The Native Guild
LightNews LightNews
banner
thenativeguild.bsky.social
The Native Guild
@thenativeguild.bsky.social
2.2K followers 1.3K following 520 posts
Helping Santa Barbara County turn boring lawns into buzzing habitats, one native plant at a time.
We teach you how to plant native plants, attract pollinators, and fall in love with your local ecosystem.
Less mowing, more monarchs!
#TheNativeGuild
Posts Replies Media Videos
thenativeguild.bsky.social
🌿Why your garden needs Seaside Daisy / Beach Aster:

🐝 Pollinator paradise - butterflies, bees, ladybugs, etc

💦 Erosion control - good for coastal slopes

🔧 Low maintenance - thrives on neglect

🦌 Deer resistant

🔥 Fire-wise - resistant to flame
#PollinatorGarden #GrowNativePlants #SeasideDaisy
Close-up image of Seaside daisy with blurry background. Shot by Tom at Adobe Stock
November 13, 2025 at 6:38 PM
thenativeguild.bsky.social
🌸Seaside Daisy / Beach Aster

As a member of the sunflower family (Asteraceae), Seaside Daisy brings the familiar charm of a classic daisy but with a tougher, more weathered beauty — like a flower that’s learned to live by the ocean
#GrowNativePlants #BeachAster #PollinatorGarden #TheNativeGuild
Seaside Daisy / Beach Aster growing in the sun
November 12, 2025 at 3:49 PM
Reposted by The Native Guild
barackobama.bsky.social
Ahead of Veterans Day, I was honored to welcome a flight of veterans and their families as they arrived in DC.
November 11, 2025 at 1:08 PM
thenativeguild.bsky.social
🌿Seaside Daisy / Beach Aster / Beach Fleabane (She has a few names😜)

This beauty adds soft color to rock gardens, coastal meadows & containers—perfect cascading blooms for a natural look

Pair with drought-tolerant natives for a resilient, low-water garden full of coastal charm
#GrowNativePlants
Beach Aster glistening in the sun with a blurred background
November 11, 2025 at 3:58 PM
thenativeguild.bsky.social
🌿Good morning, Bluesky! My latest Substack article is all about the Seaside Daisy / Aster. Super easy to grow and full of charm🌸

🌼 Seaside Daisy: California’s Cheerful Coastal Native
open.substack.com/pub/ginaradu...
#SeasideDaisy #GrowNativePlants #TheNativeGuild #PollinatorGarden
🌼 Seaside Daisy: California’s Cheerful Coastal Native
A cheerful, low-water favorite for pollinators and seaside gardeners alike
open.substack.com
November 10, 2025 at 4:05 PM
thenativeguild.bsky.social
🌿California yarrow is nature’s soil weaver — its fibrous roots knit loose sand together, holding fragile coastal ecosystems in place

That’s why restoration crews plant it to rebuild dunes & pollinator habitats along the Central Coast
#GrowNativePlants #NativeYarrow #TheNativeGuild #PollinatorGarden
Moody image of native yarrow as dawn sets in. Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@ensme?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">nina .</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/a-close-up-of-some-flowers-MJIVWCTLuHA?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Unsplash</a>
November 9, 2025 at 4:18 PM
thenativeguild.bsky.social
🌿Golden yarrow (Eriophyllum confertiflorum) brings bright yellow blooms on upright stems, acting like a small shrub or short-lived perennial

Its silvery-green foliage adds structure and softness to sunny slopes or native borders all season long
#GrowNativePlants #GoldenYarrow #TheNativeGuild
Golden Yarrow and purple sage in front of small tree and building Golden Yarrow cluster growing next to a rock
November 8, 2025 at 6:12 PM
thenativeguild.bsky.social
Golden yarrow isn’t a true yarrow—it’s in a different genus but still part of the daisy family🌼

It loves sunny, dry hillsides and pairs beautifully with sages, buckwheats, and native grasses

