THE CALIFORNIA WILD GARDEN 



IN EXPOSITION PARK 



ITS HISTORY AND OBJECTS 



By Theodore Payne 



ESCHSCHOLTZIA CALIFORNICA 

 "California Poppy" 



Coming to California in 1893, having previously spent five years 

 in the horticultural profession in Englan,d what impressed me perhaps 

 more than anything else was the wonderful native flora of this state. 

 But as the years went by it was with deep regret that I saw the wild 

 flowers so rapidly disappearing from the landscape. I made up my 

 mind then that if I were ever able to embark in business on my own 

 account, I would try and do something to awaken a greater interest 

 in our native plants and endeavor to persuade people to use them 

 more frequently in planting gardens, parks and public grounds; and 

 also, to conserve those growing in the wild state wherever possible. 

 Thus it was that I came to specialize in the growing of California 

 wild flowers and native plants. 



For years I had dreamed of planting a California wild garden; a 

 garden in which there should be nothing but plants native to Cali- 

 fornia; a garden planted after nature's own fashion. In the fall of 



55 



