Lia's Garden at CommonWealth

11/22/2024

Another good reason to leave the leaves!

11/22/2024

Gotta love fall blooms for their late-season nectar source AND beautiful pop of color. 😍 Blue Mistflower is a beneficial native plant, blooming through late summer and fall. This beautiful perennial likes sun or partial shade and can grow up to 3’ tall.

You can check out more recommended plants for your region in our “What to Plant” guide on our website: okiesformonarchs.org/what-to-plant-where-to-buy/

11/22/2024

Interested in gardening? Need A Free Space to do it?
Gardening plots are available at the Oklahoma County OSU Extension Center Community Garden for the 2025 year. Located behind the OK County Health Dept, Northeast Regional Health and Wellness Center, 2600 NE 63rd, OKC, in the southeast corner. Rental form is open, just scan the QR code or use the link https://forms.office.com/r/gsNCsj5H1p?origin=lprLink Limited space available.

Questions? Please contact:
Sophia Darrow, Community Garden Coordinator, Oklahoma County OSU Extension Center (405)713-1883

11/22/2024

Collect seeds now for next year's blooms! 🌼 Between our first freeze taking its time to arrive and the much-needed rainfall, seed production among many native plants continues on. Save seeds for next season, or gift to others!

You can learn more about harvesting and saving seeds with the Myriad Botanical Gardens this Saturday, November 23. You'll learn everything you need to know to have a successful seed harvest from your garden and take a walk through the Gardens grounds to harvest seeds! Guests will learn about seed collection and how to properly store them for future seasons. Visit the "Upcoming Events" link in our bio to learn more and register!

11/22/2024

With the colder temperatures on their way, remember that lots of our pollinator pals are looking to stay snug as well! Leaf litter, twigs, and brush are essential for overwintering habitat. Creating a “bug snug” is a great way to create habitat, like this cute example from our friends at Native Plants!

The benefits of a bug snug are numerous, and last well beyond the winter months. As temperatures drop and food sources become more scarce, some insects – like Fritillaries and Luna moths –slow down and shelter in place. Providing space and for this much-needed rest The birds, too, reap the benefits by feeding on insects and their larvae, and the collection of materials for their nests.

These are simple to assemble, and just take three posts, organic matter, and string or twine to hold it together.

Stay warm, and help our pollinator pals do so as well! 💧❄️

10/10/2024

10/10/2024

October 10th, will be my final day to be open for the year.
I'll also be open for a couple more weeks by appointment. I have an excellent selection of native perennials, as well as cover crop seed mix, strawberry plugs, and fall veggie seedlings. It's still prime time for planting.

10/10/2024

I keep forgetting to say that I have cover crop seed available to plant NOW!

Cover crops are a simple, inexpensive and highly effective way to improve the quality of your soil. By planting cover crops, you can increase soil fertility and tilth, prevent soil erosion, suppress weeds and attract pollinating insects. All that, for a few pennies per square foot!

Broadcast seed in October on prepared soil. Lightly cover or rake in, and water well. Seeds will germinate and grow in the fall, and continue to grow more slowly thru the winter. In the spring, before planting vegetable crops, the cover crops can be turned into the soil, or removed and composted or used as mulch.

Our 3 seed mix contains Austrian winter peas, winter rye, and crimson clover. The 5 seed mix also includes mustard greens for its soil-cleansing properties and daikon radish for loosening heavy clay soil. I have seen our heavy clay soil transformed into loose, loamy soil simply by planting and incorporating cover crops every fall over a period of several years - it's made me a true believer!

Small packet for $3, covers 100 sq. ft
Large packet for $6, covers 500 sq. ft.

Give back to your soil, and your soil will give back to you!

10/03/2024

Final Sale Days
This Saturday, October 5th, and Thursday, October 10th, will be my final days to be open for the year.

I'll be open for the following couple weeks by appointment. I have an excellent selection of native perennials, as well as a variety of fall veggie seedlings, and it's still perfect weather for planting.

My heartfelt thanks to every one of you for filling your yards with native plants and for cherishing the living, breathing web of life. And a special thanks for giving me the chance to do what I love most and grow these plants for you.

10/03/2024

I have strawberry plugs available this week, ready to plant immediately. Fall-planted strawberries will produce this spring, whereas spring-planted strawberries won't produce until the following year. Strawberry plants generally overwinter well in our climate, if given some protection (row cover or straw mulch) during cold weather.

