California Native Plant Garden Maintenance: Fall and Winter Tasks

Join us at the beautiful Visitors Center at King Gillette Ranch for a 2 1/2 hour class covering the do’s and dont’s of Fall and Winter native plant garden maintenance. The class begins with an informal lecture detailing:

– Correct fall and winter planting methods

– How and what to prune during the rainy season

– When and what types of fertilizers to use on native plants

– Irrigation techniques for the cool season, including drip systems, overhead sprinklers and hand-watering

– How to make your native garden look good all year

After a short break, attendees will have the opportunity to help plant, prune, irrigate and fertilize various plants in our native plant garden at the Visitor’s Center.

This morning event will take place outdoors at the King Gillette Ranch Visitor’s Center. Attendees should be prepared to stand for over an hour and be exposed to the sun for various lengths of time. Please wear hiking or outdoor working attire, bring water/reusable water bottle, sunscreen, and a sun hat.

This maintenance class will be led by Antonio Sanchez, Nursery Manager and Volunteer Outreach Coordinator for the Rancho Sierra Vista native plant nursery. Antonio has over 15 years experience in native plant horticulture and sustainable agriculture, and has led native plant workshops across the state. Antonio was co-founder of Nopalito Native Plant Nursery in Ventura, formerly managed the nurseries at Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden in Claremont, and has worked at the Theodore Payne Foundation in Sun Valley, Cal Flora Nursery in Fulton, and the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden in Santa Barbara.