Native Plant Learning Garden

Get Inspired to Bring Nature Back to Your Neighborhood

 

 

Photo credit: Silke Gathmann

Starting in 2021, the CNPS San Diego Native Garden Committee set out to create a Native Plant Learning Garden in Bird Park, an area in Balboa Park, one of North America’s most iconic urban parks just minutes from downtown San Diego.

This visionary project was made possible through the collaboration of many: The CNPS San Diego’s Native Gardening Committee team, the Forever Balboa Park Adopt-A-Plot program and Balboa Parks & Recreation.

The project is being implemented in three phases, with two already completed through hands-on educational workshops. During these workshops, enthusiastic participants worked together to build dry streambeds and pathways, position sitting boulders, and plant hundreds of native species, transforming the space into a vibrant learning environment.

The Bird Park Learning Garden is a community space and will be designed to inspire and educate people of all ages about California native plants. Through engaging signage, teaching guides, hands-on workshops, and volunteer workdays, visitors learn how native gardens support wildlife, conserve water, and create a healthier environment. By connecting schools, neighbors, and nature, the garden fosters a deeper understanding of our role in sustaining local ecosystems.

Phase 3 Rewild Bird Park

With five plots remaining, we are partnering with local organizations to raise the funds needed to bring Bird Park fully back to life – restoring vibrant native habitat where pollinators, birds, and our community can thrive together.

 

Dante: “It’s awesome! Look at all the insects! I can’t believe this is the same place I used to learn to ride my bike as a kid.”

 

Chris: “So nice to see native habitat introduced to the park and follow the progress.”

Chris & son Dante

Learning Garden Impressions

The Garden is Open to the Public - Come See for Yourself!

Find directions to our Native Plant Learning Garden at Bird Park here.

If you want to help maintain our Learning Garden, sign up below.

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How Our Native Plant Learning Garden Came to Life - A Visual Story.

Phase 1

Step 1:

We found a perfectly suited plot in Bird Park

Step 2:

We worked hard to get rid of all the weeds

Step 3:

We came up with a beautiful design

Step 4:

We invited a lot of people to help and learn

Step 5:

We built a dry stream bed in just one day

Step 6:

We added pathways and sitting stones

Step 7:

We planted hundreds of native plants – trees, shrubs and perennials

Step 8:

We added a layer of gorilla hair and decomposed granite mulch

Step 9:

We kept weeding and watering until we could enjoy a garden …

… that is teeming with life at its fullest!

Phase 2: Expanding the Learning Garden

In September 2024, we completed Plots 5 and 6 in a one-day workshop. Click on the photo slider to see our native plant enthusiasts in action and the impressive results they achieved.