Beverly Hills ‘Goes Native' At Fundraiser; Afternoon Party Supports Efforts of the Theodore Payne Foundation to Educate the Public About the Benefits of California Native Plants

June 1, 2004 -- If you had told Susan Gottlieb more than 10 years ago that today she would be a California native plant enthusiast, she might have scratched her head. Or if you had told her she would raising funds for a non-profit organization that promotes California native plants, she would have given you a double take.
   
But on Sunday, June 13, Gottlieb and her husband, Dan, will host "An Afternoon Among The Natives: Matilija Magic," an annual fundraising event benefiting the Theodore Payne Foundation for Wild Flowers and Native Plants at their home in Beverly Hills. The afternoon party is set in the Gottlieb's garden, which was featured recently on Huell Howser's "California Green" on KCET and is also featured on the website www.bewaterwise.com.
   
Gottlieb found the Theodore Payne Nursery ten years ago when she was searching for plants to create a drought tolerant landscape which would attract birds. Today, the garden is a haven for hummingbirds and a stopping-off spot to a vagabond bobcat. Crediting nursery staff for their advice in transitioning her garden to California native plants, she has become one of the organization's strongest supporters.
   
The fundraiser also celebrates the life and work of Theodore Payne, whose birthday is June 19. Payne, a horticulturalist, came to California in 1893 and fell in love with the native landscape. He dedicated the rest of his life to promoting native plants and preserving California's rich heritage. In 1903, he opened a nursery and seed business on South Broadway in downtown Los Angeles and later moved it to Los Feliz Boulevard.
   
Public gardens throughout Southern California have benefited from his planning and input, including Exposition Park, Descanso Gardens, CalTech and the Blaksley Botanic Garden in Santa Barbara, among others.
   
Three years prior to his passing in 1963, friends and supporters established a foundation in his name to carry on his passion for native plants. Today, the foundation operates the Theodore Payne Nursery, selling more than 400 plant species to the general public, as well as offering educational programs.
   
The fundraiser features a silent auction that includes a garden box for six at a Hollywood Bowl jazz performance by Dave Brubeck, McCoyTyner and Ramsey Lewis; original, framed, botanical illustrations from several of Los Angeles's most successful illustrators, and a guided tour of the Los Angeles River for four including lunch at Netties in Silver Lake.
   
The party offers an elegant buffet dinner, libations and hosted valet parking. Every guest will receive one of several native sages grown by the Theodore Payne Nursery. Tickets are $65 per person. For more information, call (818) 768-1802.
   
For more than 40 years, the Theodore Payne Foundation for Wild Flowers and Native Plants, Inc. (www.theodorepayne.org) has dedicated itself to preserving and restoring California's native landscape. The foundation operates the Theodore Payne Nursery in Sun Valley, which propagates and sells native plants to the general public. In addition to the nursery, the foundation conducts classes, collects and preserves seeds of native plants and wild flowers, and hosts an annual native plant garden tour. The foundation honors the legacy of Theodore Payne, who opened his first nursery in 1903 in Los Angeles to sell California native plants and seeds.





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