OUR SECRET SUPERBLOOM
Elysian Test Plot / May 25 2023
By Jenny Jones
Elysian volunteer, Terremoto partner
The Rainbow River is here, y'all! If you're anywhere near Elysian Park this week, run over to Marian Harlow Grove to see our own secret superbloom. This past January, at the first ever Test Plot, we improvised and manifested a spontaneous vision to plant a chaotic mix of wildflowers in the shape of a serpent. And the vision has finally taken form, snaking up and down the hillside. Clarkia is dominating but we're not mad about it, as she's hosting a tremendous amount of caterpillars, and putting on quite a show. This was definitely the year for Clarkia, but we also had many other flowers come up: Poppies, Owl's Clover, Tidy Tips, Baby Blue Eyes, Lupines, Chia, and Phacelia. And there are currently hundreds of caterpillars on the Clarkia, mostly all White-Lined Sphinx Moth, whose colors range dramatically from black, to green, to striped. The shape of the Rainbow River even looks a bit like a caterpillar! Check out our previous post called RAINBOW RIVER AT ELYSIAN to read more about the humble origins: a simple scythe, the sweet little seedlings, and some light hand weeding. This dream was all about timing and patience. The incredible rains plus the gentle hands of our devoted volunteers made it come true. Thank you to all who helped.
Drone pics by Nina Weithorn
On the ground pics by Rio Asch Phoenix
Elysian Test Plot / May 25 2023
By Jenny Jones
Elysian volunteer, Terremoto partner
The Rainbow River is here, y'all! If you're anywhere near Elysian Park this week, run over to Marian Harlow Grove to see our own secret superbloom. This past January, at the first ever Test Plot, we improvised and manifested a spontaneous vision to plant a chaotic mix of wildflowers in the shape of a serpent. And the vision has finally taken form, snaking up and down the hillside. Clarkia is dominating but we're not mad about it, as she's hosting a tremendous amount of caterpillars, and putting on quite a show. This was definitely the year for Clarkia, but we also had many other flowers come up: Poppies, Owl's Clover, Tidy Tips, Baby Blue Eyes, Lupines, Chia, and Phacelia. And there are currently hundreds of caterpillars on the Clarkia, mostly all White-Lined Sphinx Moth, whose colors range dramatically from black, to green, to striped. The shape of the Rainbow River even looks a bit like a caterpillar! Check out our previous post called RAINBOW RIVER AT ELYSIAN to read more about the humble origins: a simple scythe, the sweet little seedlings, and some light hand weeding. This dream was all about timing and patience. The incredible rains plus the gentle hands of our devoted volunteers made it come true. Thank you to all who helped.
Drone pics by Nina Weithorn
On the ground pics by Rio Asch Phoenix
Weather
With more than 28 inches of rainfall since July 2022, the 2022-2023 rain season (ending June 2023), is now L.A.'s 8th wettest season in 145 years.
Seed mixes from Theodore Payne Foundation:
Rainbow mix:
- Clarkia amoena (Farewell-to-Spring)
- Clarkia unguiculata (Elegant Clarkia)
- Eschscholzia californica (California Poppy)
- Eschscholzia californica var. maritima (Coastal Poppy)
- Gilia capitata (Globe Gilia)
- Lasthenia californica (Goldfields)
- Layia platyglossa (Tidy Tips)
- Lupinus succulentus (Arroyo Lupine)
- Phacelia campanularia (Desert Bluebells)
- Phacelia tanacetifolia (Lacy Phacelia)
Hummingbird mix:
- Castilleja exserta (Purple Owl's Clover)
- Clarkia unguiculata (Elegant Clarkia)
- Peritoma arborea (Bladderpod)
- Mimulus aurantiacus (Sticky Monkey Flower)
- Penstemon centranthifolius (Scarlet Bugler)
- Penstemon spectabilis (Showy Penstemon)
- Salvia columbariae (Chia)
-
Salvia mellifera (Black Sage)
RAINBOW RIVER
Elysian Test Plot / March 29 2023
By Jenny Jones, Dani Vonlehe, Dante Iniguez
Elysian volunteers
We eagerly await the growth and flowering of our seed mix that includes Phacelias, Clarkias, and Poppies. We call it the Rainbow River as we hope the curving path that we’ve scythed into the hillside will soon bloom into a winding curve of purples, pinks, oranges and blues. We’ve staked our river with wood triangles to indicate its path to those who will be carrying out future brush clearance. The unpredictability is somewhat tense, not knowing if the test would work when we began, and not knowing if it will be weed-whacked away after it’s bloomed. We enjoy the act of experimenting though.
