Tucked into one corner of the beautifully renovated Chapman Park is a small space destined to have a large impact: the Chapman Park Community Garden. Chapman Park sits on three acres adjacent to the Dorothy F. Johnson Center in the heart of the Chapman neighborhood.

The value of open spaces to the health of a community cannot be overstated. Urban areas, particularly those with dense or multi-family housing, can provide great benefit to their populations by offering free and accessible areas to run and climb, to swing and jump, to play with joy and abandon.

A few years ago, the Chico Area Recreation District (CARD) received funding through California's Proposition 68, the California Drought, Water, Parks, Climate, Coastal Protection, And Outdoor Access for All Act of 2018. That pool of money provides grants for projects which, among other things, “develop future recreational opportunities, or enhance drought tolerance, landscape resilience, and water retention.”

Once awarded the grant, CARD began collaborating with other groups to transform a previously neglected space into a vibrant park offering a variety of amenities guaranteed to delight.  These include a multi-use open turf playing field; two basketball courts; a futsal court (futsal is a modified soccer game played on a smaller field); a splash pad (open from late spring until winter); restrooms; a pavilion; a large playground; and picnic tables with barbecue grills.Local artists contributed to the design of the park facilities. Of special note are the murals on two sides of the restroom building, created by The Rainforest Project in collaboration with Chapman Elementary School. The murals and metal art in the park highlight regional nature elements such as oak trees and salmon. Chapman Park now draws in neighbors of all ages and is alive with sounds of play and fun.

The grant proposal included an educational component: specifically, learning about healthy food and how to grow and prepare it through the development of a community garden. And that is where the UC Master Gardeners of Butte County (MGs) entered the picture. Parks Director Scott Schumann approached the MGs about partnering on planning, developing, and using the proposed garden area for education. Project details were specified in a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) which stated that MGs would use the garden space for teacher and student education as well as for classes aimed at community members. CARD looks forward to hosting garden camps for youth, classes for adults, and seeing the garden come alive with community use and educational opportunities for all to enjoy.

Back in 2018, Master Gardener Joyce Hill began helping to develop the MG Living Labs program, which teams MGs with local schools to teach Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) through gardening. These Standards advocate for science education that encourages kids to experience and explore the interconnected nature of science, technology, and engineering in real world situations.

The MG Living Lab group was instrumental in designing the Community Garden and bringing the MOU to completion in July of 2023. Then the work could begin! The Living Lab crew, along with design assistance from Landscape Architect Greg Melton, CARD personnel, and over 50 volunteers from the Chico Noon Rotary Club, got busy constructing the new space. In one very busy six-hour day the Rotarians laid down about twenty cubic yards of soil and ten cubic yards of decomposed granite, constructed all the boxes for raised beds, installed steel edging, and built a sink space for handwashing and harvesting!

The area was developed with an imaginative use of space to include as many raised beds as possible. The intent was to create a Model School Garden Living Lab to train educators and to use in real-life experiments for the Living Lab teaching modules. Approximately half of the beds are slated for educational purposes and the other half are devoted to neighborhood community gardeners. The garden area is fenced, but not locked, and is accessible to all.

Within the fenced area, twenty variously shaped raised beds are clustered along paths of hard-packed decomposed granite. Four of these beds are ADA compliant, and one is reserved for a special lesson on the Three Sisters (see below). A large garden shed sits on a raised foundation, and along one side of it a sink and stainless-steel counters have been installed for nutrition education and food preparation.

The Three Sisters: Native peoples across the Americas planted The Three Sisters (corn, squash, and beans) together. This resourceful planting method ensures plant health and conserves precious water; the combined foods supply healthy nutrition and a complete protein. In the Chapman Park Community Garden, MGs and students will plant seeds for popcorn, pumpkin, and shell beans in April. The lesson will include the background story of the Three Sisters. When the kids return to school in the fall, they will harvest the bounty and prepare a soup from a recipe that includes these three ingredients.

