• Brita's Old Town Gardens, 225 Main St. #A, Seal Beach, CA; (562) 430-5019.
• Fullerton Arboretum Potting Shed plant sales are held on Saturdays and Sundays and during special events.
• Roger's Gardens in Corona Del Mar.
• Upland Nursery, 1518 N. Tustin Ave., Orange, CA; (714) 538-4500.
• A listing of nurseries in Orange County.
• The California nursery index at FindNurseries.com.
• Resources in mediterranean climates around the world.

Soil Analysis Laboratories

• Wallace Laboratories, located in El Segundo, CA.
• Living Resources Company, located in Citrus Heights, CA.

Newsletters

• The Gardener's Companion, a guide to gardening in southern California; edited by Lili Singer, Horticultural Consultant. Contact thegardeners@earthlink.net

Books

This is a collection of helpful books devoted to gardening in all parts of California. I do not own all these books so I cannot endorse each one of them. The links will take you to the book at Amazon.com where you can read more about it, including reviews from others. The ones that I do own and can endorse include a * after the name.

California in general:

• Western Garden Book, 2001 Edition*, published by Sunset and considered by many to be the gardening bible of the west.
• Western Problem Solver, also published by Sunset.
• California Gardener's Guide by Sharon and Bruce Asakawa
• California Master Gardener Handbook ~ A resource of the University of California, containing 700 pages of in-depth information about gardening in California
• Home Landscaping:  California Region
• Where on Earth:  A Guide to Specialty Nurseries and Other Resources for California Gardeners

Southern California:

• Pat Welch's Southern California Gardening:  A Month by Month Guide*
• 52 Weeks in the California Garden* by Robert Smaus, former gardening editor of the Los Angeles Times.
• The Complete Guide to Southern California Gardening
• Answers for California Gardeners, the most recent book by Robert Smaus.

Northern California:

• The Complete Guide to Northern California Gardening
• Northern California Gardening:  A Month-by-Month Guide

California natives:

• Growing California Native Plants
• Gardening With a Wild Heart:  Restoring California's Native Landscapes at Home

Botanical Gardens

These are some of the botanical gardens in southern California. Some are strictly Rose gardens and others have display gardens of all kinds. It's a good idea to visit these places at various times of the year to see what grows well here and when they bloom, and how they survive our summer temperatures. They also give you lots of inspiration for your own garden.

• Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden, in Claremont. Dedicated to plants native to California.
• Descanso Gardens, 160 acres, in La Canada.
• Fullerton Arboretum, a 26-acre botanical garden at the California State University, Fullerton campus.
• The Huntington Botanical Gardens, 150 acres at The Huntington in San Marino (near Pasadena).  Allow extra time to visit the library and art museum.
• The Arboretum of Los Angeles County, on 127 acres in Arcadia (near Pasadena).

These web sites provide lists to many others:

• The Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation web site provides other places of interest to visit.
• Experience So Cal provides directory of gardens in Los Angeles County, Orange County, Riverside, Santa Barbara, San Diego, and Ventura. Includes a full description, location, activities, hours, and other details for each location.
• @LA Plants/Horticulture in Southern California ~ Comprehensive listing of all things horticultural in Los Angeles, Orange, and Riverside Counties. Includes community gardens, botanical gardens, plant societies, etc.
• All-America Rose Selections provides a listing of favorite Rose gardens including many in California.

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