Native Seed Success in 2019
Native Seed Success in 2019
Klamath-Siskiyou Native Seeds are used for many different seeding and planting projects each year. We love to see how our seeds are successfully incorporated into habitat restoration projects, native plant gardens, pollinator habitat enhancement, ornamental landscaping, community planting projects, educational gardens, and much more! Our seeds are used to grow containerized nursery stock for native planting projects, or they are direct seeded, depending on the needs of the project. Our native seed or nursery plants grown from our seed are used on private and public land, as well as educational sites, botanical gardens, or are grown for small and large-scale nursery production.
We have featured some of the successful uses and applications of Klamath-Siskiyou Native Seeds in 2019 below. We’re looking forward to 2020. Happy New Year!
Siskiyou Mountain Homestead Wildflower Meadow Project
Klamath-Siskiyou Native Seeds collected native seeds under contract for this project located around 5,000′ in the Siskiyou Mountains. The seed mix included 60 species of wildflowers and native grasses. 2019 marked year three of this successful seeding project. Many of the perennials have matured and have started to bloom alongside the annuals, creating a spectacular display around the home and gardens. The seeded areas started out as bare soil after hardscaping work, and have been restored into a fully functioning, high quality mountain meadow habitat. As non-native species have tried to get established, careful and persistent weeding has maintained a mostly native composition. Occasional summer irrigation has helped with establishment but the site will be further weaned from irrigation going forward. A diversity of pollinators are now feasting on the pollen and nectar of a high diversity of native flowering plants at the site, and many species are using the plants as larval host plants. Many caterpillars of various species have been observed. This project is now producing enough seed itself that further seed collection from the project area is helping seed other areas of the property.
Butte Falls Natural Resource Center Monarch Waystation and Native Plant Education Garden
Klamath-Siskiyou Native Seeds provided native seeds for growing out native nursery plants for the Butte Falls Charter School’s Natural Resource Center. In collaboration with other partners, such as Southern Oregon Monarch Advocates and Jackson County Soil and Water Conservation District, the students and staff at the Butte Falls Charter school constructed monarch waystations and educational pollinator gardens at a closed-down fish hatchery that was slated for demolition. Klamath-Siskiyou Native Seeds participated in a collaborative planting day with the students, planting 40 species of native plants grown from locally collected native seeds, in a designated monarch waystation area and in old fish tanks repurposed into native plant demonstration gardens. In 2019 the planting started to establish, and with the care and maintenance of the students and staff, the native plant gardens will thrive and provide excellent monarch butterfly and pollinator habitat, educational opportunities, and hands-on learning for the Butte Falls Charter School.
Klamath River Fishing Retreat Native Plant Gardens and Wildflower Seeding Project
This multidimensional project at a fishing retreat on the Klamath River used Klamath-Siskiyou Native Seeds to grow out native nursery plants for riparian restoration and native plant gardens, as well as direct seeding for dryland meadow restoration. Over three years of development the gardens have become established and are providing ornamental value for visitors, but more importantly, they are providing valuable habitat for pollinators, birds, and other wildlife. The gardens now contain over 85 species of native plants, including, trees, shrubs, perennial wildflowers, annual wildflowers, and native grasses. This native garden has a diligent maintenance schedule that includes regular weeding and the use of bark mulch for weed management and soil building. Irrigation is used on a limited basis for areas that were designed for dryland species, while other areas that have more moist-loving species receive regular irrigation. Once established, the dryland areas and seeded dryland meadows will be further weaned from irrigation. The native dryland meadow was seeded with 57 different species of wildflowers and native grasses, all collected from native plants along the Klamath River corridor as well as on the land itself.
Backyard Native Plant Gardens
Klamath-Siskiyou Native Seeds are used to grow ornamental and useful native plants for backyard gardens. Our native seed packets are used for direct seeding, or for growing out nursery plants for transplanting into gardens. No two native plant gardens or native plant gardeners are alike. We love to hear about how our customers use our seeds in their gardens and what species they are successfully growing. Our customers have different techniques and styles, but they all have the love of native plants in common. Share your photos and success stories with us at klamathsiskiyou@gmail.com. Nothing connects you to native plants more than growing them yourself. In your garden you can observe each species’ growth habit throughout the year, observe the pollinator-plant interactions, see what species use the plants as larval host plants, and enjoy the beauty while you sip your morning tea barefoot in the summer right out your back door. Grow Native — Grow Wild!
Native Plant Nursery Production
Thousands of native nursery plants are grown from Klamath-Siskiyou Native Seeds each year. We supply many nurseries throughout the West Coast with seed for growing containerized nursery stock. Gardening groups, botanical gardens, botany departments and researchers at universities, use our seeds, as well as habitat restoration non-profits, native plant societies, and everyday gardeners that choose to grow native seeds in the nursery environment prior to planting. Our individual seed packets can be used for nursery production, or we can provide larger amounts of seed when larger quantities are needed for large-volume nursery production. Klamath-Siskiyou Native Seeds is the only source for many species of seed. We strive to provide a diverse selection that will perform well under nursery conditions.
Native Seed Packets
Each year we add new species to our online inventory of native seed packets. In 2019 we added 22 new species and we expect to add more in 2020! Our seed packet inventory fluctuates throughout the year, so check back often to see our updated inventory. If you see that the species you are interested in is currently out of stock, contact us to let us know that you want to be put on a waiting list for that species. When it becomes available we will notify you that we have it in stock again. Looking for something we don’t carry? If it is a species that grows within the Klamath-Siskiyou Ecoregion we may be able to collect seed for you if we can find a suitable seed collection site. Let us know what you are interested in. We strive to supply a wide range of species for various uses and applications.
Happy New Year!