Published Essays on Nature and Native Gardening
by Gabi McLean

• "Discovery"
  The Paintbrush, Fall 2007, San Gabriel Mountains Chapter, California Native Plant Society.

  As a youngster, I dreamed of adventure in far away places, exploring unknown wild lands. The books I was devouring sparked in me the image of facing exciting great challenges and horrific obstacles that I would overcome and, in the end, make great discoveries. The dreams of a child! ...      (more...)

• "Winter"
  The Paintbrush, March-April 2007, San Gabriel Mountains Chapter, California Native Plant Society.

  How eagerly had I been waiting for winter, the season of promise and awakening, when the earth soaks in the water and so do the roots and tubers and corms and bulbs and fungi; when tiny cotyledons break through the soil ...      (more...)

• "Connecting with Nature"
  The Paintbrush, January-February 2007, San Gabriel Mountains Chapter, California Native Plant Society.

  The end of fall seems dreary – the long weeks without rain reflect on the plants in the wild. Many shrubs and trees lost their leaves, exposing the branches, which in turn have become brittle and dry, having changed color from a warm brown to a dirty gray. While the leaves of our local sycamores ...      (more...)

• "April Field Notes"
  The Paintbrush, May-August 2006, San Gabriel Mountains Chapter, California Native Plant Society.

  It was only in mid-February that we treasured the winter storms after weeks without precipitation. Since then though, we have had plenty of water falling from the sky. It seemed to rain mostly on weekends and so we ended up hiking during showers quite a bit in the last eight weeks. I enjoyed ...      (more...)

• "February Field Notes: Trees"
  The Paintbrush, March-April 2006, San Gabriel Mountains Chapter, California Native Plant Society.

  On a recent trip after a much appreciated winter storm, we journeyed from the valley into the foothills, watching for signs of spring. We found subtle hues of colors on the hillsides, the smell of damp earth, and the promise of rebirth; we did not find showy annuals, but many, many tiny flowers ...      (more...)

• "Journey to the Top"
  The Paintbrush, Fall 2004, San Gabriel Mountains Chapter, California Native Plant Society.

  I love to go up into the mountains, away from the hustle and bustle of the valley. I seek solitude and find solace there. The physical exertion of climbing steep hillsides forces me to stop frequently and rest. I always find some interesting ...      (more...)

• "Where the Funny Plants Grow"
  The Paintbrush, March - April 2004, San Gabriel Mountains Chapter, California Native Plant Society.

  A vast expanse between the mountains and the ocean starts where the San Gabriel River empties into the valley. With every winter storm, the old river used to heap more sand and gravel onto the huge alluvium of the Los Angeles basin. Today, the forces of the river...      (more...)

• "Gabi McLean's San Gabriel Valley Home Native Garden:
  Ruminations on the benefits of replacing your lawn with a native landscape"
  CNPS Bulletin, October-December 2003, California Native Plant Society.

  It's morning. The cool air greets me as I step outside, car keys in hand, purse tucked under my arm, maneuvering carefully so that my business suit won't brush the carport pillar. I catch a glimpse of the poppy blossoms still folded up in the hazy morning light. The soft breeze...      (more...)

• "A New Look at Old Trails"
  Paw Prints, October, 2002, Eaton Canyon Nature Center Associates.

  We are nearing the end of summer in one of the driest seasons on record in our area, certainly the driest that I have experienced in the 25 years that I have lived in this county. In previous years, I have not spent much time in Eaton Canyon during the summer, due to the heat, and would rather...      (more...)

• "Birding at Work?"
  Paw Prints, February, 2002, Eaton Canyon Nature Center Associates.

  Eaton Canyon is where I love to go on the weekends, but during the week I am at work, in an office building that’s part of a long complex at the edge of Pomona where the 10, 210, 57 and 71 freeways intersect. The area used to be a mixture of coastal and desert scrub, but now it is all...      (more...)