Living Lab and Science Education Beds: The garden itself is meant to help students integrate science skills and test theories about growing edible plants, and food in general. There are raised beds reserved for each different grade level and the accompanying lessons that align with the science standards. The eight practices of science and engineering in the NGSS are the following:

1. Asking questions (for science) and defining problems (for engineering)

2. Developing and using models

3. Planning and carrying out investigations

4. Analyzing and interpreting data

5. Using mathematics and computational thinking

6. Constructing explanations (for science) and designing solutions (for engineering)

7. Engaging in argument from evidence

8. Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information

For details of how the Master Gardeners' Living Lab program addresses these eight practices, see: Get Outside: Environmental Education for Kids and From School Gardens to Outdoor Science Labs.

In June 2024, the first educational training took place in the Chapman Park Community Garden. The topic was Seeds and Worms, and there were approximately 15 participants from the Butte County Office of Education and other schools in our region, including Yuba City. In addition to its use in training school educators, this space can be used to train new MGs in the Living Lab principles and to train presenters involved in the Master Gardeners Public Workshop Series, which takes place each Fall and Spring. 

Community Beds: The garden beds reserved for community members are meant to demonstrate what can be done in home gardens. Community education classes are planned to coincide with the seasons (for example, seed starting in early spring). In addition, Chapman school will use the gardens for field trips. Other goals for community education include using the garden to teach science to those for whom English is their second language, and as a garden camp where kids can explore cooking and crafts.

The Chapman Park Community Garden had its Grand Opening about one year ago. A real labor of love, the creation of this community garden involved collaboration with several government entities and many volunteers from throughout the community. Living Lab educator Joyce Hill summed up the broad vision of the park recently, stating that she could “see the impact that these gardens have on passersby – young and old -- in the neighborhood is where it's happening. We come to them instead of them coming to us.”

If there's a local gardener on your gift list this holiday season, why not give them a Butte County Garden Guide and Three-Year Journal?  Compiled and edited by the UC-trained Master Gardeners of Butte County, this county-specific book contains tips for every home gardener. All proceeds from the guide go to the Demonstration Garden at Patrick Ranch and other Master Gardener community outreach projects in Butte County. The Garden Guide is available in Chico at Magnolia Gift and Garden, The Plant Barn, and the Master Gardener booth at the Saturday Farmers Market. It can also be ordered online on our website.

UC Master Gardeners of Butte County are part of the University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) system.  To learn more about us and our upcoming events, and for help with gardening in our area visit our website.  If you have a gardening question or problem, email the Hotline at mgbutte@ucanr.edu or leave a phone message on our Hotline at 530-552-5812. To speak to a Master Gardener about a gardening issue, or to drop by the MG office during Hotline hours, see the most current information on our Ask Us section of our website.

One of the pleasures of the colder months is the opportunity to plan next year's garden while staying inside where it's warm.  If you are thinking about adding something new to your landscape, why not consider a cactus or two?   

With our long, hot summers and drought seemingly becoming the norm, many home gardeners are on the lookout for water-efficient plants.  Although often overlooked, the cacti found in North and South American deserts fit this purpose nicely, and as an added bonus most species have colorful, often spectacular, blooms. While there are also species of cacti found in cloud forests and even rainforests, these would not be appropriate for outdoor landscaping in the Northstate.

A cactus is a type of succulent that belongs to the plant family Cactaceae.  Any plant that stores water in its leaves, stems, or roots is a succulent, but cacti are placed in this separate family because in addition to their water-storing ability they have several other adaptations that help them survive hot, dry environments.  With very few exceptions, cacti do not have leaves.  Instead, the leaves they initially had have evolved to become spines which protect a cactus plant from herbivores and eliminate the problem of water evaporating from leaf surfaces.  Additionally, species with plentiful or wooly spines further inhibit evaporation from the cactus plant by producing shade and reducing air flow around the leafless stems.  Interestingly, spines can also serve as condensation points, allowing the cactus plant to “harvest” dew from the night air.

In the absence of leaves, the green stems of cacti have taken over the job of photosynthesis.  In most plants, stomata (pores) on the leaves open during the day to allow for the uptake of carbon dioxide and release of oxygen during photosynthesis.  This creates a problem for plants living in arid climates because whenever their stomata are open, water evaporates from them.  Cacti and several other plant families have resolved this issue by utilizing a metabolic pathway known as crasssulacean acid metabolism (CAM).  On the CAM pathway, stomates are closed during the day and open at night, limiting the loss of water.  While their stomates are open at night, CAM plants take in carbon dioxide, store it in the form of malic acid, and then release the carbon dioxide from the malic acid the next day so that it is available for use in photosynthesis.  This process requires the expense of a lot of energy, but since plants depend on solar energy, it is not an issue for sun-drenched desert plants like cacti.