Weather and what’s blooming
It has been a wet winter! As of March 25, we’ve received 26.32” of rain. A lot of cloudy days, sun appears in between rainstorms for a day or two. Mudslides elsewhere in park, but Test Plots have not been impacted. High winds.
New plants installed in Plot 4 are:
- Salvia mellifera
- Artemisia californica
- Heteromeles arbutifolia
- Penstemon spectabilis
- Rhus integrifolia
- Eriogonum fasciculatum
- Salvia apiana
- Quercus agrifolia
- Ceanothus ‘frosty blue’
- Isocoma menziesii
- Baccharis pilularis
- Epilobium canum
- Yucca whipplei
What have you been working on?
Plot 4: The big move this season has been dismantling the circular fence shape around the very first plot that Test Plot ever installed. Most of the plants in this plot are well-established, including black sage, Artemesia californica, and Penstemon.
The hope is to stop supplemental watering to these established plants, which means we are in a new phase in this greater Test Plot project–that of seeing how well our established plants can do on their own!
We opened up the original circular form, and reused the fence pieces, laying them out in lines to follow the topography as it steps both up and downhill. We have also expanded the planting upslope, towards the main trail. We planted about 50 plants in front of the newly laid out fences, and seeded behind them. We’ve had numerous volunteer days with our core group of volunteers this winter - planting, mulching, weeding, caring for this plot.
Seed
As noted, we’ve seeded behind the fences in Plot 4 - a combination of Rainbow and Hummingbird mixes from TPF, as well as Lupine seed that Jenny gathered and soaked. We seeded TPF shade mix in Plot 3. We also are in process of a large seeding experiment outside of the plot boundaries themselves. We call it the Rainbow River - a snaking path that starts south of Plot 4 and weaves around and behind it. The Rainbow River has been seeded with the Rainbow and Hummingbird mix from TPF, along with some random seed from the Terremoto office. We first scythed the path, roughed up the ground just a bit, then seeded on top of the scything, and have been weeding it every couple of weeks this winter to allow the seeds room to grow. There has been no additional watering. The path is marked by pyramidal wood stakes along its length.
What kind of maintenance strategies are you trying out?
When weeding around newly seeded areas, we haven’t been pulling the weeds out from the roots. Instead, we’ve been leaving a couple inches at the base and have been trimming off everything else, either by grabbing a bunch in our hand and simply ripping, or by using a hand sickle. We’ve found that leaving the weeds in the ground has actually been protecting the seedlings because it shades them and keeping the ground moist. Not pulling out weeds by the roots also reduces the risk of pulling out any seedlings when weeding around them.
What’s been happening with volunteers?
We’ve been really working with a smaller volunteer group this season composed of a core of about 5-6 of us. Rather than bimonthly larger group efforts, this core group meets every couple of weeks for a couple hours. Dante organized the big planting we did this winter. With all this rain, we’ve stopped using the weekly watering sign-up sheet. We might test doing monthly watering sessions for the first time this summer rather than weekly waterings.
Plant success and failures?
The new plants that we’ve planted in Plot 4 have been very successful. Satureja douglasii in Plot 3 has really died back. Out of the many species we’ve seeded, the Clarkias seem to be the most prolific. Lupines have also been successful from seed. White sage, buckwheat, and artemisia not so much — but curious to test out other seed propagation techniques in the future for shrubs. Other successes include: Penstemon, Mugwort, Pitcher Sage. Our one Yerba Santa failed, and we’re not sure why. Maybe we’ll try again…
Wildlife?
Gophers are still around, but don’t seem to be affecting the Plots as negatively. A hypothesis for this could be that we have continued to plant plants that are somewhat resistant, or just not as tasty, to gophers. We’ve also used gopher cages on most of our new plantings, which seems to be working! We’ve spotted numerous lizards, hawks, owls and a scorpion.
General reflections
Dani - I think the smaller volunteer workdays have been a great, lower stress way of getting together than have been the bigger volunteer events that we’ve historically coordinated. We also have a small group text which is has been an effective way to communicate - much easier than some of the app-based platforms that we’ve tried to coordinate before.
Dante - Some rogue volunteers have just started planting and flagging non-natives in the Plot so we’re going to have to find a way to manage community planting in Test Plot that is not directly affiliated with Test Plot.
Jenny - opening up the original Test Plot by removing and rearranging the fences felt like a symbolic, important moment for the plots. Like we entered a new phase, one more bold and open. Being in our 3rd year at Elysian feels momentous as well, as a new phase of
experimenting with how well ‘establishment’ goes.
