Despite a forecast of rain for this Saturday, the skies cleared for the now biannual (not counting the COVID-19 pause of 2020) Master Gardener/Shasta Chapter CNPS plant giveaway community event for wildfire survivors. We (Margaret Widdowson, John Springer, MaryAnn McCrary, and Yours Truly) assisted wildfire victims through difficult times by commiserating about our varied experiences and educating about plants and gardening.
Listening to people’s trials and tribulations seemed to be therapeutic for them and a learning experience for us. Survivors described what plants were incinerated and what plants are slowly showing some signs of life. One family living in the hills above Igo remarked about the explosion of redbud seedlings. I smiled behind my mask at the thought of a forest of redbuds. Many of the families who survived the Zogg Fire, living in or near Igo or Ono, wanted tree replacements, whereas Carr Fire survivors tended to search for plants to screen out neighbors. A common theme from the past three years of plant giveaways is the lack of shade and summer irrigation—the perfect scenario for some of our toughest native plants.
I sensed that the families left with tremendous gratitude and positive feelings about rejuvenating their landscapes, although many holes will need digging, followed by thoughtful caring for the plants, especially in the first year or two. ~Doug Mandel
