Riverside gardeners can buy California native plants and get free planting advice Saturday, Nov. 7, when the Riverside-San Bernardino chapter of the California Native Plant Society (CNPS) holds its annual plant sale. The sale runs from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Riverside-Corona Resource Conservation District (RCRCD), 4500 Glenwood Drive.
Organizers say fall is a good time to put native plants in the ground, and they point to forecasts of a wetter-than-usual winter. Plants started now can use the rainy months to grow roots before summer, and native habitat plants draw butterflies, native bees and birds to local yards.
"The plants will use the rainy season to establish the root system needed to allow them to survive our long, hot dry season," Betty Richards, the chapter's horticulture chair and the sale's co-coordinator, said in a statement.
The sale will include 140 species of California native plants that grow well in the Inland Empire's climate, according to the chapter, including some plants native to the inland region that can be hard to find elsewhere. Among them are white sage, hoaryleaf ceanothus and California buckwheat, shrubs that can thrive with little or no summer watering once they are established.
Shoppers can also buy locally sourced native seeds and bulbs, along with native plant books and wildflower posters.
Volunteer experts will walk the sale to help shoppers choose plants and plan lawn alternatives. The conservation district is also hosting two free workshops during the sale.
At 11 a.m., Lynn Coffman, a Qualified Water Efficient Landscaper and Master Gardener, will lead "Using California Natives in Your Garden," covering how to choose natives that suit a particular site and which plants do best in different garden conditions. The session is meant for both new and experienced gardeners.
At noon, Michele Felix-Derbarmdiker, assistant district manager at the conservation district, will lead "Native Plant Container Gardens." The workshop is aimed at people without a yard and shows how native plants grown in pots can still attract hummingbirds, butterflies and other pollinators.
UC Master Gardener volunteers will also staff their "Ask a Master Gardener" booth at the center from 9 a.m. to noon, as they do on the first Saturday of each month.
The sale accepts cash, credit cards and debit cards only. Parking is free. CNPS members receive a discount, and memberships can be purchased or renewed at cnps.org.
The chapter holds a second sale the following weekend. The Desert Native Plant Sale and Garden Day Event, featuring plants for low desert gardens, runs from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 14, at the Unitarian Universalist Church of the Desert in Rancho Mirage.
The chapter is looking for volunteers to help on sale days and with setup the day before each sale. Those interested can email rsbcnps@cnps.org.
For more information: Plant sale details are available at chapters.cnps.org or by emailing rsbcnps@cnps.org. Workshop questions can go to the RCRCD LandUse Learning Center at (951) 683-7691, ext. 216, or llc@RCRCD.org. The center is open daily from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
