plant nursery tour

This Must-See Garden Event Is the Best Way to Get Native Plant Inspo for Your Yard

One of California’s oldest native plant nurseries continues to inspire gardeners with its legendary annual tour of gardens.

Every spring, native plant fans descend on L.A. for one of the most impressive displays of spectacular native gardens in the West. On April 13 and 14, a mix of 37 homes, schools, and public spaces around Los Angeles will open their landscapes to the public for the 2024 Native Plant Garden Tour . Hosted by the Theodore Payne Foundation —California’s pioneering native plant nursery—the tour showcases stunning displays of biodiversity, inspiring visitors to develop their own native landscape , with benefits as plentiful as the flora. California native landscapes use 80% less water than conventional gardens, provide food and shelter for pollinators and other wildlife , and require very little maintenance once plants have matured.

“See a biodiversity refuge amidst the ruins of industrial L.A. at the iconic Casa Apocalyptica native plant garden, a working farm and native plant garden at Sotomayer Arts and Sciences Magnet School, and a restored Indigenous village site dating back thousands of years in Santa Monica,” says Evan Meyer, executive director at TPF. 

Alejandra Fernandez

The garden tour is the easiest way to learn about native plants—and this year, it’s also the coolest. The 2024 tour features a skateboard with artwork by L.A. artist Alejandra Fernandez and pro boarder Lizzie Armanto. The pair collaborated on the deck design with plants and animals native to L.A.

Armanto has her own native garden surrounding a pink skate ramp in her backyard. She says throughout the year, different birds and butterflies pass through her landscape, attracted to the various blooms that change with the seasons. She hopes the skateboard deck and Native Plant Garden Tour will make others just as excited about native landscapes as she is. 

“When people see firsthand how plants thrive and contribute uniquely in different seasons—like how plants go through dormancy and bloom—[that] sends a fun yet meaningful message of how their role in nature requires their effort and patience,” Armanto says. 

Spend the day at the Native Plant Garden Tour, and you’ll leave with fresh ideas for your own native garden. You can purchase the skateboard to support TPF at BirdhouseSkateboards.com . And get tickets for the tour here .

Preview the Tour:

Eggers & Small Garden

Gerety Family Garden

Olivewood Garden

Casa Apocalyptica

Washington Elementary Native Habitat Garden

Walton Family Garden

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Native Plant Garden Tour

April 13 & 14, online ticket sales have ended, tickets are now available to buy in-store only, at our nursery while supplies last, visit us at & grab your tickets at.

Theodore Payne Foundation for Wild Flower & Native Plants 10459 Tuxford Street | Sun Valley, CA 91352

Our weekly hours are  Tuesday–Saturday, from 8:30 AM–4:30 PM . 

Tickets ordered online will be arriving by mail the week of 3/25

A Socal Tradition: The Native Plant Garden Tour

The Native Plant Garden Tour is a self-guided tour of California native plant gardens across Greater Los Angeles.  Since 2003, more than 700 public and private landscapes have participated in the Native Plant Garden Tour. Ranging from coastal container gardens to modernist foothill estates to experimental urban homesteads, each unique design offers beauty and critical habitat for wildlife in one of the world’s biodiversity hotspots.

Islands Above, Roots Below

As the ecosystems around us grow increasingly fragmented, islands of intact habitat persist amid a sea of development and human infrastructure. These reservoirs of biodiversity are sustained by the complexity of species relationships they harbor – relationships that are strengthened by connectivity and strained by isolation. The 2024 Native Plant Garden Tour seeks to shine a light on the native plant gardens that reinvigorate urban habitats – a system of roots that stretches through the developed landscape and brings our wild spaces closer to home. Join the Tour to find out how you can create an island of biodiversity, strengthening the ecological roots of Los Angeles with native plants.

This year’s Garden Tour features artwork by Alejandra Fernandez that brings the close relationship between plants and their accomplices – birds, bats, and insects alike – to life. Whether these flying creatures provide vital methods of seed dispersal or play a role in pollinating flowers, their presence in healthy ecosystems is key to the long-term survival and growth of the plant communities that make Los Angeles so unique.

Shop the Souvenir Collection

Experience the beauty of the  Native Plant Garden Tour  with our 2024 Souvenir Collection featuring exclusive artwork by  Alejandra Fernandez . Bring biodiversity home with the collaborative Lizzie Armanto x Theodore Payne x Birdhouse Skateboard , a limited edition poster , or show your love for nature with our 2024 Souvenir T-shirt .

Opening Reception: Islands Above, Roots Below

Join us for the opening of Islands Above, Roots Below  on April 6 at the TPF Gallery! Come see the original sculptures and drawings by Alejandra Fernandez depicting on the transformational relationships between plants and pollinators, drawing on the themes of this year’s Tour, and inspired by the vibrant diversity of Los Angeles.

Read more about the Alejandra’s work here .

Read more about Alejandra’s work here .

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Explore Past Tours

Theodore Payne Foundation

Theodore Payne Foundation inspires and educates Southern Californians about the beauty and ecological benefits of California native plant landscapes. The Native Plant Garden Tour is our premier outreach event, showcasing the region’s most spectacular gardens.

