Helpful Resources
I have amassed several resources that proved to be incredibly helpful for my garden, along with my thoughts on what they provided that was most helpful to me, personally.
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Calscape is the best resource for information about native plants. It has a robust collection of California native plants, with tons of information on each plant and how to get it established. There are a lot of really helpful filters when you are looking for a certain plant, too, including whether nurseries carry the plant that you want.
A great foundation that hosts online courses. This is a great way to get introduced to native plant gardening.
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A great foundation that hosts online courses and also sell seeds. It is mostly catered to Southern California, but there are plenty of seeds available for plants that grow naturally in Northern California.
My personal favorite storefront that carries native seeds and bulbs. They have some plants that are difficult to find in nurseries, so it is a great place to look for rare plants. I am very happy with the quality of their seeds and am a repeat customer.
Storefront that offers a lot of native seeds. They have a great selection of native grass seeds.
CNPS San Diego has a wide-ranging collection of native seeds and bulbs, though this is heavily featuring Southern California plants. There are still many seeds available that are in Northern California.
Another San Diego based storefront that has several choices, and some bulk wildflower blends that are a great way to get started.
California Native Seeds Etsy Shop
This Catsro Valley based seed shop has a lot of rarer plants I have not seen available through other shops. It also is angled to Bay Area gardens. Most of the seed packs are smaller than from other locations so I would recommend starting these in pots for increased success.
Walqaqsh California Native Seeds
This seed storefront seems to be relatively new and doesn’t have a ton of information of the amount of seeds per pack. I am ordering a few things to find out for myself, and will update with my findings! They do have a good variety of seeds, though.
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Linda Vista Natives not only has a wonderful selection, but also has some very useful search features that are not available on Calscape. For example, the search has a checkbox for “good under oaks” which helped a ton when I was trying to find plants to put near my oak tree.
Not to mention, they are a nursery local to Santa Clara County that provides a great selection, including some rare plants. Larry is very helpful and knowledgable, and he has given me a lot of helpful advice for my garden.
California Native Plant Society
CNPS local chapters annually host native plant sales that help raise money for their cha has a lot of helpful resources, and also has a list of local chapters. Many local chapters host plant sales which can be a great option for getting your garden going. It also is a very friendly and open community, and I am currently a volunteer for them!
Valley Water Lawn Replacement Rebate
If your home is located within the Santa Clara Valley Water District, you can get a rebate for your lawn replacement project, up to $3,000! In order to receive the rebate, you must submit your application before starting your project. For more information, check out their website!