This Must-See Spring Garden Event Always Sells Out—Here’s How to Get Tickets

If there’s one thing we can count on, it’s being completely inspired by the landscape design showcased during Theodore Payne’s annual native garden tour, Celebrating their 20th year of opening up public and private gardens around the Los Angeles area to the public, the Theodore Payne Foundation gets people outdoors to view these living works of art and experience the vibration of color, scent, sound, and movement that only native plants have to offer.

Courtesy of The Theodore Payne Foundation

Happening April 15 and 16, this year’s theme, “Spring of Life,” includes a mix of private gardens, school gardens, and public spaces that showcase the breadth of what a low-water, high-habitat-value approach to urban landscapes and resilient gardening can look like in Southern California. Executive Director Evan Meyer explains, “The spring season has long been associated with rebirth, but in the case of this year’s tour title, we thought of a literal spring. A bubbling up of habitat and the life that depends on it in our region. That spring will flow more freely if we turn down the spigots, remove lawns, reject gravel-scrapes and artificial turf, and plant native plants.”

Courtesy of The Theodore Payne Foundation

From the look of the upcoming program, The Theodore Payne Foundation has once again put together an outstanding tour with gardens ranging from curated collections to magnificent wildlife-filled habitats. There are landscapes displaying a wide breadth of ecosystems (think sun, shade, riparian, aquatic, and even cliffside), new ways to repurpose materials within your design, even small spaces and side yard conversions filled with endless possibilities. If you’ve been stuck on where to start or how to expand upon your native garden, these 37 spaces will have you ready to create a sustainable sanctuary of your own.

Alex Hall

Tickets to this two-day event are available online as well as at a select few local native nurseries listed on their website—but keep in mind, they sell out quickly, so make sure to get yours ASAP. For those of you who can’t visit in person, stay tuned as we’ll be sharing our favorite garden details on Instagram after the event.

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