Alter-Natives for Desert Gardeners
0“Great Native Alternatives to Traditional Yard Plants”
A Presentation by Robin Kobaly | Botanist, Executive Director of
The SummerTree Institute
for Desert Area Master Garden Class– UC Cooperative Extension,
as part of their 18-week Master Gardener Trainee Course
Wednesday, January 30th, 2019 | 9:30 – 12:15 pm
UCR Palm Desert | 75080 Frank Sinatra Drive, Palm Desert, CA
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Wednesday, January 30, 2019
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Presentation 9:30 – 12:15 pm
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UCR Palm Desert | 75080 Frank Sinatra Drive, Palm Desert, CA 92211
- Not open to the Public ~ however, you may sign up for a future Master Gardener course! (see below)
A bounty of southwest native plants are available to beautify your desert yard, attracting beneficial songbirds while requiring less water, less fertilizers, and less maintenance.
A surprising variety of native plants can be used as alternatives to traditional exotic plants in solving your landscape challenges and fulfilling your landscape dreams. Using displays and samples of local native plants, Robin will show star-performing southern-California native plant alternatives, with a focus on Coachella Valley native plants, to replace common exotic ornamental landscape choices. You will find that you don’t have to settle on only the common, traditional choices to address your yard issues, but instead you’ll discover a wide pallet of alternative choices, many that grow in our own desert valleys and mountains. These native plants supply food, nectar, and shelter for our songbirds, both resident and migrating, so planting them adds to the health and stability of our environment. These “alter-natives” include some of the sturdiest, longest lived, and most water-wise plants available, requiring very little water, no pesticides, and no fertilizers. As an added bonus, some of these attractive plants can be used for beverages, snacks, healing remedies, home décor, and art, information which Robin will share, as well as local sources for these “Alter-Native” plants.
The Master Gardener Program includes an 18-week (50 hour) course to prepare graduates to fulfill their obligation of volunteering 50 hours each, supplying research-based objective gardening information to the general public. Graduates accomplish this via email and phone helplines; teaching workshops on sustainable landscaping; growing food in backyard, community and school gardens; and in many other ways. The course covers topics specific to desert horticulture. The next 18-week class will begin in November at UCR Palm Desert. For more information about enrollment, course tuition, and schedule, contact Rosa Olaiz at rmolaiz@ucanr.edu. Rosa is the Volunteer Coordinator for both the Master Gardener’s Desert and Riverside programs.
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