Edge Of The Woods Native Plant Nursery, LLC

Specializing in plants native to mid-Atlantic ecosystem

Nursery and Demonstration Garden Tours

Join Edge of the Woods staff for a guided tour of our demonstration gardens at the nursery.  Our gardens are certified as Wildlife Habitat by the National Wildlife Federation and also as a Monarch Way-Stations by Monarch Watch. We also have a research orchard of pure American Chestnut.

Each week brings a new delight of blooms, insects, birds and other wonders of nature.  We’ll  scout the gardens for inspiration, butterflies, garden visitors and other surprises that present themselves to us.  Attendees will learn about the importance of native plants to our eco-system.  The tour is informal and allows time for questions.  This is a great way to be introduced to native plants and our nursery.

Tours are held Tuesday mornings at 10:00 AM

Tours last approximately 45 minutes to an hour, depending on the group and number of questions.

Please Register In Advance

Please sign up for the tours in advance so we know how many people to expect.    We keep the group size for each tour to 5 people.  This  ensures that everyone can hear the tour leader and that there is time to answer all the questions from participants.

If you find you can not attend after you have registered, please cancel your reservation to make room for someone else.

Important Information

• Wear comfortable walking shoes, you will be walking on grass and gravel.
• Wear a hat and sunscreen.  Bring drinking water.
• Please leave your pets at home.

These tours are For Individuals

Groups larger than 5 — please make special arrangements.  Tours for groups (garden clubs, school groups etc)  can be held by arrangement; a fee may apply.  Please call or email us to inquire.

Sign Up For Nursery Tour Here

Edge of the Woods Native Plant Nursery, LLC A WBE Certified Woman Owned Business Promoting Native Plants Since 2003

2415 Route 100, Orefield, PA 18069 (610) 395-2570 Email Us

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Plant local: How to get started gardening with native species in Kansas and Missouri

Native plant species are better adapted for our environment, great food for bees and butterflies, and available to purchase at nurseries and plant shops across the Kansas City region. Can you dig?

This story was first published in KCUR's Adventure newsletter. You can  sign up to receive stories like this in your inbox every Tuesday.

Did you know KCUR is coming out with a new podcast? “ Up From Dust ” is a series about the environmental price of trying to shape the world around humans, and how we can fix our generational mistakes.

The first episode launches in the coming weeks, but you can listen to the trailer here and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

Until then, we wanted to show off some ways you can make an immediate difference: native plants.

Interestingly enough, some of my friends both new and experienced at gardening expressed trepidation at planting native species.

But there’s no reason to fear: Native plant species are available to purchase and plant all across our region and can readily demonstrate their hardiness. Just ask Courtney Masterson, executive director and ecologist of Native Lands Restoration Collaborative , a nonprofit working to restore “resilient native ecosystems through community education.”

Masterson is also involved with seed harvesting for landscape restoration , featured in a 2024 article from the National Wildlife Federation.

Masterson helped me install a patch of prairie on my property this February, and has actively discouraged watering it so that the plants are encouraged to sink their roots deep in search of water. This is what prairie does — stretch as deep as 10 feet or more to ensure access to water during the intense droughts one can encounter on the plains.

If you want a garden that doesn’t require massive inputs of water, fertilizer and time, consider planting native species. Your budget, back (and birds and bees) will thank you.

How to get started planting native species

Most nurseries sell plants suited for your USDA hardiness zone , but that doesn’t mean they sell native plants.

According to the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) , a native plant is one that “has occurred naturally in a particular region, ecosystem, or habitat without human introduction.” Native plants have also “formed symbiotic relationships with native wildlife over thousands of years, and therefore offer the most sustainable habitat.”

In fact, according to recent research published by the University of Massachusetts-Amherst , the average nursery is contributing to the spread of invasive species, which stand to thrive as our climate warms.

A 2021 “Smithsonian Magazine” article lists some of the worst species, which include cogongrass (a.k.a. one of “the world’s worst invasive weeds”), “Japanese barberry, Chinese privet, whitetop, Norway maple, Brazilian peppertree, Russian olive, garlic mustard, yellow star thistle, Canada thistle, kudzu and Johnsongrass, among others.”

So, where does a native plant-curious gardener go to get started?

“This is a big question,” Masterson says. “In short, seek out local native plant education organizations to plan your planting in advance.”

Masterson notes that native plantings should not be rushed as “they will be with you forever and will establish slowly.” She urges taking one’s time and seeking out knowledgeable professionals “to avoid common mistakes and a lot of hard work.”

She also suggests slowly establishing one’s garden — choosing a few species per year, truly learning them, and then adding to the menagerie over time.

What kinds of plants are native to the Kansas City region

Did you know that Kansas only has one native evergreen? That would be the eastern redcedar . That tree is also a Missouri native, as is the short-leaf pine .

Kansas’ dearth of evergreens may have something to do with its once-dominant ecosystems: mixed and tallgrass prairies . These ecosystems have largely been supplanted by grasslands and cropland, but the state is still very much a part of the plains region . As such, grasses, shrubs and wildflowers dominate the lists of native Kansas plants.

Missouri’s range of ecosystems, however, runs the gamut . The state can claim everything from thick hardwood forests to prairie and much else in between. Missouri’s lists of natives include grasses, wildflowers, and even trees that can grow very tall in a range of conditions.

