By Terry Huang
Director, Living Collections
Here in Southern California, autumn is truly the most wonderful time of the year. With cooler and damper weather, we are nearing the start of our “spring.” Even compared to the other Mediterranean climates, there is nothing quite like it. From the iconic scent of our sage-y landscape to the unique animals that live amongst us, we often take our native flora and fauna for granted. They are truly the unsung heroes who make the world go round.
Our flower mix in the new Pollination Garden relished the summer heat and did a commendable job providing food and shelter to wildlife as well as color and a little drama. You may have noticed the beds were cleared for our permanent plantings this month. In the style of French garden designers Olivier and Clara Filippi, the new plantings in the Pollination Garden will highlight the forms and textures of our landscape. The plant palette consists of a backbone of local native species (specially grown by the Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy) accentuated with select species from other similar climates and curated pockets of seasonal flowers.
The Pollination Garden will pay tribute to the history of the land the Garden occupies, as the once plentiful coastal sage scrub is now the most threatened plant community in California due to urbanization. This will not only be a wonderful educational opportunity, but also continue to provide much-needed food and habitat for all pollinators around us. Here on the Palos Verdes Peninsula, the wonderful diversity of the coastal sage scrub would not be possible without the original stewards of the land – the Gabrielino/Tongva. It is through their expert care and understanding of our local landscape that encouraged the abundance all around us. Today, native presence and wisdom have repeatedly proven to be relevant as we learn how to live with the emerging challenges of our changing climate.
Here at the Garden, we love the planting season because it signals new beginnings. We are excited for you to witness the transformation as the Pollination Garden grows and changes through the seasons.