ELYSIAN AFTER 3 YEARS
The Elysian plots were first planted in the Winter of 2019. After three years, we wanted to share some reflections on how they are doing and what we have leanred.
Q: Will people show up?
Yes. Young professionals sign up and self organize via a google sheet to water weekly. Plus we’ve hosted semi-monthly “plant church” community events.
Q: What are your key lessons learned so far?
What questions are you thinking about moving forward?
Q&A with Jenny Jones / Oct 06 2022
Test Plot Co-Founder, Partner at Terremoto
Test Plot Co-Founder, Partner at Terremoto
The Elysian plots were first planted in the Winter of 2019. After three years, we wanted to share some reflections on how they are doing and what we have leanred.
Q: Will people show up?
Yes. Young professionals sign up and self organize via a google sheet to water weekly. Plus we’ve hosted semi-monthly “plant church” community events.
Q: What are the minimum inputs to establish a native ecosystem?
- We planted over 600 plants with 50% survival rate.
Only caveat on this stat is that we don't actually need ALL the plants to survive. The Micro Forest idea.
-
Fencing, gopher cages, signage, signs of care, and programs help.
-
Success in location. A lot of people see the test plots during their routine daily use of the park and reach out to volunteer as a result of this visibility
-
Initial mulching and adding new mulch year to year, plus chop and drop from in-situ pruning.
-
Planted while mounding berms for new planting to stabilize
- Enhanced watering basins for more efficient watering, seems to be working well.
Q: What are your key lessons learned so far?
- Method of watering has been adapted to the age and success of the plots. Watering with round diameter sprinkler at first, as plants age water changes to direct contact hose watering. Volunteers seem to prefer this method
- Dialing in the planting palette has taken years. We’ve monitored gopher activity and its relation to certain species and replanted those plants that were gopher resistant during the second/third years. The plant palette was quite broad and has narrowed over time to reflect what are the most successful species
- Seed plot was a mild success. Annuals did well, very few perennials or shrubs grew from seed and survived.
- Influence from neighboring trees (pine and eucalyptus) has played a role in the health of the plots
- Consistency of volunteer base has a lot to do with keeping up with community volunteer events. Sense of collaboration with others has been important.
- Some plants that were thriving in years 1-2 are now declining (Satureja). Shade plot looked amazing first 2 years, now has seen a little decline. Could be Pine Tree’s influence?
What questions are you thinking about moving forward?
- How to maintain a consistent and diffuse volunteer base so that the task of watering every weekend doesn’t get left to a handful of ultra-dedicated volunteers?
- Method of establishing new test plots while accounting for water restrictions and changing climate?
DANTE INIGUEZ + ANTHONY MARTIN,
LOS ANGELES SUPER STEWARDS
Elysian Park
By Daniela Velazco & Hannah Flynn
current and former Test Plot interns
We are Dani and Hannah, current and former Test Plot interns. Starting in early 2022, we conducted a series of seven interviews with “Super Stewards” - members of the Test Plot community who are stewards of community and of the environment. Our conversations covered personal histories, what it means to be a steward, and what the future of community-tended green space can be.
![]()
We met Dante Iniguez and Anthony Martin at the Elysian Park Test Plot on a chilly late afternoon as they were watering what was at the time the newest plot, a plot mostly filled with wildflowers grown from seed. Dante and Anthony are more than regular volunteers at Elysian Park - their reliable presence is a pillar of the Test Plot.
![]()
Dante, a designer, and Anthony, a microbiologist, live in an apartment together with no room for a garden to tend to. Dante spent formative years in San Luis Obispo, where widespread native plants and protected nature areas instilled a deep appreciation for the nature of California. Anthony’s parents, immigrants from the Philippines, took him camping frequently throughout the state as a child. His father developed his own deep connection to the land by studying agriculture, a connection that was practically “genetically transferred” to Anthony, citing his father’s own interest in agriculture.
![]()
They were both drawn to the opportunity to be outdoors and work with people with similar values to theirs. In spending so many hours working, they quickly bonded with the plots. Dante’s reasoning behind his choice of favorite plant in the plots, the Manzanita, reflects this: they are “really sculptural, beautiful….[and] unique”, but they also take a long time to grow”.. Anthony’s favorite part of the plots isn’t a plant, but the whole picture - including the soil in which the plants grow. He’s “excited by…the idea of creating habitat and returning the land to how it needs to be.” He draws a comparison with his work studying gut microbiomes: like our own digestive systems that power us, “there’s a whole ecology of microbiomes that affect the soil’s health.”
