In the foothills near the Cleveland National Forest is a cluster of landscapes in transition from sterile, non-native environments (including some of our region’s most invasive plants) to gardens filled with healthy native plants providing both beauty and habitat. This 12-acre site is owned by a non-profit, The Teen Project, that shelters women who were subject to human trafficking and homelessness.

The site was first viewed by Elizabeth Wallace and her team in January 2019, when the Teen Project folks were busy getting the homes repaired and ready for residents to move in. They were considering using artificial turf to solve some of their landscape problems. Wallace stepped in with a couple of partners to offer an alternative: Plant a natural landscape using local native plants instead. The natural landscape would be healing for the land and for the future residents.

Since starting the project almost three years ago, Wallace and her volunteer gardening team have rehabilitated much of the landscape of the five-home cul de sac in Trabuco Canyon. Join us to see the amazing progress on this worthwhile project on the edge of Orange County wildlands, transforming a weed infested eyesore into a functional and beautiful landscape that is inviting to birds, bees, and butterflies.