Learning is a lifelong pursuit and the resources available are endless! This page is dedicated to providing credible information that can help you achieve your gardening goals!
What’s my Zone?
“The 2012 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map is the standard by which gardeners and growers can determine which plants are most likely to thrive at a location. The map is based on the average annual minimum winter temperature, divided into 10-degree F zones.”
USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map
The USDA Zone Map gives you a snap shot of your area. USDA provides the average low temperature for your region. It can help determine if the plant your considering will survive the winter in your area. Although, it does not help determine if that same plant will survive the summer. According to the map, Intermountain Nursery is in Zone 9b. For a more in depth look at your own micro-climate, look to “Sunset Climate Zones”.
A plant’s performance is governed by the total climate: length of growing season, timing and amount of rainfall, winter lows, summer highs, wind, and humidity.
“Home” Sunset climate Zones
Sunset’s climate zone maps take all these factors into account, unlike the familiar hardiness zone maps devised by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which divides most of North America into zones based strictly on winter lows.
Sunset Climate Zones for Central California will give you detailed information pertaining to your area and specific climate. Intermountain Nursery sits in Zone 9.
Learning More About CA Native Plants
Calscape is an amazing website for learning about CA native plants! Their goal is to help Californians restore nature and save water one garden at a time. Their database is extensive! Their map can show you exactly which plants are native, to any location in the state! This invaluable resource helps you to figure out which plants you would like and how to grow them properly!
If you’re interested in looking deeper at the botany behind CA native plants then look no further than Jepson Herbaria. This resource provides the latest information on identification, taxonomy, nomenclature, distribution, ecology, relationships, and diversity of California vascular plants. You can also find short videos on their YouTube Channel!
Theodore Payne Foundation for Wild Flowers & Native Plants is located on 22 acres of canyon land in the northeast corner of the San Fernando Valley. They are “dedicated to the understanding, preservation, and use of California native wild flowers and plants”. They have a native plant nursery, seed room, bookstore, art gallery, demonstration gardens, and hiking trails. Friendly on-leash dogs are welcome, there is no admission charge, and the grounds are open year-round!
Monarch & Milkweed Support
The site “Western Monarch Milkweed Mapper” is part of a collective project dedicated to tracking Monarch butterflies, as well as mapping where their food sources are found. This site is a great resources that furthers research on the monarch. Their population has declined drastically in the last twenty years and we should all do what we can to provide for our pollinators! Here, you can do your part by sharing your observations and where you saw them. So, snap a picture of monarch’s you see, or that big, beautiful, milkweed plant that blooming in your backyard! Get over to their website and go to “Report Siting”.
