In a valley shaped by open space and quiet trails, Home Ground Habitats exists to show what happens when people choose to live in partnership with the land. Our gardens hum with life—wings, petals, seeds, and stories—reminding us that restoration can begin in the smallest, most personal places.
We nurture this sanctuary so others can learn to create their own. Through hands-on teaching, pesticide-free gardens, and the simple act of growing together, we help rebuild the threads of biodiversity and inspire a deeper, more reciprocal relationship with the natural world.
Discover Habitat GardenWhen we garden with nature, the garden begins to teach us—about patience, balance, and the quiet intelligence woven through every living thing.
— Alan Good, Facilities Manager
When we learn in the company of plants, something quiet and beautiful happens—knowledge begins to grow from the inside out, and tiny seeds and simple cuttings become the beginnings of a living habitat. In these hands-on classes, you’ll work gently with “mother plants,” soil, and seed, discovering how to read the seasons, sense the right moment, and follow the subtle guidance of nature, because at the heart of our philosophy is this: when we garden with nature, the garden becomes our teacher, and every new plant is both a gift to the land and a promise to the wild creatures who share it.
Start Learning with UsFrom winter blooms that feed early pollinators to late-summer seeds that nourish birds and wildlife, California’s native plants follow a beautiful seasonal rhythm. Discover the rhythm of what thrives when.
See Plants of the SeasonBy Charlotte Torgovitsky. Why Verbenas Deserve the Spotlight Verbenas are hardy fall-blooming perennials; either small shrubs or spreading groundcovers of varying heights. The verbenas mingle well in mixed borders, and they bloom almost any time…
By Charlotte Torgovitsky. In California we have both annuals like Delta Sunflowers, Helianthus annuus, and Giant Sunflowers, Helianthus californicus, which is an herbaceous perennial that dies back to a large taproot in the fall. Before…
By Charlotte Torgovitsky. This beautiful little California native “sub-shrub” is a wonderful pollinator plant that comes into its full glory early in summer. A member of the mint family, Coyote Mint (Monardella villosa) supports local…
