Plant Parenthood with Club Gay Gardens
⤏ CLUB GAY GARDENS’ MAGGIE SMART-MCCABE AND LINNEA TORRES ON HOW TO BE A PRODUCTIVE PLANT PARENT
⤏ BY MAGGIE SMART-MCCABE AND LINNEA TORRES
⤏ PHOTOS BY LINNEA TORRES
What types of plants are growing in Junior High’s native garden?
MAGGIE SMART MCCABE: We have tons of plants growing in the garden, many of which are native plants! That means that these plants originated/ evolved in this region and climate. Because of this, they have special relationships with other native plants, wildlife, and soils, as well as cultural and medicinal significance specifically for Indigenous communities in the area. Some of our plants include California sagebrush, California buckwheat, ceanothus, mallow, monkey flower, California poppies, lupine, tidy tips, baby blue eyes, yarrow, Dara’s choice, and more!
What type of plants live inside Junior High?
LINNEA TORRES: A huge variety of tropical plants since they thrive in partially bright lighting. Our shop window faces east, thus our plants get the most amount of sun in the morning and low light during the rest of the day. Facing nearest to the window we have an purple oxalis triangularis; a sun loving plant pushing out many tiny purple flowers + a maidenhair fern, a ficus benjamina, many many pothos, a peperomia, a calathea, many monsteras, and a few hanging plants such as a scindapus, neon pothos, and a dischidia. All are placed with their sun needs in mind.
Which plants thrive better in the LA/California climate?
MSM: We are in a Mediterranean climate-region, which only occurs in 5 regions of the world. Our hot, dry summers and cool, wet winters help support a thriving and diverse community of plants that make our region a biodiversity hotspot. California as a whole is home to approximately 6,500 native plants! Many of these beautiful plants are unique in that they go dormant in the summer because they have adapted to low water, intense heat, and periods of drought. This period of dormancy can conflict with cultural obsessions with the idea of a lawn– as well as many other European-centered garden beauty standards– that leads us to believe we should blast our irrigation systems so that our gardens can be at their greenest in summer time. It is important to deconstruct these assumptions about garden aesthetics and learn about native plants to appreciate the beauty and ecological value in all stages of their life cycles. You can also increase the habitat value of your plants for local wildlife if you let your plants go to seed after they bloom so that more can continue to grow or be used to feed birds and pollinators! You can learn about what plants are native in your local community by entering your zip code on Calscape, an amazing tool created by the California Native Plant Society.
What other types of plants are better for indoor gardening?
LT: There are many others that we don’t have that are ideal for indoor gardening! Many varieties of philodendrens, palms, snake plants, dracaenas, and hoyas make for great indoor companions. Simply speaking, all plants that aren’t “full sun” can be grown and thrive inside.
Can any fruits/veggies be grown indoors?
LT: In the simplest terms, in a space with a very bright amount of direct sun and a very long period of it, you can grow most plants. The safest option for fruits/veggies, in my opinion, is outdoors. A great test would be to put an indoor plant on a window and see if it flowers, usually that could mean the same would happen to a fruiting plant. I have had many varieties of begonias flower for me while growing entirely indoors. A south facing window is your best bet for your own trial!
What are some animal friendly plants?
LT: While you should be monitoring and making sure your pet doesn’t have access to your plants, (these are non toxic but not recommended to be eaten by pets) there are plenty of non toxic plants! Many varieties of peperomias, calatheas/marantas, spiderplants, most palms, hoyas, and most ferns as well as a money tree are all considered non toxic!
How do you know if you’ve overwatered versus underwatered? Is it even possible to know!?
LT: I usually say, dry leaves = underwatered, rotting soggy leaves = overwatered. A lot of the time you can usually look at your soil and find your problem. If the soil has been compacted and is solidified then it won’t be able to retain the water you just gave it. If your soil stays wet for too long and growing is stunted your soil is retaining too much water. A good repot is usually the solution. Soil is compacted? Break it apart a bit and carefully take soil from roots, repot in a potting soil with added perlite. Soil is wet? Repot with the same soil (new if desired) and add perlite, this will allow more oxygen into your pot and thus its roots.
We all go hard for Home Depot (gay), but do you have any favorite Los Angeles garden supply shops? Maybe some that are female or WOC owned?
MSM: Some of my favorite local nurseries for native plants are Hardy Californians, Plant Material, and Artemisia Nursery. You can also go to the Theodore Payne Foundation nursery, or attend one of the many educational events and workshops they host to learn more.
Help! My room/apartment/home doesn’t get a lot of natural lighting but I love plants! Which plants thrive with minimal sunlight?
LT: Very few “thrive” in minimal light, closer to “survive.” Plants like a ZZ, jade/golden varieties of pothos, and sanseveria can be a fine addition to a dark room. They will need very little water, and would be at home in a dryer, more coarse soil (think a succulent/cactus mix), so water can quickly drain. Water pooling and sitting in soil for too long is prime soil for fungus gnats.
I want to garden but don’t know where to start. What are some beginner friendly tips and tricks?
MSM: A great way to get inspiration for how to get started with gardening is to visit a local garden or hiking trail where you can see how plant communities thrive and what conditions they like to grow in! Arlington Garden in Pasadena is a beautiful (and free) public garden that you can visit and find your new favorite plants– most of which grown in that garden are native or climate appropriate. You can use apps like Seek or iNaturalist to help you identify plants on the go and visit a local nursery to learn more about them. And just be ready to experiment because gardening is about working with seasons, change, and cycles of life so you are bound to have some plants not make it. That’s okay, keep trying! (Also, use compost <3)