For those looking for one robust guide that will help them get started, “ Native Plants of the Midwest: A Comprehensive Guide to the Best 500 Species for the Garden ” is a great choice.

Masterson's general guidance:

• Visit your local library to check out books about native plants and/or borrow from friends.
• Join local native plant groups on social media for quick help and a lot of experienced advice from your community. 
• Reach out to your local native plant education organizations and support their work. 
• Buy from native plant nurseries as they only sell native plants! It seems obvious, but your dollars ensure these nurseries can afford to keep providing native species.

Kansas City-regional organizations:

• Botanical Belonging
• Deep Roots KC
• Grassland Heritage Foundation
• Grow Native!  (A program through the  Missouri Prairie Foundation )

Additional and web-based informational resources:

• Dyck Arboretum
• Illinois Wildflowers
• Kansas Native Plant Society
• Kansas Wildflowers and Grasses

Native plant nurseries in the metro region

Ready to shop and plant? The region is dotted with great options.

Botanical Belonging — Happy Apple’s Farm, 17524 178th St., Tonganoxie, KS 66086

Botanical Belonging, which opens for the season in April, sells native plants and typically offers 1 quart pots for $6 and some 2″ pots for $3.50. Standard nursery gallons are typically $10.

The list of plants they usually offer includes seven varieties of milkweed and at least as many sunflowers, with dozens and dozens of other species besides.

As plant availability is not guaranteed, they urge you to contact them before visiting. Until April, this nursery is open by appointment only. Regular business hours are not currently posted.

City Roots Nursery — 3037 Woodland Ave., Kansas City, MO 64110

City Roots advertises that they collect local seeds and source from regional native seed producers annually in an effort to ensure “high genetic diversity” in their offerings. Then they stratify the seeds mimicking the natural conditions they require to germinate .

Their 2024 catalog is now available online and includes over 200 entries. One of the more exciting facets of the catalog is its inclusion of the expected date and color of flowers (if the plant does in fact flower).

City Roots’ sale hours resume March 6 and are Wednesday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

CritSite — 16245 S. US Hwy. 71, Belton, MO 64012

A clear contrast to the mom-and-pop nurseries out there, CritSite is a massive establishment on the south side of the Kansas City metro specializing in selling plants for large-scale restoration projects. However, it is open to the public and is a great place to purchase entire flats of native plant plugs and/or native tree saplings at a cheaper per-unit price than retail nurseries.

This nursery’s site dedicates 16 pages to native plants alone and also sells a wide array of site restoration products , including barrier fences, fertilizers, seed mixes and more.

Critsite is open to retail and contractor customers Monday through Thursday from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Sow Wild Natives — 6201 Noland Rd., Kansas City, MO 64133

Sow Wild Natives opens in April , and opens Fridays and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

This nursery sells wildflowers, grasses (and rushes and sedges), shrubs, trees, and vines. And they offer a handy selection tool that allows shoppers to select plants by sun and water needs, color and more.

A regional mail order option:   Missouri Wildflowers Nursery  

In business for 40 years, Missouri Wildflowers Nursery advertises that they sell “over 300 species native to Missouri.” They offer wildflowers, naturally, but also trees, shrubs, vines, grasses, sedges and ferns.

For those who are a little confused about purchasing plants by mail, this nursery’s site offers an explainer page . Essentially, live plants are carefully packed in boxes and gently secured with loose paper to ensure there’s a balance between air circulation and protection.

Also, the nursery only ships when conditions permit, so they may delay shipment when temperatures are too high. Need more info? Reach out to them via their website.

Missouri Wildflowers Nursery is open Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, 12 to 5 p.m.

Masterson’s native nursery shopping tips :

Want to know if a nursery is worthy of your business? Masterson says just ask the staff some questions.

First, ask if what you’re seeing is a truly native plant or a cultivar or nativar. A cultivar is a highly cultivated plant — one bred for desired properties such as appearance, flavor or medicinal properties. Some are even hybrids — the combination of two plants.

A nativar? These are native plants that may retain much of their original look and other properties but have been bred for aesthetics — attributes like height, color, double blooms, etc.

She also urges shoppers to avoid nurseries that sell plants treated with pesticides, like neonicotinoids, to ensure you're providing wildlife with safe forage.

Remember: lawns aren't natural

One last thing to remember: The classic American lawn has no counterpart in nature. And a thick, green mat of turf requires a lot of chemical inputs, water and work.

Perhaps most importantly, and sadly: A lot of species had to be cleared out to make way for those sterile emerald blades of fescue.

Native plantings can help on all fronts. They can save you significant work and money, and they can also save struggling bug and bird populations. Plus, they make a front or back yard look cool!

So, how should you proceed?

“I think the best way to envision the landscape you want to see in your yard is to visit remnant native landscapes or help build new native landscapes with your local environmental nonprofit organizations or community gardens,” Masterson says.

“Working and learning in those spaces will help with everything from species selection to experience in ecologically sound garden maintenance. Let nature be your teacher and have patience with the process (and yourself)!”

There are many organizations offering free guided tours through native landscapes, Masterson says, including Native Lands Restoration Collaborative. She urges you to reach out, ask questions and rediscover your native ecosystem.

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Native Plants for   New England

Garden for Life.

A women-owned native plant nursery, and garden center, focused on increasing accessibility and knowledge of native plants of New England.   