Cactus stems have several other adaptations that enhance their survival in dry environments.  The stems are fleshy and are used to store water.  Additionally, stems are usually covered with a thick, waxy cuticle, which prevents water loss due to evaporation.  The stomata on cactus stems are typically sunken in shallow pits.  As with wooly spines, this slows evaporation by decreasing airflow around the stomatal openings.  Finally, even the ribbed appearance of many cactus stems is functional, allowing the stems to expand rapidly when water is available for uptake.

Many cacti have shallow root systems that extend widely to quickly absorb as much moisture as possible from rare rainfalls.  A cactus that is just a few inches tall may have roots reaching out several feet.

Cacti can be grown in any sunny, well-drained area.   Smaller varieties can be kept as potted houseplants; hardy species can be grown as landscape plants, either in pots or in the ground.  The best time to plant a cactus is in the late spring or summer, when its roots are actively growing.  Always plant cacti bareroot.  Let the soil in the pot dry out and then gently loosen the soil in the root ball and shake it off.

When planting a cactus, prepare a hole that is as deep as the plant's root ball and one and one-half times as wide.  Place the cactus so that its stem is at the same depth it was before transplanting.  Use heavy gloves and/or a thick layer of newspaper wrapped around the plant when handling a cactus.  If your native soil is coarse textured and drains well, you can use it to fill in the hole and then pack it firmly around the root ball.  If your soil is heavy and doesn't drain well, it would be wise to dig a deeper hole and backfill it with cactus mix.  There are several cactus mixes available commercially, but if you want to make your own, a good recipe is three parts sand, three parts regular soil and two parts pumice or perlite.  Planting cacti in raised or mounded beds is another work-around for slow draining, heavy soils. 

If your cactus came from a lath house or outdoor greenhouse, protect it with a shade cloth for a couple of weeks.  This will help it acclimate to the stronger outdoor sun and the cactus will be less likely to become sunburned while its outer skin toughens up.  Once the cactus is in the ground, it should be watered until the soil is about as damp as a wrung-out sponge.  While cacti require minimal care, their number one cause of death is overwatering, so after the initial watering wait and don't water again until the top two or three inches of soil are dry.  If your cactus looks a little shriveled, you may need to water it sooner.  Cacti in pots usually need to be watered more often than those that are planted directly in the ground.  Most cacti are dormant in the fall and winter, so they need little, if any, water then.

Cacti can be frost sensitive, but there are several genera that more cold-hardy. Cold-hardy genera include (but are not limited to): Opuntia, Ferocactus, Echinocereus, Escobaria, Corypantha and some species in the genera Cereus and Mammalaria.  It is important to note that in many instances, “it's not the cold, but the wet” that can kill these cacti.

Opuntia cacti are also known as beaver-tail, or prickly pear cactus.  Their stems consist of flattened, segmented pads.  Most species of Opuntia have yellow flowers, but species with vivid purple, pink, red, or orange flowers are common as well.  Opuntias can range in size from less than a foot to 15 feet tall.  Their fruit is edible, but care must be taken to remove the spines before eating it.  Young stems, called pads or nopales, are also edible and are an important part of Mexican cuisine.

Members of the genus Ferocactus are large, deeply ribbed, barrel-shaped cacti.  Their “fishhook” spines often form an almost impenetrable armored web around the plant body.  Their flowers can be pink, yellow, red, or purple, depending on the species.  Ferocactus plants can range in size from less than a foot to over 12 feet tall, but most species are between one and four feet tall.  Although these barrel cacti do contain water, it is not considered potable and is likely to cause diarrhea if it is ingested.

Echinocereus is commonly known as the hedgehog cactus.  It is a relatively small, columnar cactus, with species seldom growing more than a foot tall.  Although these plants are small, various species often produce masses of purple, red, pink or yellow flowers.  Echinocereus spines can be tinged with pink, producing interesting color patterns on their stems.