Great for pollinators, drought-tolerant, and perfect for echoing California’s wild beauty
#GrowNativePlants
Golden yarrow in front of purple sage
November 7, 2025 at 3:41 PM
thenativeguild.bsky.social
California yarrow 🌿 — a tough, fragrant native that forms soft mats of evergreen leaves

Come late spring, it sends up tall stalks topped with clusters of white blooms that can last into autumn

A beautiful, resilient part of California’s wild heart ✨ #TheNativeGuild #Yarrow #GrowNativePlants
Native Yarrow blossoming with a blurred background
November 6, 2025 at 2:46 PM
thenativeguild.bsky.social
🌿California yarrow might be the ultimate native all-star—tough, beautiful, and easy to grow

From sea cliffs to mountain meadows, it’s everywhere, adding texture, fragrance, and life to any garden
#GrowNativePlants #PollinatorGarden #CaliforniaNativePlants #TheNativeGuild #CaliforniaYarrow #Yarrow
Yarrow Sprig in the sunlight with a blurred background
November 5, 2025 at 4:08 PM
thenativeguild.bsky.social
Good morning, Bluesky!! I just published a new article on Substack. Check it out to find out about how to care for native yarrow in the Central Coast area in California✨

California Yarrow: A Native Beauty for Every Garden
open.substack.com/pub/ginaradu...
#GrowNativePlants #PollinatorGarden
California Yarrow: A Native Beauty for Every Garden
A Low-Water Native Perennial That Brings Pollinators, Beauty, and Balance to the Garden
open.substack.com
November 4, 2025 at 2:39 PM
thenativeguild.bsky.social
This weeks spotlight plant: Yarrow✨

🌿California native yarrow (Achillea millefolium var. californica) is a hardy, beautiful, and ecologically valuable perennial that’s both easy to grow and rewarding year-round
#NativeYarrow #Yarrow #GrowNativePlants #PollinatorGarden #TheNativeGuild
Young Golden Yarrow growing near purple sage and milkweed
November 3, 2025 at 3:21 PM
thenativeguild.bsky.social
🌿Refugio Manzanita

Range: Endemic to the Santa Ynez Mountains - Santa Barbara County

Habitat: Sandstone soils, chaparral and oak woodland edges

Form: Tall shrub; waxy, red-tinged young leaves; cinnamon-red bark

In the garden: A striking specimen for full sun and good drainage
#GrowNativePlants
Branch of a Refugio Manzanita in the wild, displaying it's little apples
November 2, 2025 at 4:13 PM
thenativeguild.bsky.social
🌿Planting manzanitas isn’t just a gardening choice — it’s an act of connection

Using locally native manzanitas ties your garden to the surrounding landscape, supports local wildlife, and conserves the genetics of plants already adapted to your climate
#Manzanita #GrowNativePlants #NativeGarden
Manzanita sprig with their "little apples" glowing in the sun. Blurred background Eastwood Manzanita in the sun, bursting with berries
November 1, 2025 at 3:07 PM
thenativeguild.bsky.social
🌿Manzanitas reward patience

They’re sculptural, slow, and serene — an expression of time and place

Their bark glows red in low winter light; their blossoms feed bees in February; their berries feed birds through summer
#GrowNativePlants #PollinatorGarden #TheNativeGuild
Manzanita tree growing against a peach wall
October 31, 2025 at 9:04 PM
thenativeguild.bsky.social
🌿Manzanita

Few plants capture California’s wild beauty like manzanitas

With smooth red bark, sculptural branches, and urn-shaped blooms, these native evergreens bring elegance, biodiversity, and resilience to any garden
#CaliforniaNativePlants #Manzanita #GrowNativePlants #TheNativeGuild
Ground-cover manzanita growing near a rock
October 31, 2025 at 1:21 AM
thenativeguild.bsky.social
Good Morning, Bluesky!🦋

For your reading pleasure… here's the full Substack article - All About Manzanitas✨

🌿 Manzanitas for the Central Coast: Native Beauty, Deep Roots
open.substack.com/pub/ginaradu...
#NativeManzanita #GrowNativePlants #TheNativeGuild #Manzanita #PollinatorGarden
🌿 Manzanitas for the Central Coast: Native Beauty, Deep Roots
If you’re looking for trees or shrubs that truly belong on California’s Central Coast, start with the manzanitas.
open.substack.com
October 29, 2025 at 3:35 PM
thenativeguild.bsky.social
🌿 This Week is All About Central Coast Manzanitas!