Norwell, Massachusetts

• Eco-friendly and sustainable • • Can handle volatile New England weather • • Provide food and shelter for wildlife • • Bring all the songbirds to the yard • • Restorative •

Customer service “I have shopped at Blue Stem multiple times and it is one is the best customer service experiences I’ve had for a garden nursery. Accessible, knowledgeable, and engaging staff. Even better, the plants I’ve purchased have all done well - very healthy plants that are helping me increase the variety of true local natives in my garden. Highly recommend." M. Scott 

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2022 Native Plant Garden Tour

by Evan Meyer | Jan 31, 2022 | Uncategorized | 2 comments

2022 is underway, and we’re gearing up for a fantastic year of native plants, Indigenous ecology, and community building here at Theodore Payne Foundation. We’re seeing some glimmers of hope that the need to stay distanced may subside this year and allow us to get back to the thing that we as gardeners love the most, connecting with people and plants in the real world!

On that note, I’m happy to announce that we are moving forward with our first in-person Native Plant Garden Tour since 2019. It will take place on Saturday and Sunday, April 23rd and 24th. We’ve got so many great things planned for 2022, including a slew of brand new gardens, gardens which have previously only been seen during our online tours, and of course returning favorites. In total, you’ll be able to experience 34 of the most inspiring native plant gardens in greater LA.

But we’re not abandoning the virtual platform entirely. In addition to the in-person event, we’ll be producing online bonus content, including videos and interviews for four featured gardens. Each of the featured gardens are brand new to the tour, and I’m so excited to share them with you here. Drumroll please… Our 2022 Native Plant Garden Tour featured gardens are:

• Garden #1 Garvey Nature Garden   (Rosemead) – A native biodiversity oasis on a middle school campus in the San Gabriel Valley. This garden offers a vision of how native plant gardens in schools can create amazing learning and nature appreciation opportunities in urban California.
• Garden #6 Echo Park Forever (Echo Park) – Pioneering landscape architecture firm Terremoto shows how designing with a focus on the land and the local ecology yields beautiful and sophisticated results.
• Garden #24 Kuruvungna Sacred Springs (Santa Monica) – A sacred village site of the original people of Los Angeles, the Tongva, Kuruvunga Springs dates back millennia as a gathering space. A recent revitalization and new native plantings frame upwellings of ground water, mature trees, and a newly built kiche (thatched dwelling.)
• Garden #32 Garden Butterfly (South Central) – With an incredible eye for detail, garden designer and licensed landscape contractor Brandy Williams, aka Garden Butterfly has created a front yard pollinator haven in South Central using a combination of native and Mediterranean climate plants.

Our theme for the 2022 tour is “Metropolis in Metamorphosis”, and so in addition to the nuts and bolts practical side of native plant gardening, we’ll be exploring some existential questions about our role as city dwellers in preserving and restoring the natural environment. With that in mind, we’re asking each of our featured gardens an open ended question: “What does nature in Los Angeles mean to you?” I can’t wait to share the insightful and diverse perspectives of this fantastic group of visionary gardeners.

And to cap all of this off, we’ll be hosting an after party at the Los Angeles State Historic Park ( featured in the 2021 tour ). Admission is included in the ticket price, and will feature a live DJ set, and much more. I look forward to reconnecting with you in person, and celebrating a new vision for Los Angeles, that restores the connection between land, plants, wildlife and the community of our city.

The 19th annual Theodore Payne Foundation Native Plant Garden Tour takes place Saturday April 23rd  and Sunday, April 24th, 2022.

Tickets are on sale now at nativeplantgardentour.org

We will be attending the 2 day tour & have ordered tickets. Coming from La Mesa, CA we will be spending Saturday night up near the Sunday tour sites. Have not received any tickets or information yet, so would like to know the areas for the Sunday tour so we can make an overnight Saturday motel reservation. If you can, please provide that info. If not will wait for tour package to arrive. Thanks – John

Dear Mr. Meyer,

For the past six years, I have been developing a nonprofit that focuses on early L.A. history, and so-called ‘pre-‘ history, as seen through its Indigenous and viticultural past. To do this, we are developing interpretive grape gardens planted to native Desert Wild vines (Vitis girdiana), Spanish winemaking Mission vines (Vitis vinifera) and the spontaneous hybrid of the two, also called Mission (V. girdiana x V. vinifera cv. ‘Mission’), which is also the grape of the Vina Madre at the El Pueblo National Monument and the San Gabriel Mission. The goal is to plant these in neighborhoods where vineyards once grew, many of which are located in what are today some of L.A.’s most under-served.

So far, we have only one planted, at the Willowbrook Community Garden on 121st Street and Avalon Avenue. It was planted in 2018 by members of the Garden and is doing well. In addition, we are currently working on developing a larger, more accessible Interpretive Grape Garden in the Los Angeles State Historic Park.

I have bought a couple of Desert Wild vines from Theodore Payne and planted them in Willowbrook. But we will need a lot more for the Interpretive Grape Garden in the LASHP. Not having worked in the nonprofit world before (other than picking up garbage in the river during FOLAR’s yearly river cleanups), I am pretty new to all this, though I am getting some direction from an experienced board member, but it seems to me that the goals of Plant the Vine and TPF might dovetail in some fashion.

