The 2018 Theodore Payne Native Plant Garden Tour
Welcome to the 15th Annual Theodore Payne Native Plant Garden Tour:
A two-day self-guided journey through 45 of the region’s most beautiful and inspiring private and public landscapes.
The Tour has been the largest annual outreach event of the Theodore Payne Foundation since 2003. We have cultivated a tradition, in partnership with passionate native plant gardeners throughout LA County, of setting the standard for a new Southern California landscape. The Garden Tour has proven that native gardens are beautiful and can be designed for any budget, and that each of us plays a critical role in supporting biodiversity. These exemplary landscapes show us a vision for the future of Southern California: a future teeming with life.
Over these 15 years, more than 17,000 people have taken the Garden Tour, and 555 gardens have participated (including perennial favorites!). This year, the Tour features 45 gardens, with 19 gardens new to the Tour.
About the Garden Tour
The gardens on this tour contain at least 50% native plants. Each garden is a labor of love, a place created in harmony with Southern California’s climate, soil, natural vegetation, and native wildlife. Explore this website for plant lists and photos of each garden, as well as more information about the Tour and its sponsors.
The gardens are divided into two groups: one open Saturday and the other open Sunday. At each location, the native plants are labelled, and you’ll meet garden owners, designers, and docents who can tell you about the site’s unique challenges and characteristics.
We are grateful for the community of people that make this event possible. A very special thank you to the garden hosts for opening their wonderful gardens to the public, and to our volunteer docents for sharing their knowledge and enthusiasm with visitors. We are immensely grateful for the support of our sponsors—including the local agencies, organizations, and businesses represented on the pages of this guide.
Garden Tour Etiquette
Wear your daily sticker to gain entry to each garden.
Stay on marked walkways and paths; respect property and gardens.
Photos are for personal use only; any photos used for web or media must be credited to the 2018 Theodore Payne Native Plant Garden Tour.
Do not damage plants, collect seed, or take cuttings.
No smoking.
Children are welcome. Children under 16 do not require a ticket. They must be supervised at all times.
Visit only on open days and during tour hours. Please be mindful that only gardens listed in this guide are open to the public.
When parking, please be sensitive to garden neighbors.
Garden Tour on Social Media
Include and search these hashtags:
#theodorepayne
#nativeplantgardentour
No Pet Policy
We love your furry friends, but please leave all pets at home. Pets are not permitted on the Garden Tour. Please respect the generosity of our participating homeowners by honoring this guideline.
How to Attend
All tour tickets cover both days of the tour. Purchase tickets here.
Sponsor the Garden Tour
Sponsorships from local agencies, businesses, and organizations make this annual outreach event possible. If you are interested in tour sponsorship, contact Tour Coordinator, Margaret Oakley Otto, [email protected], (310) 717-7380.
Photography Policy
Photos are for personal use only; any photos used for web or media must be credited to the 2018 Theodore Payne Native Plant Garden Tour.
Become a Docent
Docents help the Garden Tour play a vital role in the success of the tour. They are ambassadors on behalf of the Theodore Payne Foundation, and provide an interpretive element for garden visitors. Docents welcome tour attendees, validate tickets, and talk about the beauty, practicality and environmental benefits of gardening with California natives.
Attendance of one docent training and some knowledge of native plants are required. Docents are welcome to visit the gardens on the other day for free, receive a free garden tour t-shirt (a collector’s item!) and are invited to the garden host and docent thank-you party after the tour.
To become a Theodore Payne Native Plant Garden Tour Docent, or for more details, contact Andrew Chaves at [email protected]. Thank you!
Apply to have your garden on the tour
Is your garden planted at least 50% California native and in Los Angeles County? Apply to be on the 2019 Theodore Payne Native Plant Garden Tour.
© Gene Bauer
About the Theodore Payne Foundation For Wild Flowers & Native Plants
Theodore Payne Foundation for Wild Flowers & Native Plants, a non-profit organization established in 1960, rewilds Southern California by bringing native plants back into our cities, creating habitat that supports local ecosystems, and helping people embrace our shared natural heritage. Our 22-acre Sun Valley site is home to an education center, retail nursery, demonstration gardens, hiking trail, and bookstore. Admission is free and we are open to the public year round. Learn more at theodorepayne.org.
Design Your Own Native Garden
Inspired by the tour?
Attend Theodore Payne Foundation’s Three-Part Native Garden Design Course, taught by professional landscape designers, many of whom are featured on the tour. Classes are offered year round. Learn more and sign up here..
Contact the Tour Coordinator
If you have feedback about the tour, or are interested in becoming a sponsor, please contact Margaret Oakley Otto, the Tour Coordinator at: [email protected]. We would love to hear from you!
Contact the Web Developer
If you have feedback, suggestions, or experience issues using this website, please email, Philip Oakley Otto at [email protected]. He would love to hear from you!
Gardens featured on previous tours
To see gardens featured on the 2013 garden tour please visit the 2013 Garden Tour site.
To see gardens featured on the 2014 garden tour please visit the 2014 Garden Tour site.
To see gardens featured on the 2015 garden tour please visit the 2015 Garden Tour site.
To see gardens featured on the 2016 garden tour please visit the 2016 Garden Tour site.
To see gardens featured on the 2017 garden tour please visit the 2017 Garden Tour site.