Passing on lessons learned

When the Shipley Nature Center opened in 1974, it was dedicated to providing an educational preserve of Southern California’s unique habitats. Years of neglect, however, saw its native plants slowly being pushed out by invasive species that spread through the center unchecked.

Passion Vine gleaned nutrients from the soil, choking off the center’s redwoods. Animals that had made their homes among the natural flora in Huntington Central Park became scarcer, and Blackbird Pond suffered from a lack of oxygen.

That changed in 2002 when the Friends of the Shipley Nature Center took over and restored the 18-acre preserve back to a more natural, self-sustaining state.

With native plant species again flourishing throughout the center, the group now hopes to spread their lessons learned and offer Huntington Beach residents the opportunity to plant their own indigenous gardens at home. Carol Williams, the center’s nursery coordinator, says that’s what the nature center’s Native Plant Sale this Saturday is all about.

The event will offer more than 100 species of native plants — some of which are even grown on-site — and mini-lectures and workshops on the benefits of growing local foliage.

“We’re trying to give them the knowledge — and plants — for a beautiful, water-wise garden,” says Steve Holden, who will teach one of Saturday’s lectures.

Gardeners can choose varieties of plants from elderberries to sages. Edible plants, like the California wild grape and drought-resistant strawberries, are available for tastingi. But the benefits of native species go beyond their aesthetic or nutritional value.

There are numerous reasons to grow Southern California-specific plant life. Native plants generally use less water, which saves water. In a year with so little rainfall that local city governments such as Long Beach’s are launching voluntary conservancy efforts, a garden that conserves water is something to be desired.

Holden says his bills have been decreased since he decided to convert his English Ivy garden to inborn species. Holden, who volunteers time caring for the Nature Center’s Coastal Sage Scrub section, began studying native plants about five years ago. It was a subject that really grew on him, he says. “It gets in your blood.”