I know you must be incredibly busy with the upcoming Native Plant Garden Tour and after party, which I am looking forward to attending myself, but when you get a moment, if you are interested, you can read more about what we’re doing by going to our website, http://www.plantthevine.org , and/or calling me directly at 323.842.1885.

Ned Teitelbaum Plant the Vine

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Save time, water, and money! Convert your lawn and get paid for it, too. With EBMUD’s super rebate you can double your rebate to $1.50 per square foot of lawn removed by planting with natives. Check out EBMUD’s Lawn Conversion Rebate.

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Plant Kween Tells Us How to Shop for the Perfect Green Girls

By Sydney Gore

By now, Plant Kween should be a household name for anyone who has a green thumb. Following in the footsteps of the previous episode of their YouTube series for AD , where they unpacked all the plants that make guest appearances in Open Door , this episode sees Christopher Griffin giving us the tour we've been waiting for—no, not a home, but a nursery. 

Filmed on location at Tula in Brooklyn, New York, the plant expert navigates us through every plant within the bountiful shop. (Or as Griffin prefers to call them, “green girls.”) They also provide some valuable tips for how to shop for the perfect houseplant. The first thing that Griffin always takes into consideration when entering a store is the layout and how the plants are positioned in the space based on their lighting needs. 

Making their way from the tropical section to the arid section, Griffin thoroughly breaks down the care that is required in order for each green girl to survive and thrive indoors. (They also point out which plants are safe for pets so your furry creatures won’t get sick!) Griffin also recommends conducting an environmental assessment of your space before bringing any plants home.

Come for the plants, stay for all the tips and tricks for placement. Think of this episode as the plant parenting crash course that you didn’t know you needed.

By Perri Ormont Blumberg

By Katherine McLaughlin

By Madeline Bilis

OSU Extension Service

Lane county, friends of buford park (fbp) native plant nursery tour.

34639 Frank Parrish Rd Eugene , OR 97405 United States

May 4, 2024 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm

Free Register

Join the OSU Master Gardener TM Native Plant and Pollinator team on a native plant tour led by Gail Baker. Space is limited to 15 participants. Register to attend.

The tour highlights the seasonal blooms in and the role of Friends of Buford Park & Mt. Pisgah's Native Plant Nursery growing native plants for habitat restoration.

Over the last 20 years The Nursery has expanded in space, management practices and diversity of species grown. We will consider the Nursery as its own ecosystem rich in insects, birds and other critters. Central to this will be celebrating the colorful display of blooms seen at this time in the nursery.

tour leader: Gail Baker, Lane Community College professor of biology (retired) and Co-chair of the Friends' Stewardship Tasks Advisory Committee (STAC)

Gardening with Oregon Native Plants West of the Cascades

Linda R. McMahan, Heather Stoven, Erika Szonntag | Oct 2022 | Extension Catalog publication Peer reviewed (Orange level)

Native Plant Picks for Bees

Aaron Anderson, LeAnn Locher, Jen Hayes, Mallory Mead, Signe Danler, Diane Jones, Gail Langellotto | Sep 2022 | Extension Catalog publication Peer reviewed (Orange level)

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Office: (956) 486-2576 Cell: (956) 500-1392

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Native Plant Nursery/Tours

Native plant nursery.

Are you considering a xeriscape? Come look at the native plants available at the nursery. Looking for shade? We have trees such as the Texas ebano and cedar elms. How about creating a hedge with cenizo or manzanita? Want to attract birds? Try a granjeno, an anacua, or some chilipiquin. For butterflies, buy a colima, one of the host plants for the giant swallowtail, or the Texas lantana, a food source for many of the butterflies in the area. Hummingbirds love scarlet sage and bouganvillas. Plants are available both retail and wholesale. (Please bring your sales tax exemption form.) We also provide custom growing for revegetation projects. Call for inventory and for prices on custom growing.

Native Plant Tours

For those of you who want to learn more about the many uses of the native plants of our area, make arrangements to join us for a guided tour. Tours are generally conducted from October through May. Learn of one plant you can use to build a shelter, wash your clothes, and then make a little something to eat. You can also learn how to rid yourself of Montezuma's revenge with another plant, and why you should never make a necklace with the seeds of another of our popular native plants. There are two ways to enjoy a tour at Rancho Lomitas, regularly scheduled public tours or specially scheduled tours. All tours last two hours.

Public tours will be scheduled at least once per month from November through May.  Call (956) 500-1392 or email us at  [email protected]  to learn of upcoming dates.  Tour dates will also be announced on our Facebook page at least one week prior to the tour date.  To attend a public tour, contact us to reserve your spot as there is a limit of 30 individuals per tour.  Guests must provide a contact name, phone number, and email if possible.  Reservations may be made as late as noon the day prior to the tour.  Tours may cancel due to road conditions after a hard rain.  We will use your contact information on your reservation to contact you regarding cancellations, so please check your voice mail and email prior to departing for the ranch.  The tours begin sharply at 10:00 a.m. and end at noon.  The gates to the ranch open at 9:30 a.m. and will be locked shortly after 10:00 a.m. as latecomers will not be allowed to join the tour.  Refreshments will be served on the patio of the main house prior to the beginning of the tour.  Restrooms are available in a building near the main house.  The cost for adults is $15.00 per person and children pay half price.

