LAGUNA CANYON FOUNDATION
June 2008 E-Letter
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California Poppy

California Poppy, Eschscholzia californica, by Donald Kinney, used with permission, www.photoarrow.com.

Pretty poppies golden,
In thy yellow cup
Sunbeams bright, lend their light
Honey bees doth sup.
 
 
~Mary A. Lombard, from "Golden Poppies Good Night," pub. 1902
 
Hello, friends. In this banner wildflower year, the first poppies heralded spring's beginning. As summer approaches, the stragglers will die back. California's cheery state flower reminds us how water nurtures the blooms we missed during last year's drought. When planted from seed in sunshine and well-drained soil, poppies will spread in home gardens and sprout year after year. California poppies migrated with departing miners and have naturalized in similar climates as far afield as Chile, New Zealand and Australia. They also thrive as annuals in colder areas. In California, beetles pollinate poppies; in other regions, European honeybees. Celebrate this adaptable native by enjoying the last spring blooms and remembering to KEEP IT WILD.
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Get some practical tips on transforming your home garden into waterwise native habitat at the Go Native Plant Hike, Saturday, June 28 from 8-11:30 a.m. Visit www.lagunacanyon.org to learn more about this and other park activities. Laguna Canyon Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving, protecting and enhancing the South Coast Wilderness.

Questions? E-mail Ellen Girardeau Kempler, Communications Director, Laguna Canyon Foundation, [email protected]