Spending quality hands-on time with the plots has taught them a lot. Anthony feels that he’s getting to see the life he studies in the lab “being its full self outdoors”, understanding how plants interact with each other and with the climate. Test Plot has become like “a game”, experimenting with parameters like pH and soil composition to see how plants will grow – or not. And it’s not just the volunteers who get to learn: as people walk by, they get curious and ask about them. These interactions have the potential to be valuable opportunities to help people who aren’t as exposed to ecology “understand the value of what [Test Plot is about] and why native plants are better than other plants.”
![Wild mustard growing on the hill]()
![Test Plot planted with native species]()
Dante and Anthony strongly believe exposure leads to understanding, which leads to an appreciation of ecological systems much larger than the Test Plots themselves: a greater understanding of how our gardens connect to the broader ecological context of the city, to “our food systems, the clothes we wear, and where [that all] is coming from.” An understanding that our plant palettes “can be aesthetic and still building an ecology.”
![]()
Who would benefit from this hands-on exposure? A lot of people are already showing their desire to work with plants, say Dante and Anthony, citing beautiful balcony gardens that they’ve noticed hanging down from apartment balconies throughout the city. If apartment gardeners had a plot to care for, they would bond to it, just like Dante and Anthony did. Neglected public spaces - like the mustard-filled spots at Elysian before the plots were established - are a “missed opportunity to give the land back to the people” so that they can get their hands dirty and build that connection, plant by plant.
![]()
Thank you, Anthony and Dante
Photos by Robert Flynn
LOS ANGELES SUPER STEWARDS
Elysian Park
By Daniela Velazco & Hannah Flynn
current and former Test Plot interns
We are Dani and Hannah, current and former Test Plot interns. Starting in early 2022, we conducted a series of seven interviews with “Super Stewards” - members of the Test Plot community who are stewards of community and of the environment. Our conversations covered personal histories, what it means to be a steward, and what the future of community-tended green space can be.
We met Dante Iniguez and Anthony Martin at the Elysian Park Test Plot on a chilly late afternoon as they were watering what was at the time the newest plot, a plot mostly filled with wildflowers grown from seed. Dante and Anthony are more than regular volunteers at Elysian Park - their reliable presence is a pillar of the Test Plot.
Dante, a designer, and Anthony, a microbiologist, live in an apartment together with no room for a garden to tend to. Dante spent formative years in San Luis Obispo, where widespread native plants and protected nature areas instilled a deep appreciation for the nature of California. Anthony’s parents, immigrants from the Philippines, took him camping frequently throughout the state as a child. His father developed his own deep connection to the land by studying agriculture, a connection that was practically “genetically transferred” to Anthony, citing his father’s own interest in agriculture.
They were both drawn to the opportunity to be outdoors and work with people with similar values to theirs. In spending so many hours working, they quickly bonded with the plots. Dante’s reasoning behind his choice of favorite plant in the plots, the Manzanita, reflects this: they are “really sculptural, beautiful….[and] unique”, but they also take a long time to grow”.. Anthony’s favorite part of the plots isn’t a plant, but the whole picture - including the soil in which the plants grow. He’s “excited by…the idea of creating habitat and returning the land to how it needs to be.” He draws a comparison with his work studying gut microbiomes: like our own digestive systems that power us, “there’s a whole ecology of microbiomes that affect the soil’s health.”
Spending quality hands-on time with the plots has taught them a lot. Anthony feels that he’s getting to see the life he studies in the lab “being its full self outdoors”, understanding how plants interact with each other and with the climate. Test Plot has become like “a game”, experimenting with parameters like pH and soil composition to see how plants will grow – or not. And it’s not just the volunteers who get to learn: as people walk by, they get curious and ask about them. These interactions have the potential to be valuable opportunities to help people who aren’t as exposed to ecology “understand the value of what [Test Plot is about] and why native plants are better than other plants.”
Dante and Anthony strongly believe exposure leads to understanding, which leads to an appreciation of ecological systems much larger than the Test Plots themselves: a greater understanding of how our gardens connect to the broader ecological context of the city, to “our food systems, the clothes we wear, and where [that all] is coming from.” An understanding that our plant palettes “can be aesthetic and still building an ecology.”
Who would benefit from this hands-on exposure? A lot of people are already showing their desire to work with plants, say Dante and Anthony, citing beautiful balcony gardens that they’ve noticed hanging down from apartment balconies throughout the city. If apartment gardeners had a plot to care for, they would bond to it, just like Dante and Anthony did. Neglected public spaces - like the mustard-filled spots at Elysian before the plots were established - are a “missed opportunity to give the land back to the people” so that they can get their hands dirty and build that connection, plant by plant.
Thank you, Anthony and DantePhotos by Robert Flynn