We’ll begin public tours again in early October 2020.  Please call or text (956) 500-1392 or email [email protected] to obtain additional information about upcoming tours.

Tours can also be specially scheduled for a day convenient to your group. Upon request, specially scheduled tours can focus on your particular interest whether it be medicinal plants, edible plants, fiber plants, birds, butterflies, or other interesting critters who reside here at the ranch. Prices for specially scheduled tours vary with the size of the group:

• 15 persons or more - $15.00 per person (children half price)
• 11 to 14 persons - $225.00 per tour
• Up to 10 persons - $200.00 per tour

Tours are generally limited to 30 people. We can accommodate larger groups, but special arrangements must be made. Special tours are available for school groups of at least 20 at $7.50 per student. If it is a morning tour, have the children bring a sack lunch to enjoy on the patio.

Specially scheduled tours begin at 10:00 a.m. and end at noon unless other arrangements are made beforehand. Gates open at 9:30 a.m. Plan to arrive a few minutes early to enjoy refreshments on the patio. If you join us on a weekend, you may get to sample a dish prepared with a native plant.

Stumpy’s last stand: Fans swarm ailing cherry tree before its removal from National Mall

• Published: Apr. 05, 2024, 11:36 a.m.

With the Washington Monument and Jefferson Memorial in the background visitors take photographs of 'Stumpy' the popular cherry tree at the tidal basin as cherry trees enter peak bloom this week in Washington, Sunday, March 24, 2024. The weakened tree is experiencing its last peak bloom before being removed for a renovation project that will rebuild seawalls around Tidal Basin and West Potomac Park. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana) AP

• Sabrina Eaton, cleveland.com

WASHINGTON, D. C. - An ailing Yoshino cherry tree that’s scheduled for removal from Washington, D.C.’s heavily trafficked Tidal Basin has become a celebrity during this year’s National Cherry Blossom Festival.

Unlike the rest of the cherry trees that ring the heavily touristed waterway that separates the Washington Monument and Jefferson Memorial, “Stumpy” is surrounded by crowd control barricades. Passersby line up for selfies and leave bouquets of roses.

Vendors sell T-shirts featuring its hollowed trunk and skimpy branches. It has become the official mascot of this weekend’s Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10 Mile and 5K races, where a person dressed as Stumpy will cheer on runners.

Stumpy has become a regular stop on guided tours of the nation’s capital with DC By Foot tour guide Katherine Fisher telling patrons on their way to the Jefferson Memorial that the tree is too old and weak to be relocated, but will be cloned by the National Arboretum in hopes that its genetically matching descendants can be replanted on the Tidal Basin.

“Everyone loves Stumpy,” adds Gavin Mosier, another guide with DC By Foot. “I’ve not met anyone who isn’t in awe of Stumpy’s resilience.”

Stumpy is one of 140 cherry trees that the National Park Service will remove from the Tidal Basin later this year as part of a three-year, $113-million project to rebuild its seawalls.

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Bob Healy, a National Park Service ranger at the nearby Jefferson Memorial, says the original seawall was built decades ago on log pilings that are collapsing. The collapsed seawalls are overwhelmed by water twice daily, swamping the roots of nearby trees, including Stumpy. Seawalls by the Jefferson Memorial have already been fixed, he says.

When the repairs are complete, more than 220 cherry trees will be planted to replace those that were removed. Stumpy itself will be turned into mulch to protect the roots of new trees, Healy said.

Although the initial batch of cherry trees planted by the Tidal Basin were gifts from Japan in 1912, National Mall spokesperson Mike Litterst says Stumpy and the rest of the area’s cherry trees are replacements from local nurseries. He estimates that Stumpy is around 25 years old. He says cherry trees usually live around 40 to 50 years, and says the National Mall has to replace around 90 each year.

He says Stumpy became famous in 2020, after a viral Reddit post where someone showed a picture of Stumpy and compared it to their love life. He says between 1 million and 1.5 million people attend the National Cherry Blossom Festival each year, and plenty of them want to see Stumpy.

“It caught on and has increased over the years,” Litterst says of Stumpy’s popularity. “There’s not much left of that tree at all, yet despite everything, it puts out beautiful blossoms every year.”

Randy Goldman of Woodbine, Maryland said he and his family visit Stumpy every year, and it’s the only tree planted along the Tidal Basin whose name the family knows.

“I feel like it’s a national mascot,” says Goldman. “It should be taken out and planted elsewhere to see if he can thrive.”

Ben Kagan of Fairfax, Virginia also visited Stumpy with his family.

“My wife has been following it on Instagram and wanted to say goodbye,” said Kagin. “I didn’t expect it to be so hollowed-out and sad looking. But there is hope, because of the cloning.”

Cincinnati’s Sheryl McCarthy, who checked out the tree while visiting family in the nation’s capital, pronounced it “a metaphor for life.”

“It’s old but still blooming, like me,” McCarthy declared.

Stumpy the mascot dances near 'Stumpy' the cherry tree at the tidal basin in Washington, Tuesday, March 19, 2024. The weakened tree is experiencing its last peak bloom before being removed for a renovation project that will rebuild seawalls around Tidal Basin and West Potomac Park. (AP Photo/Nathan Ellgren) AP

Sabrina Eaton writes about the federal government and politics in Washington, D.C., for cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer.

