Wildlife Habitat

The sign that hangs near 
the street on the wooden fence
that separates my property from
the property just to the West.

Conservation efforts are afoot by the American Bird Conservancy by working with both the United States Congress and the Biden Administration to pass a 2023 Bird Friendly Farm Bill. This bill possesses the single largest source of conservation funding in the United States. ABC's focus is to make this bill stronger for the conservation of birds.

Muhlenbergia rigens (Deergrass)

of which I have three large clumps 

growing in front of the Pesticide Free Area sign.

Sideoats Grama (Boutelous curtipendula)

a stunningly beautiful grass 

native to the Western United States,

into Canada, Mexico, Central and South America.

This is one of my very all time favorite grasses! 

One of the national focuses is to support native plants which are garnering attention not only in this country but globally. Our love of "something different" than what thrives in our region has driven the transplantation of vegetation from all over the globe. Now there are both public and private partners with the goal of protecting native plants as well as federal with non federal partners who have cooperated to develop the National Seed Strategy for Rehabilitation and Restoration.  

Nassella pulchra  (Purple Needlegrass)

which is extremely attractive with the fading 

light of the setting sun shining through fluttering seed heads.

When I began serious gardening South of Sebastopol at MuRefuge, I began with alien plants. Nurseries I frequented seemed to specialize in dramatic plants from "across the pond". As I educated myself about natives plants through my membership with the local chapter of the Native Plant Society I became enamoured with natives. Shopping for plants at their annual Fall plant sale I discovered how aesthetically pleasing native plants were to me. Being a bit dramatic creating the "correct" effect with natives I tore out all the nonnative plants. Then instead I began focusing on planting native grasses and sedges, perennials, shrubs, trees and vines. 

Romney coulteri (Matilija Poppy)

became my all time favorite flowering

perennial. It is NOT for the faint of heart to plant: 

I had a 75% death rate of these plantings at MuRefuge.

Unfortunately after losing a

dozen plants here at PageRefuge

I decided I would instead enjoy several nearby

opulent plantings rather than growing them myself here at PageRefuge.

And ducks were added to MuRefuge
for their voracious snail eating. 
I would gather by bucket loads from all over 
the 3/4 acre and throw them near the
ducks. The snails disappeared in a nanosecond!
A far superior way to "snail bait" ridding land of snails

Since I have focused on planting natives both here in Northern California and in Santa Fe, New Mexico my heart is warmed to know there are more powerful people now joining together to do likewise. It seems to me that a awakening on a very deep level is happening. Is it too little, too late? Maybe . . . maybe not

Chocolate Daisy/Flower (Berlandiera lyrata)

and

Rocky Mountain (Penstemon strictus)

In Santa Fe when the Penstemon flowers were spent and went to seed the goldfinches came as huge flocks settling on the stocks scarfing down the seeds. This was not a one time experience but happened annually as they migrated from the Canadian border South to Mexico for the winter. Of course, reversing the migration in the Spring

Helianthus annuus macrocarpus (Hopi Black Dye Sunflower 

Hopi name: Tceqa' Qu' Si)

The migrating Fall birds going South swarmed to the seeds created by this gorgeous sunflower. Nary a seed remained after the migration was over. If I wanted seeds to plant the following season, I found I had to do so BEFORE the birds ate them all. Here at PageRefuge the birds do not seem to interested in eating the seeds so when I cut down the plants I remove all the seeds and put them into the tray hanging in the back. Then the birds do open and eat every single one . . . the pesky squirrels love them too! When Shasta notices these critters she is out the door lickety split. Sometimes I worry she'll catch one which she has come close to doing.

The sign that hangs on the fence
separating my property 
from the apartments to the East.

As we plant native plants, may we also consider the soil. Luckily I was focused enough to use cardboard then wood chips to mulch the entire yard here. I am so grateful I did this because I notice that even with all this rain we are getting there is no "run off". Depending on the exact location, already 3 to 5 times the average amount of rain for the entire month of January has fallen. At PageRefuge the rain is soaking in for all the plants to thirstily drink their fill. 

When one mulches, there is no need to use toxic chemicals for weed abatement either. All the BEings that come to PageRefuge are not subjected to toxins that can shorten their life spans OR detrimentally affect their offspring. Mulching is an all around worth while activity that I have done on all three gardens I have created. 

Every BEIng, including a diverse bird population, not only thrives but reproduces vigorous and healthy offspring here at PageRefuge! So I am delighted to hear of ABC's focus for making this year's Farm bill more bird friendly with their push toward conservation of birds. Certainly we will all be more happy with an abundance of birds.

This is Shasta's Auntie T's annual "card" for 2023.
I particularly like the quote she chose this year.
It seems to sum up this blog post well.

