The Gull's Call - Jan/Feb/Mar 2025

CoverStory

A THOUGHTFULLY DESIGNED GARDEN FOCUSED ON SUSTAINABILITY We're also mindful of water—carefully balancing the use of non-potable well water with smart irrigation systems to establish and sustain the garden. It’s a practice I’m eager to nurture, watching the space grow, mature, and come alive. Together, we've cultivated something vibrant—a space teeming with color, movement, and life. It’s a place to celebrate, to pause, to learn. Planting for pollinators isn’t just good for them—it’s good for you, too. I hope you'll visit during one of our future tours or workshops. Take a moment to pause, listen, and explore. I promise you'll see the world with fresh eyes. And, in your own small way, you'll know you're part of something much larger. JOIN THE CORICA PARK FIRE TOWER GARDEN TOURS COMMUNITY! Visit bit.ly/corica-park-garden-news (or scan the QR code below) to join the Corica Park email list for news about garden tours, and upcoming spring workshops to learn more about pollinators, sustainable gardening practices, and creating other pollinator-friendly spaces. Reach out to explore opportunities for your scouting or other community groups to enhance habitat through projects like building bat boxes, creating bee hotels, making clay seed balls, and more.

Even the passion vine plays a role—feeding Gulf Fritillary butterfly caterpillars and eventually “greening” the fence. Who knows, it might even shield the occasional shanked ball (and its accompanying expletives) from the second tee. NATIVES OFFER LATE-SEASON COLOR AND NECTAR While California natives may not always win “most photogenic” year-round, plants like yarrow, California fuchsia, seaside daisy, goldenrod, and native milkweed steal the show in fall. They offer much-needed late-season nectar and serve as a five-star dining experience for hungry caterpillars.

EUCALYPTUS AND WILLOWS PROVIDE VITAL HABITAT Even the often-maligned Eucalyptus tree, frequently dismissed as a messy

nuisance, has a surprising role. Its evergreen leaves and dense canopy may one day provide a resting spot for overwintering butterflies. Its peeling bark may offer shelter

to roosting bats. The adjacent grove of native willows, whose roots have cracked through the asphalt, help filter pollutants from stormwater runoff and provide food for moth larvae. SENSORY GARDEN INTERACTION STIMULATES MENTAL AND EMOTIONAL HEALTH Avani’s request for a sensory garden inspired a whole section of the garden where visitors can engage their senses including scent—peppermint geraniums, chocolate cosmos, and catmint; touch—fuzzy lamb’s ear and sticky monkey flower; and taste—pungent rosemary and thyme.

OTHER GARDENING RESOURCES Native Gardening for Butterflies:

https://tinyurl.com/4jfyu5we Native Gardening for Bees: https://tinyurl.com/yu635xx4 Plants for Pollinators & Beneficial Insects: https://tinyurl.com/2pwahtu5 Pollinator Posse - Favorite Pollinator Plants: https://tinyurl.com/3cr3p7zn

January | February | March 2025 7

The Gull’s Call