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Tour of Knowledge to Visit CTUIR Nursery

The Tour Of Knowledge is offering a free tour of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation’s Tribal Native Plant Nursery on Saturday, Aug. 17 at 10 a.m.

The Tribal Native Plant Nursery is located on the Umatilla Indian Reservation near Mission and operates under the guidance of CTUIR’s Department of Natural Resources Wildlife program to provide locally adapted native plants for cultural and natural resource and wildlife and salmon habitat restoration projects.

Since its establishment, the nursery has provided several hundred thousand native hardwood plants and trees for riparian reestablishment projects.

“We’re really looking forward to visiting CTUIR’S Tribal Native Plant Nursery and seeing the techniques they are using to cultivate native plants,” said Eileen Laramore, executive director of the Tour Of Knowledge. “I understand that they’re developing a program that will give people the opportunity to purchase plants from the nursery for home gardens.”

Through SOLVE’S Oregon Adopt-A-River program, the Tour Of Knowledge recently adopted the 220 acre Oxbow property north of Hermiston’s Riverfront park. That property has been designated as a riparian and salmon habitat restoration site by the Bureau of Reclamation. SOLVE ‘S Adopt-A-river program promotes habitat restoration by reestablishing native plants.

Transportation to the CTUIR Tribal Native Plant Nursery from Hermiston will be via the Tom Denchel Ford Country shuttle bus. Those wishing to ride the shuttle are asked to meet at the Hermiston Masonic Lodge parking lot at 8:45 a.m. Departure will be at 9 a.m. Attendees from Pendleton or those who want to take their own vehicles should be at the CTUIR Tribal Native Plant Nursery at 9:45 am. Take exit 216 off I-84, travel north approximately two miles and turn left after crossing the Umatilla River.

For more information contact Eileen Laramore, at 541-561-8979 or [email protected].

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The Top 12 Things to Do in Omsk

Feel the love in the very heart of Russia

In Russia, all roads lead to Moscow , on account of the city's status as the national capital and its importance throughout history. If geography were the deciding factor, however, the Siberian city of Omsk would be the point where all Russia's roads converge—it's located literally in the heart of the country, approximately as far from Vladivostok as it is from the Belarusian border. Omsk boasts a spate of exciting attractions, even if you simply make a stop here as you ride the Trans-Siberian Railway eastward or westward.

Marvel at Assumption Cathedral

Chelsea Hicks/Flickr/CC BY 2.0

Orthodox architecture never gets old, even if you've been traveling in Russia for a long time. This is particularly the case when it comes to the Assumption Cathedral of Omsk, whose gold-and-turquoise domes look resplendent under the blue skies that bless Omsk during the warmer months of the year. The cathedral was built in 1891 under the orders Nicholas, the last Tsar of Russia.

Time Travel at Omsk Fortress

Ogg-omsk/Wikimedia Commons/CC BY-SA 3.0

The bad news? Much of what was once Omsk Fortress is now a residential area, with the only notable landmark that still stands being Tobolsk Gate (think Paris' Arc de Triomphe , but yellow and smaller). The good news? There's essentially no reason for a military fortification to exist in today's peaceful Omsk, which means you can stroll amid parks and cafés and imagine the area being war-torn—a small sacrifice to make in exchange for not being blown to bits.

Go Green at Ptich'ya Gavan'

Forinrap/Wikimedia Commons/CC BY-SA 4.0 

Or white, as it were: Omsk is covered with snow several months of the year, which means that its prized Ptich'ya Gavan' central park is often more of a winter wonderland than the green reprieve you experience in summer. The park is popular with local families, to whom you can say "Privet" (Hello) as you walk past.

Walk on Omsk's Artsy Side

G0rn/Wikimedia Commons/CC BY 3.0

Although the building that houses Omsk District Museum of Visual Arts is unmistakably Russian, the collection you find inside is surprisingly eclectic for a city deep in Russia's interior. Recent collections have included a revival of Van Gogh's great works, among others. This is a particularly enjoyable Omsk attraction on cold winter days, when temperatures can drop far below freezing and sunshine can be rare.

Shoot for the Moon

Worldwide Planetarium Database

Though Omsk is a relatively large city, the skies over it become dark enough in the evening for stargazing. While visitors are not permitted to use the expensive telescopes housed inside, exhibits inside the museum provide a fascinating look into the cosmos, narrated by expert astronomical guides.

Shop on Lenin Street

yykkaa/Getty Images

Lenin Street's name is appropriate: Although it's the high street of a city thousands of miles from Moscow, the European-style architecture and cosmopolitan vibe you feel as you stroll past its boutique and cafés evokes the capital of Russia more than its forlorn interior. Local specialties you can purchase here include rustic jams made from local berries (and even, in some shops, cedar cones), as well as handmade rugs from Kazakhstan, which sits just south of Omsk.

Sample Siberian Cuisine

Quynh Anh Nguyen/Getty Images 

Speaking of unique Siberian food, it's not just preserves made from the fruits of evergreen trees. Omsk is a great place to discover the flavors of Russia's wild interior, whether you eat zagutai and stroganini (Siberia's take on sushi) or classic Russian plmeni dumplings filled with decidedly Siberian ingredients, such as bear and rabbit meat. Vkusno ! (That's Russian for "delicious"!)