I have several kinds! Ruby June and Camino Real varieties available, limited quantity, $2 per plug or 2 plugs for $3. I also have Wild Strawberry (Fragaria virginiana) plants for sale. Not to be confused with the cultivated varieties above!!

10/03/2024

It was a great day! Thank you all! It was so good to see everyone!

09/26/2024

If you're seeing them, don't forget to report it to Journeynorth.org Journey North

Migratory monarchs are making their way toward overwintering grounds in Mexico. Have you seen any on the move?

📷 Mike Budd/USFWS

09/26/2024

09/26/2024

Raffle tickets are $2 each or $20 for an arms length.
3 winners will be drawn at 1:00 PM inside the education building where the speaker presentations are being held.

Raffle items in the three baskets include:
-A $65 plant gift certificate from Midwest Propagation Nursery
-1 plant from Wild Roots
-$40 Gift Certificate from Prairie Flora Co
-Books from Wild Things Nursery: ‘Lifecycles of Butterflies’ and ‘Nature's Best Hope’,
-Certificate for Atlas gardening gloves
-$20 Gift certificate from Prairie Wind
-Book 'Oklahoma Native Plants' from CLS and Associates
-350 SF Seed mix from Yard by Yard
-$35 Gift certificate from Native Plants Nursery
-5-Plants from Lia’s Garden at Commonwealth Urban Farms
-Handmade glass/sterling earrings made by Susan Chambers of Rose Rock Landscaping
-1-Hori hori, 1-weed popper, and dried bouquet from Lauren at Oklahoma Wildscapes
-11x14 canvas prints from Jana at New Beginnings Landscaping

You can purchase your raffle tickets at the festival on September 28th from 9 AM until 1 PM. We will draw the raffle winners at 1:00 at the conclusion of the book signing by Connie Scothorn and Brian Patric of their second addition of Oklahoma Native Plants for People and Pollinators. MUST BE PRESENT TO WIN. Drawing will be held inside the education building.

Proceeds from the raffle and other ONPN merchandise sales helps fund more ONPN events like the fall festival, growers workshops and additional education events throughout the year. We appreciate your support!

09/26/2024

Oklahoma Native Plant Network
𝗙𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗙𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗮𝗹
𝗦𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝗦𝗲𝗽𝘁. 𝟮𝟴𝘁𝗵
𝟵 𝗮𝗺 𝘁𝗼 𝟰 𝗽𝗺
𝗢𝗸𝗹𝗮𝗵𝗼𝗺𝗮 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝘆 𝗢𝗦𝗨 𝗘𝘅𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗖𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿
𝟮𝟱𝟬𝟬 𝗡𝗘 𝟲𝟯𝗿𝗱, 𝗢𝗞𝗖 𝗢𝗞 𝟳𝟯𝟭𝟭𝟭

(Note: enter NE 63rd Street from the west, or from Martin Luther King Avenue. Road construction is blocking access from I-35.)

This is one of my favorite events of the entire year! TONS of native plant vendors, multiple speakers, non-profit booths & food vendors; it's a full day celebrating plants that are indigenous to Oklahoma, the benefits they provide to all living creatures, and how we can create spaces that better support wildlife.

𝙉𝙚𝙬 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙮𝙚𝙖𝙧: 𝙖 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙙 "𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙘𝙤𝙧𝙧𝙖𝙡" 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙠 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙨 𝙬𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙣 𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙧𝙨, 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙥𝙪𝙡𝙡 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙘𝙖𝙧 𝙪𝙥 𝙗𝙚𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙡𝙤𝙖𝙙 𝙪𝙥.

I'll have a booth piled high with native perennials :) My seedling sale here at CommonWealth will be staffed by my knowledgeable friend, Keri, so if you can't make it to the festival, you are still welcome to swing by here.

09/25/2024

09/25/2024

Check these events out!

Welcome to fall, ya'll! 🦋 Let's get out and enjoy this beautiful weather this weekend at one of the many pollinator & plant events going on in our great state! See you there!

🌼 Sept 27-29 - Rose Festival in Broken Arrow
🌺 Sept 28 - Monarch Festival at Mollie Spencer Farm in Yukon
🌼 Sept 28 - Oklahoma Native Plant Network Fall Plant Festival at OSU Extension Center in OKC
🌺 Sept 28 - Guided Gardens Tour Myriad Botanical Gardens in OKC
🌼 Sept 28 - Become a Pollinator Hero + Monarch Tagging at the MAC at Mitch Park in Edmond