Habitat Gardening
Topics
annual eventBees and Other PollinatorsBirdsButterfliesChildren activitiesClassescoyote mintdeer resistant plantseco friendly garden tourEventfoxfoxesFruits and Berriesgarden restorationgarden tourGardening with WildlifeGrowing Plants from SeedHabitat GardeningHardy california nativesHarmony with NatureHome Landscapingindian valley novatoMonarchs and Milkweednative gardensNative Plant Communitiesnative plantsPlant Nurseryplant salepollinatorsPropagating Plantspropgationseaside daisySeed CollectingSummer CampsunflowersTending Your GardenUseful Nonnative PlantsWater conservationWatershed Approach to LandscapingWildflowerswildlife
Plant of the Month October 2025: California Sunflowers
By Charlotte Torgovitsky. In California we have both annuals like Delta Sunflowers, Helianthus annuus, and Giant Sunflowers, Helianthus californicus, which is an herbaceous perennial that dies back to a large taproot in the fall. Before major development along many...
Plant of the Month July 2025: Coyote Mint
By Charlotte Torgovitsky. This beautiful little California native “sub-shrub” is a wonderful pollinator plant that comes into its full glory early in summer. A member of the mint family, Coyote Mint (Monardella villosa) supports local ecosystems: its profuse lilac...
Plant of the Month June 2025: Seaside Daisy
By Charlotte Torgovitsky. A Coastal Beauty for Every Garden If you’re looking for a native plant that combines beauty, resilience, and ecological value, Seaside Daisy (Erigeron glaucus) is a wonderful choice. This charming perennial brings soft color and coastal...
Plant of the Month April 2025: Salvias
The Diverse World of Salvias in California California is home to a number of different Salvia species; many of them are large flowering shrubs, some are small creeping perennial plants, and a few are annuals. Salvias belong to the Mint family (Laminaceae) and share...
Spring 2025 Plant Sale!
Spring is almost here. Celebrate in the garden with us at our first Plant Sale of the year. Saturday, April 12th, 2025, 10:00am – 2:00pm. Join us to purchase organically grown habitats plants, hear expert presentations, and learn more from our guest presenters...
Plant of the Month March 2025: California’s Native Currants
Early Bloomers Support Pollinators The really early blooming season of the manzanitas is coming to a close just as the currants are starting to bloom. Tiny, first-generation bumblebees (Bombus melanopgus) are still gathering nectar and pollen from the manzanita blooms...
Creating True Habitat… for Foxes!
Home Ground Habitats gardens are vibrantly alive and beautiful. Habitat gardens are havens for wildlife. Butterflies, bees, and birds… and now our nursery is home to… foxes! We bring the natural world to a landscape that also provides sustenance for...
Plant Propagation Classes and NEW Workshop for Summer 2024
“I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.” Hands-on classes are back this summer, with a new October Workshop*! *It is highly recommended that you have attended the series of all 3 propagation classes to gain the most from this New WORKSHOP....
First Annual Habitat Garden Summer Camp
Home Ground Habitats in Novato is excited to announce our first annual Habitat Garden Summer Camp for children. July 8-12 2024 9:00am-1:00pm Open to 2nd through 5th Grades FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TO REGISTER: click here ...
Now Open Wednesday Afternoons
We are excited to announce that Home Ground Habitats is now open to the public on Wednesdays. In addition to our Plant Sales and Events, we are now open for you to visit us Wednesdays from 1:00pm – 4:00pm. We are located at: 1875 Indian Valley Rd., Novato, CA...
June 17th, 2023 Plant Sale
There is still time to plant for blooms this year! Our May plant sale was such a success that we have planned another one! Our next PLANT SALE will be: Saturday, June 17th, 2023, from 10:00am – 1:00 pm. Many of the plants and seedlings that weren’t quite ready in May,...
Poison Oak and Its Relatives
A native plant that we all know (or certainly should!) is Poison Oak (Toxicodendron diversilobium) because it is so widespread in the Bay Area. Many people get a very uncomfortable rash if they touch any part of the plant, so knowing how to identify it and avoid...
Two Redbuds
Early in March, the Redbud is ready to burst into bloom; the beautiful zig-zagging tracery of its branches soon to be disguised in a cloud of pink flowers. I’ve planted several redbuds in different areas on our property, but the most spectacular is a well-developed...
Thinking About Weeds and Wildflowers
Micro-Habitats; Knowing Your Land My husband and I live on a south facing hillside situated above the Novato Creek floodplains; it’s a beautiful, warm, and sunny spot with a great vantage point. Our hill, called Cherry Hill on some maps, is a part of one of the ridges...
Some California Native Perennials and Shrubs to Grow from Seed
Linum lewisii A beautiful Western perennial, perfect for the border or in a meadow blended with bunchgrasses, poppies, clarkia and flowering bulbs. Summer blooming, flowers open over a long time; full sun, low water, 12-18” tall, needs good drainage, deer ignore it....
Some California Native Wildflowers to Grow from Seed
All of these native annual wildflowers are great for pollinators and other beneficial insects! Clarkia unguiculata / Mountain Garland The blooms of this native clarkia range from white, pale pink, salmon, and bright pink to magenta—all on the same plant. Flowers in...
Making Space for Weeds
The Flickers have now left my oak woodlands and moved to higher elevations in the Coast Ranges; I’ll look forward to seeing them again when we’re camping in the forests this summer. Meanwhile, the Tree Swallows are here already and I’m waiting to hear the first calls...
Gardening in Harmony with Nature
The Natural World has been my touchstone; a certain intimacy with the land and other creatures that always rings honest and true. When I think about why I like to garden it always comes back to my desire to be a participant with nature. I came to California as a...