Escobaria, commonly called pincushion cactus or foxtail cactus, is different from most other cacti in that it lacks ribs.  Instead, Escobaria cacti have lobed protrusions called tubercles.  Species in this genus are generally no more than six inches tall and can be columnar or globe-shaped.  They can be solitary or grow in clusters and their flowers vary from yellow to pink, red and purple.  Several Escobarias are extremely cold-hardy; this widespread genus is found from Mexico to Canada. 

Coryphantha cacti, commonly known as beehive cacti, are very similar to Escobaria.  To the layperson, they may look the same, but botanists have placed them in different genera because of significant differences in their seed coats.  The Coryphantha genus is not as widespread as Escobaria and most species are uncommon.

Many Mammillaria cacti are cold-sensitive, especially those native to regions south of the U.S. border.  Due to their covering of dense, fuzzy white spines, some members of the genus Mammillaria are often referred to as “old man” cacti.  Common names for other species of Mammillaria are pincushion cactus, globe cactus, fishhook cactus, or nipple cactus.  Most members of this genus are ground-hugging, but some can grow to one or two feet tall.  A few hardy landscape Mammillarias that can survive in our area include M. geminispina, M. backbergia, M. hahniana ‘Superba', M. mystax, M. supertexta and M. matudae.

Members of the genus Cereus are large, columnar, night-blooming cacti, but cereus is also used as the common name for several other night-blooming genera of cacti.  Many members of the genus Cereus are frost-sensitive, but one Peruvian species, Cereus peruvianus, is hardy to 18° F!  C. peruvianus, the Peruvian apple cactus, commonly grows to eight feet tall, but can reach heights upwards of 20 feet, making it an impressive focal point for a cactus garden.  The flowers of the Peruvian apple cactus are large and white and last just one night; the petals wither in the morning sun.  Its pollinator is a moth and if pollination is successful a large, red, spine-free fruit will develop.  As its name implies, this fruit is edible.  The flesh of the Peruvian apple cactus is crunchy and has been described as refreshingly juicy with a subtly tart sugarcane taste.

With so many options to choose from, surely there is at least one cactus that will shine in your garden!

UC Master Gardeners of Butte County are part of the University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) system.  To learn more about us and our upcoming events, and for help with gardening in our area visit our website.  If you have a gardening question or problem, email the Hotline at mgbutte@ucanr.edu or leave a phone message on our Hotline at 530-552-5812. To speak to a Master Gardener about a gardening issue, or to drop by the MG office during Hotline hours, see the most current information on our Ask Us section of our website.

While it's certainly possible to start California native perennials, shrubs and trees from seed, most people buy plants that are growing in pots to transplant to the yard.

By far the best time for planting natives is October through late winter. The weather is cool and nature helps with irrigation. The roots have time to grow before the weather turns hot again.  If the soil is very soggy, let it dry out a little before planting. Spring can also be an acceptable time for planting although you'll need to pay close attention to the plant's water needs. It is possible to plant during the summer, but expect many plants to be lost to the heat. The roots will be unable to satisfy the plant's water needs.

Most natives are adapted to well-drained soils with little nitrogen. In fact, some natives cannot tolerate nitrogen-rich soils. Generally, no amendments are necessary except to improve drainage. If your soil is very heavy, choose natives that are adapted to clay soils or dig in some ordinary topsoil to form mounded areas that will drain better. Otherwise, no organic materials or fertilizers are necessary. Organic amendments like compost may be necessary if you are planting in a new development where the topsoil has been removed by grading.

Unfortunately, native plants are just as susceptible as non-native ornamentals to damage from pocket gophers. If you have gophers in your yard, consider planting in wire baskets that protect the roots until your plant is established.

Dig a planting hole that's twice the diameter and the same depth as the pot. Carefully remove the plant from the pot, keeping the root ball intact. Many natives have delicate roots. Avoid disturbing them except to straighten out encircling roots. Gently tease out any matted root fibers on the bottom and sides of the plant. Add water to the hole and let it drain. Set the plant in the hole to check for depth, and add or remove soil as necessary. Set the plant back in the hole and fill with native soil, carefully pressing the soil with your hands to remove air pockets. Add more water when the hole is about half filled and then add more soil to the top. Firm the top with your hands. Make sure the crown of the plant is about one-quarter of an inch above the ground and that the ground slopes slightly away from the plant. Rain should drain away from the plant and not collect around the crown, because if water pooling around the crown may cause the plant to rot. Water the plant thoroughly, making sure the root ball is moist.

