October 24 | 10AM

Location: Environmental Nature Center– Newport Beach

Instructors: Mike Evans

Register Here

Container gardening is not a compromise — it is an opportunity for intimacy, precision, and experimentation.

In this practical and observational workshop, Mike Evans explores how native plants function in contained environments and how soil structure, drainage, root systems, watering rhythms, and plant selection interact in smaller-scale spaces. Participants will learn how containers can serve as focal points within larger landscapes, or ecological moments in patios, courtyards, balconies, and entry gardens.

Whether you are tending a small patio or refining details within a larger property, container plantings offer a way to observe plants more closely and deepen your understanding of how they truly live. This class reframes containers not as decorative afterthoughts, but as living systems — dynamic, instructive, and surprisingly powerful.

This workshop is presented in partnership by the Environmental Nature Center (ENC) and the California Native Horticulture Foundation (CNHF), reflecting a shared commitment to advancing place-based ecological education in Orange County.

About the Instructor:
Mike Evans is President of the California Native Horticulture Foundation and founder of Tree of Life Nursery in San Juan Capistrano, which for over 45 years has been one of the largest native plant nurseries in California. A nurseryman, horticulturist, educator, and speaker, Mike has helped shape the practice of native plant gardening throughout the state.

Note: Parking will be challenging on this day, so if the ENC parking lot is full, please feel free to park in the neighboring high school lot or along the street.