Time to go native with these Soka University green events

Wildlife and gardening enthusiasts Trish and Chris Meyer will present a visual chronology through video and digital photography on how they transformed a one-third-acre hillside into a natural haven for more than 50 species of birds and butterflies by using native, low-maintenance plants in their landscape during a "Wildscaping with Native Plants" workshop from 7:30 to 9 p.m. Wed., Sept. 29 at Soka University, 26800 W. Mulholland Hwy., Calabasas. Admission is free with reservations; call (818) 878-3763.

The Meyers, who live in Sherman Oaks, will describe how their garden evolved through the process of self-education: visiting botanic gardens, attending classes, reading books, chatting with fellow native gardeners and trying different plants. They eventually establish a hillside garden filled with multifunctional plant life that attracts and supports local wildlife but is also aesthetically pleasing.

Soka University’s Botanical Research Center and Nursery will host its 10th anniversary Native Plant Sale from 9:30 to 11:45 a.m. Sat., Oct. 2 on the university’s campus. The plant sale will feature native bunch-grasses, flowering perennials, trees and shrubs. Additionally, annual wildflower seed packets will be available for purchase.

Proceeds from the sale of more than 70 species of Santa Monica Mountain natives will be used to update the center’s propagation facilities and supplies. The event is free and open to the public; rain does not cancel it. For more information, call the above number or e-mail nativegarden@soka.edu.

From 10 to 11:30 a.m. on Tues., Oct. 12, horticulturist Tom Hayduk will lead a free tour of the Botanical Research Center and Nursery. Participants will have a look at the plants indigenous to the chaparral, coastal sage scrub, oak woodland or grass meadows. In celebration of the center’s 10th year of operation, attendees may purchase plants from the nursery immediately after the tour. For reservations, call the above number.