Several Arctostaphylos species grow naturally around Santa Barbara & the Central Coast

Each varies in size, form & needs—match your manzanita to your site’s soil, sun & drainage for best success
#NativePlants #GrowNativePlants #NativeManzanita
Close-up of a Manzanita Sprig
October 29, 2025 at 1:56 AM
thenativeguild.bsky.social
🌿This week's focus: Manzanita in the Santa Barbara County area

“Manzanita” = “little apple” for its fruit shape

Several Arctostaphylos species grow naturally around the area

Each varies in size, form & needs—match your manzanita to your site’s soil, sun & drainage for best success
#Manzanita
Close-up of Manzanita sprig showing it's "little apple" fruit. Blurry background
October 27, 2025 at 7:05 PM
thenativeguild.bsky.social
🌿Cleveland Sage

After 1–2 years, treat it like a dry-garden shrub — very low summer water💧

Only 1 deep watering/month (or just a few per summer in SoCal)

In Santa Barbara: maybe early-summer + mid-summer if stressed

🚫 Don’t over-water — too much in heavy soil can harm this native
#ClevelandSage
Yellow bird on a Cleveland Sage stalk
October 26, 2025 at 4:35 PM
thenativeguild.bsky.social
🌿Drought-adapted native Cleveland Sage needs more care early on: keep soil moist but not soggy in the 1–2 yr establishment phase

Try weekly deep watering at first, taper to 1–2×/mo later

Light mulch helps hold moisture 🌱
#GrowNativePlants #ClevelandSage #TheNativeGuild #PollinatorGarden
Watering can watering plants
October 25, 2025 at 3:47 PM
thenativeguild.bsky.social
🌿Cleveland Sage Growing Tips:

🌞Loves full sun (6–8+ hrs); part sun okay, but less bloom in shade

Needs well-drained soil—thrives on dry, rocky slopes; avoid soggy spots

Grows ~3–5 ft tall & wide (up to 6 ft in loose soil)

In hot inland areas, give a bit of afternoon shade to ease summer stress
Cleveland Sage growing near a building
October 24, 2025 at 7:48 PM
thenativeguild.bsky.social
🌿Cleveland Sage Pruning tips:

Best time: late fall

Young plants — cut each branch back to 3–4 nodes for a rounded shape; avoid old wood

Mature plants — just tip-prune spent blooms & shape yearly

Deadhead to encourage rebloom

If leggy, thin to strong wood—but blooms may lag next season
#Salvia
Garden tools resting on a fence with a blurry background
October 23, 2025 at 11:06 PM
thenativeguild.bsky.social
🌿 Pruning tips - Cleveland Sage:

Late fall = great time!

Young plants: prune back to 3–4 nodes for bushiness

Mature plants: just tip-prune & deadhead for blooms

Avoid cutting old woody stems—they may not regrow

Deep cuts = fewer blooms next season
#ClevelandSage #PollinatorGarden #GrowNatives
Cleveland Sage sprig with blurred background
October 22, 2025 at 8:26 PM
thenativeguild.bsky.social
Hello Bluesky! My latest essay on Substack is available here.

It's a comprehensive dive into Cleveland Sage for your garden.

open.substack.com/pub/ginaradu...
#ClevelandSage #GrowNativePlants #PollinatorGarden
Beautiful Cleveland Sage in Santa Barbara County
An excellent choice for your native garden
open.substack.com
October 21, 2025 at 6:23 PM