Happy Native Plant Growers
There were many happy native plant lovers and growers at the Jackson County Master Gardener’s Spring Garden Fair last weekend!
Those of us at Klamath-Siskiyou Native Seeds (KSNS) had a great time talking to gardeners about the benefits of growing native plants in gardens and landscapes at the fair. The interest in native plants has grown so much that we sold out of some species of seeds and plants at the fair. It was great to see people going home with native plants to put in the ground right away and with native seeds to grow on their own.
Suzie from KSNS gave a presentation on how to “Grow Your Own Native Plants,” focusing on ten easy-to-grow native plants for the home gardener. Additional native plant presentations were given by other native plant enthusiasts, with a focus on how to use native plants in pollinator gardens and why native plants are good for pollinators, wildlife, and beauty! Although the fair is more known for garden veggie starts than natives, it’s great to see native plants receive the increased attention they are due.
The best part about tabling at a large event like this is the interaction with people from all over southern Oregon and northern California. People tell us about their successes with growing native plants, and what they want to try and experiment with in the future. Here at KSNS we keep experimenting with lesser known native plants that have great potential in native plant gardens, to help people grow an even greater diversity of native plants for the benefit of pollinators and wildlife.
One of our happy customers even brought a two-year old seed pot of Henderson’s shooting star (Dodecatheon hendersonii) plants that he germinated from our seeds for us to see. After the seedlings went dormant last summer he nearly gave up on them, thinking they might be dead, but they grew from the dormant bulbs again this spring and will be planted in the fall. Success stories like this warm our hearts and invigorate our own enthusiasm for growing native plants.
This year we were thrilled to see the Jackson County Master Gardeners themselves selling native plants grown from our seeds at the Spring Garden Fair! Their plants looked great and were a nice addition to their wide selection of plants at their booth. We appreciate their efforts to educate gardeners about the benefits of growing native plants, and providing native plants for gardeners to purchase that are sourced from local native seeds.
Below is a selection of plants the Jackson County Master Gardeners grew from KSNS seeds this year. We’ll see you at the fair next year, or you can stop by and see us at the Talent Harvest Festival in October where we will again have a wide selection of native seed packets and nursery plants.
