Tidbits on Nature at Rancho La Puerto by Dorothy Hinshaw Patent (Guest Post)

African Aloe plants decorate the path to the dining hall at Rancho La Puerta

My friend Dorothy Patent is a fellow nonfiction writer for kids who has more than 130 published books and who spends as much time out-of-doors enjoying nature as possible.  You can find out more about her and her books at her website, dorothyhinshawpatent.com, and blog, dorothypatent.blogspot.com.  I think you will enjoy reading about her visit to Baja California.

 When we think of Baja California, we imagine gorgeous beaches stretching to the horizon with quaint villages and waterside resorts.  But there’s more to this westernmost Mexican state, as my husband, Greg, and I discovered four years ago when he received an irresistible invitation—a free week for us both at RanchoLa Puerta, a world-class spa retreat in the Mexican mountains not far from San Diego, in trade for Greg offering three cooking classes.  He enthusiastically accepted the offer, beginning a new annual experience for us both.

The deal was especially great for me, as Greg did all the work!  Rancho La Puerta just celebrated its 72^th anniversary and has evolved from a health oriented tenting camp into a environmentally conscious destination spa offering just about any kind of healthful activity you might want, from weight training and aerobics to yoga and Feldenkreis.  For folks like me, who love being outdoors and enjoy learning about the environment, the hikes, bird walks, and garden tours are especially enticing.

A male California quail announces his presence atop an ancient grape vine

Our most recent visit to the Rancho came this April, a good time for flowers, and I especially enjoyed the garden tour.  I found out that many of the plants at the Rancho are native, but some are brought in from other parts of the world, such as South Africa, that have a similar dry, sunny climate.

 I learned some fascinating facts, such as the varying life history of the native Mexican century plant, which is a kind of agave.  Several of these giants were beginning to bloom during our visit.  Turns out these plants are more likely to flower after ten years of growth rather than a hundred!  After blooming, the plant dies.  Century plants are exquisitely adapted to their environment.  For example, the soaring flower stalk either releases the seeds into the wind or holds onto them, where they germinate and grow into baby plants that later go to ground, depending on the weather.

Plants belonging to the aloe family, native to Africa, also tend to live in this type of landscape.  Some of them look a lot like agaves, but they belong to a different plant family.  People are familiar with the healing houseplant, Aloe vera, but there are about 400 other species as well.  One that thrives at the Rancho is the African Aloe, which creates waves of bright orange color under the April sun.

Cactus shares a niche with daffodils near one of the swimming pools

The mountain climate brings cool nights, so even more plants considered as more northerly can thrive here, right along with cactuses. Daffodils, roses, ice plant—all of these were blooming in April.

As a zoologist, I’m especially drawn to animals.  The built environment at Rancho La Puerta integrates completely into the surrounding natural environment, so wild creatures share the land with the people.  Fence lizards sun themselves on rocks used for landscaping, and Mexican ground squirrels rest atop patio walls.

The Mexican ground squirrel has a nice long tail

 I could have spent my entire week just watching the many native and migratory birds that spend time here in the spring.  Songbirds and hummingbirds abound.  California quail scuttle quickly across the paths from one clump of shrubs to another, and vultures roost in tall eucalyptus trees at night, then spread out their wings in the morning sun to warm them before flying off for the day.

During our Rancho visits, I’m most likely to be found roaming around with my camera and binoculars in the cool morning and trying out the various indoor classes during the heat of the day.  When he isn’t busy teaching, Greg joins me.  Wherever I am at the Rancho, I’m in a perfect environment--experiencing nature quite different from at my Montana home, or trying out new ways to nourish my body and spirit.

A fence lizard warms himself next to a crack he can zip into for safety

UC Botanical Garden, Berkeley: A Plant Lover's Paradise

Oak Knoll in the California Section

Research and Conservation
Nestled in the Berkeley hills, just above the Cal campus, more than 13,000 different species of plants on 34 acres grow in the University of California Botanical Garden, a scientific collection of plants from around the world and a wonderful place to spend the morning or afternoon.  I recently went there for the first time.  The garden is a living museum, created as a research garden but open to the public.

Old Rose Garden with view of Berkeley and San Francisco Bay

A network of paths takes you through the garden, which is arranged according to the plants’ geographic origin. These include Mediterranean, South America, Mexico/Central America, Eastern North America, Australasia, Asia, Southern Africa, New World Desert, and California. The garden’s website cautions visitors that it is virtually impossible to see everything on one visit.  It says that to see every plant in one two-hour visit, one would have to see one hundred different plants a minute!

Edible Plants
One of my favorites parts of the garden was the section on crops of the world.  In one corner was the “Three Sisters Garden” so-called by Native Americans referring to the interplanting of beans, corn, and squash.  The beans fix nitrogen in the soil, which feeds the corn so it will be tall and healthy.  The corn provides a structure for the beans to climb on.  The squash plants provide ground cover to keep the soil moist and free of weeds.  Recent studies have shown that this method produces higher yields than the typical planting of a single crop (monoculture).

Tomatillos in the World Crops Section

Changes With the Seasons
Every season has its highlights, making the garden a worthwhile visit at any time of year.  We visited the garden in August, when late summer flowers were blooming, while earlier blooming varieties were reaching maturity.  In the garden of old roses, bushes were lush with old-fashioned varieties.  It was a warm afternoon, but paths through shady groves and along ponds and streams provided welcome places to stop and rest.

Japanese Pool in the Asia Section

The garden is also a haven for wildlife.  As we meandered through the various zones, lizards skittered across the path, hummingbirds hovered over the flowers, and bees and butterflies were abundant. Throughout the garden, helpful signs identify plants, sometimes with additional information.  But, even if you don’t want to know the plants’ names, you can enjoy them for their natural beauty.  It’s better not to try to see one hundred plants a minute, but to enjoy a few at a time.  I plan to go back in several months and explore some new paths and see what is growing at a different time of year.

Directions:  The garden is located at 200 Centennial Drive, Berkeley, CA 94720 (midway between the UC Berkeley Memorial Stadium and the Lawrence Hall of Science.) Phone:  510-643-2755. For directions and more information, go to the garden's website. 
Tours: Docent tours of the garden are offered at 1:30 on Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays.

Smelling the Roses in the Old Rose Garden