This past weekend I visited the Theodore Payne Foundation for Wild Flowers and Native Plants.  It’s a nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation and use of California native flora. The Foundation preserves the lifetime work of Theodore Payne who was a horticulturist and conservationist.  He is considered to be the founding father of the native plant movement in California.   
 
At my home I have a garden dedicated to butterflies, bees and hummingbirds.  One of the biggest complaints I’ve had since starting my garden is that it can be difficult to find native plants at the local garden center.  Nowadays plants are bred to be showy.  They look lovely with their double flower heads and sound charming with their fancy names, but these varieties have been cultivated by breeders and you would never find them growing naturally in nature.  Tampering with a native plant can comprise the benefit it has for wildlife.  For example, a flower that has been cultivated with a double flower head will make it difficult or perhaps even impossible for a butterfly or bee to get to the nectar or pollen.  The Foundation was the answer to my problem!  The retail nursery at the Foundation has the largest selection of California native plants in the region. What a better way to sustain my butterflies, bees and hummingbirds then with the beautiful native California flora!  
 
After perusing the nursery and purchasing some great additions for my garden.  I made my way up Wild Flower Hill.  You can gain access to this ¾ mile nature trail from the nursery.  The trail takes you on a journey through the common plants we have here in our area, and it is also home to an abundance of wildlife and birds.  Here are some of the images from my trek.