Mulching the planted area will help retain moisture and suppress weeds. Add 2-3 inches of mulch, keeping it 6 inches away from the base of the plant. If you're using organic mulch, it will need to be renewed as it breaks down.

Paying careful attention to the planting process will give your native plants a good start.

If there's a local gardener on your gift list this holiday season, why not give them a Butte County Garden Guide and Three-Year Journal?  Compiled and edited by the UC-trained Master Gardeners of Butte County, this county-specific book contains tips for every home gardener. All proceeds from the guide go to the Demonstration Garden at Patrick Ranch and other Master Gardener community outreach projects in Butte County. The Garden Guide is available in Chico at Magnolia Gift and Garden, The Plant Barn, and the Master Gardener booth at the Saturday Farmers Market. It can also be ordered online here.

UC Master Gardeners of Butte County are part of the University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) system.  To learn more about us and our upcoming events, and for help with gardening in our area visit our website.  If you have a gardening question or problem, email the Hotline at mgbutte@ucanr.edu or leave a phone message on our Hotline at 530-552-5812. To speak to a Master Gardener about a gardening issue, or to drop by the MG office during Hotline hours, see the most current information on our Ask Us section of our website.

The summer of 2024 was California's hottest on record. Did you struggle to keep your plants adequately watered? Did your water bills skyrocket? Did some plants die even with increased irrigation? Are you questioning your plant choices? Now is the time to add California native plants to your garden in order to increase climate resilience.

Native plants have clear advantages over most non-natives. They are already adapted to our climate, soils, and insect pests. You'll save money by reducing your use of water, fertilizers and pesticides. Many natives need little pruning or other maintenance once they're established, so you'll be able to spend more time enjoying your garden, and less time working in it. Natives support local ecology by providing habitat for birds and other native pollinators. From an aesthetic viewpoint, a native garden has a strong sense of place and connects you to the natural landscape.

Not every native plant species is a good candidate for your own yard. You'll need to do some research to find the right plant for the right place. First, analyze the planting site. How cold does it get in winter? How sunny is it? What kind of soil do you have? Is there good drainage? How big is the space? What size should the plant be at maturity? What kind of irrigation is available? Think about the site and the ideal characteristics the plant should have.

The next step is to find natives that match your site. There are more than 5000 plants native to California, about 2000 of which are used in landscaping.  Here are some ideas to reduce choices to a manageable quantity. First, start local. Some of your neighbors may grow natives; ask about their successes. Visit some public native gardens, like those at the UC Master Gardeners Demonstration Garden at Patrick Ranch; the gardens at the Gateway Science Museum on the Esplanade; and the Alice B. Hecker Native Plant Garden at Chico Creek Nature Center in Bidwell Park.

Floral Native Nursery in Chico and Bosque Native Nursery in Oroville carry natives exclusively. Harvests and Habitats Nursery in Chico behind the 1078 Art Gallery at 1710 Park Avenue carries edibles and natives. Magnolia Gift and Garden, the Plant Barn, and Little Red Hen are general purpose nurseries that also carry some natives. The staff at all of these nurseries is knowledgeable and can suggest plants that will flourish in your yard.

An online search will yield numerous informative websites about gardening with natives. One especially useful website is Calscape, presented by the California Native Plant Society. Calscape has two sections. The first is a database including photos, cultural requirements, and other landscape information for over 2000 native plants. Here you can even search for plants native to a particular location; this can be an area as large as Butte County, or as small as your street address. This is an excellent way to find plants that are likely to thrive in your own yard. The second section of Calscape has information about garden design, including a design tool which can produce a design to match your specific needs.

Growing California natives is a sustainable landscape practice that also results in a beautiful garden.

UC Master Gardeners of Butte County are part of the University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) system.  To learn more about us and our upcoming events, and for help with gardening in our area visit our website.  If you have a gardening question or problem, email the Hotline at mgbutte@ucanr.edu or leave a phone message on our Hotline at 530-552-5812. To speak to a Master Gardener about a gardening issue, or to drop by the MG office during Hotline hours, see the most current information on our Ask Us section of our website.