Enjoy Historical Houses—While You Still Can

Simon Richmond/Getty Images

The wooden houses that line Nikolskiy Prospekt aren't protected, but they should be. Historical structures that are unfortunately in a state of disrepair, these houses are slated for demolition at some unspecific point in the future. Be sure to catch a glimpse of these historical house before they're gone. There will, however, be at least one left standing for a long time. The Omsk State Art Museum is in a traditional wooden house.

Go to the Circus

Vladislav Domnich/Getty Images

Omsk State Circus is a popular spot for local families, whose children love the opportunity to see acrobatic performances and animals that wouldn't otherwise make appearance in Siberia. If you do attend a show here, keep in mind that ethics with regard to animal treatment might not match up with those in North America or Western Europe, to say nothing of the smell that can pervade the auditorium during and even after a show.

Be a Drama Queen

While there's no guarantee that any shows will be playing at Omsk Drama Theater at the time of your trip, a visit to this 19th century building is a spectacle in and of itself. While not as huge, say, as Moscow's Bolshoi Theatre, it's nonetheless an ornate architectural wonder that hearkens back to a glorious time in history. The interior of the theater is even open during the daytime; ask the person who's inside if any tours are available when you turn up.

Explore Cities Deeper in Siberia

Tuul & Bruno Morandi/Getty Images

Siberia starts in Omsk, even if you can't continue far into it. If you don't plan to travel on the Trans-Siberian Railway, take one of two day trips from Omsk. Travel to Tobolsk, whose hilltop Kremlin is one of the most picturesque in all of Russia, and whose beauty inspired a photo by Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev that ended up winning several awards. Or visit Tomsk, where you'll find a botanical garden dedicated to Siberian flora, and a museum that celebrates wooden architecture.

Ride the Trans-Siberian Railway

 lvinst/Getty Images

The idea of leaving Omsk behind can seem difficult, especially now that you've gotten to know this city in the heart of Siberia as well as you have. The mint-colored facade of Omsk Railway Station will make you smile, however, even if you're crying inside as you depart. Though it's not quite on the mid-line of the Trans-Siberian route between Moscow and Beijing , Omsk is a worthy starting place to begin a journey to either. If you head east make sure to stop in Irkutsk , the home of Lake Baikal and another underrated Siberian city.

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Table 1: Project-level location details

The map below shows the exact location of the power station.

Unit-level coordinates ( WGS 84 ):

• Unit 4, Unit 5, Unit 6, Unit 7, Unit 8, Unit 9 : 55.084459, 73.211755

Project Details

Table 2: unit-level details, table 3: unit-level ownership and operator details.

Project-level coal details

• Coal source(s) : Ekibastuz coal

The 385-MW coal-fired Omsk CHP-4 power station is owned by TGC-11, which in turn is owned by Inter RAO . [1]

The power station runs on both Ekibastuz coal (from Kazakhstan) and natural gas, according to TGC-11's website. [2] However the System Operator's document published in early 2023 stated only coal as the operating fuel. [3]

As of June 2021 and later on, the TGC-11 website and other sources list the plant with 385 MW of installed capacity. [2] [3] Unit 5 (50MW) was retired in 2015 which brought the installed capacity to 385MW. [4] Unit 8 (100MW) must have been retired some time before 2012. [4] [3]

In 2021 the power plant produced 1,280 million kWh of electricity, 1,253 million kWh in 2020. [5]

Environmental impact

In 2017 it was reported that the plant received a permit to expand its ash dump without its Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the expansion being approved. [6] In November 2018 it was reported that the plant's operator TGC-11 has refused to sign an openness agreement with the Ministry of the Environment that would allow for monitoring of emissions. [7]

In December 2021, reports emerged that the Omsk CHP-4 power station had violated environmental regulations by releasing harmful emissions in excess of amounts specified in its permits. According to news reports, there were no standards in place for regulating the coal dust emissions. [8] [9]

In September 2022, the court of Omsk ordered TGC-11 to eliminate violations of environmental regulations with respect to all the CHPs in Omsk, including at CHP-4. The timeframe to do this is from October 2022 to February 2023. [10]

Safety violations

In November 2019 an inspection of the plant found that it had failed to comply with hygiene and sanitation standards for its workers. [11]

In December 2021, the Sovetsky District Court of Omsk ordered that TGC-11 halt construction on a new fuel oil tank at Omsk CHP-4 power station. The Court found that construction was taking place without adhering to regulations and without the approval of government experts, which created an increased risk of accidents and emergencies. [12]

Plans to Convert to Gas

Plans to convert the station to gas were mentioned in April 2023. The press service of TGK-11 noted that currently it is not technically possible to receive gas in the required volumes, but several gas companies are exploring ways to eliminate these infrastructure restrictions. [17] Another source discussed that as the plants were included in the KOMMod program, it is prohibited to make changes to the units' configuration for 25 years so converting the units to gas it no feasible before 2050. [18] [19]

Additional data

To access additional data, including an interactive map of coal-fired power stations, a downloadable dataset, and summary data, please visit the Global Coal Plant Tracker on the Global Energy Monitor website.

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