Beautifying the Hawks' Sign!

This weekend was the fun part of the planter refresh process.

Thanks to our budding helpers, the planter was transformed in no time on this chilly Saturday. Nothing warms you up like digging in the dirt together!

Out with the leggy heather, in with some new native plants that will burst to life in the spring. We can't wait! (You might spot a few blooms showing off in our very own school colors!).

Native plants are great for our climate and wildlife.

They're low water, drought-tolerant (as they grow deep roots), support Pollinators and provide essential food and shelter for birds, insects, and small mammals.

Top Tip : Fall is the ideal season to plant. New roots love those winter rains, and if the California weather cooperates, we can keep planting right through the winter.

Here's the plant palette that used in case you'd like some inspiration. Check out CalScape for more information on any of these plants.

• Ceanothus ‘Concha’ (California wild lilac ‘Concha’)

• Lomandra longifolia ‘Breeze’ (Mat rush ‘Breeze’)

• Calamagrostis foliosa (Reed grass)

• Muhlenbergia rigens (Deer grass)

• Achillea millefolium ‘Moonshine’ (Yarrow ‘Moonshine’, yellow)

• Achillea millefolium ‘Sonoma Coast’ (Yarrow, 'Sonoma Coast', white)

• Salvia ‘Mrs. Beard’ (Mrs. Beard sage)

• Baccharis pilularis ‘Twin Peaks’ (Coyote brush)

• Oenothera elata subsp. hookeri (Hooker’s evening primrose) (Non-native, but colorful!)

• Lupinus arboreus (Yellow lupine)

• Lupinus chamissonis (Purple lupine)

Next up: installing irrigation and adding a cozy layer of mulch to tuck everything in.

A huge thank-you to our fantastic helpers along the way…

• Nash Zamzow

• Elliott Griffin

• Milo Jenkins

• Megan Sorrentino

• Amy Conger

• Kenton Wolfers

• Mae Freas

• Dana Swisher

• Cat Wolfers

• Helen Jenkins

and to West Marin Soil for the beautiful fine soil and vineyard mulch

And thank you to the PTO for funding this beautiful project to continue to make Neil Cummins such a wonderful place to be.