So as we "stand in celebration" may we also

Purest

In the creating the two native habitats in previous homes I was a stickler for using only natives: a purest attitude, so to speak, of only natives. Since living in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and falling in love with some of the natives in that part of our country, my stance of having an unadulterated garden of natives has now been relaxed. I so miss living in Santa Fe, so to abate some of the grief I am bringing some of Santa Fe to my gardens here in Cotati.

In the 1980's when visiting Apple Valley, California, I saw a Desert Willow in bloom. I fell in love with the gorgeous flowers. This tree is native to the desert Southwest so many thrived in the Santa Fe area where we lived. Plants of the Southwest had these in 5 gallon containers. I bought and planted two; one was planted just outside of our 1950's Stamm home's sliding backdoor. 

September 06, 2020
The Desert Willow "bush"
planted outside
our sliding backdoor. 

Close up the flowers.
This is a cultivar.

December 30, 2020 Desert Willow pruned to be a tree.

The second one was planted outside of the double black wrought iron gate near the adobe wall. These trees grow pretty quickly so after the first year, there were flowers. I have planted two on the West side of our house here in Cotati. These two were much smaller than those purchased at the Plants of the Southwest so I am not holding my breath for the glorious blooms!

Picture taken on May 29, 2018, at the
Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico.
These native tree blossoms are paler.
The flowers on the tree planted outside 
of the wrought iron gate are this color. 
Notice the seed pods, so like that of the Catalpa tree

The other nonnative plant now flourishing in the back yard near the finch feeder is Rocky Mountain Penstemons. I planted about a dozen of them in our front yard in Santa Fe. In the Fall the tall seed stocks were covered with goldfinches hoping up and down the seed stocks scarfing up all the tiny black seeds. Since we have a plethora of goldfinches coming to their feeder filled with nyger seeds, I thought they might delight in  penstemon seeds too? 

Rocky Mountain (Penstemon strictus)

and

Chocolate Flower (Berlandiera lyrata)

pictured above flowering in June of 2020 at

the San Felipe Circle native habitat. 

I have seeds on order from Plants of the Southwest. I plan to germinate a few of the seeds so I can grow these Chocolate Flowers. Yes indeed the flowers smell like chocolate.

Since Dwight enjoys Japanese maples and one is growing in our front, I decided to leave it. During the Winter months it is especially wonderful to look out and see the stunning red branches. These made a stunning backdrop for holiday lights and straw ornaments tied on with red yard.

The tall, and I mean tall, hedge (pictured above) along the Eastern side of our back patio blocks people living in the apartments next door from seeing into our back yard and library. My intention when we moved in was to remove this hedge. Friends who visit and sat at our patio table for meals vociferously voiced, "leave it." So leave it I have. I am now grateful that I listened to such sage advice.

All the while I garden I frequently 

Welcome

Welcome to the college town in which we now live. Rohnert Park, the official home of Sonoma State University, is a very short drive from our house in Cotati. The above banner stretches across one of the many streets here in Cotati.

The college students are often seen eating in the eateries of downtown Cotati. Others are found working in them as well as in Olivers, the local grocery store.

And while the college students flood back to the area, I have just finished up with the Summer canning. On a recent foray to see Shasta's Auntie T a very large bucket of the Pink Pearl apples were picked from her tree. While several other buckets could have been filled one bucket seemed like what I could handle with the peeling and coring before the cooking and ladling into pint jars for sealing. We will so enjoy eating this beautiful apple sauce this Winter. And Tanis says "they make great holiday gifts".

Whole ripe Pink Pearl apples

Pink Pearl apples cut in half
which is such a stunning beautiful apple
especially for making sauce!

20 pints of totally natural pink applesauce
was reaped from one large bucket of whole apples

Yeah! the seasonal canning has been completed. My focus now is on completing sheet mulching. Today another load of woodchips arrived which will probably be enough to complete the entire yard. Stay tuned for the next post identifying all the native plants purchased for probably November planting. I am so excited looking forward to the fun of planting and creating another native habitat.

Another shout out for the birds . . . we have Goldfinches and Lesser Goldfinches coming to eat the nyger seed provided in one of the cylinder feeders. Both are in  daily quantities I have not seen at either MuRefuge or Santa Fe, New Mexico. However, in Santa Fe quite a few goldfinches did come to ravenously eat the Rocky Mountain penstemon seeds in the Fall. It was so fun watching them go up and down the dried flower stock eating the tiny black seeds. 

When plants are transplanted in a month or so, at least three of these stunningly beautiful plants will call PageRefuge home. I know . . . I know . . . I know I just said I was creating a native habitat! I just cannot resist planting a few of these for the finches. And a Desert Willow has already been planted on the West side of our house for its beautiful flowers and lovely foliage. Since the '80's when I first saw this blooming tree, it has held a special place for me. In Santa Fe I planted two and both flourished, blooming the season after they were put in the soil at San Felipe Circle.

While sheet mulching I thoroughly enjoy many a