Jennifer LaPlante, a Monrovia resident and garden owner, urged attendees to support an upcoming California Native Plant Society (CNPS) plant sale in Monrovia and highlighted environmental benefits of native landscaping. "Fifty cents per plant sold will go to the volunteer fund at Monrovia Canyon Park," she said.

LaPlante said she established her garden in 2011 to bring chaparral plants from the local mountains into her yard and to support the ecological communities those plants sustain. "I wanted something that was actually true to the area," she said, describing reduced irrigation needs and improved groundwater percolation as results of her garden.

The nut of LaPlante's message was twofold: native plants can lower water use and stormwater runoff while also reducing the need for gas-powered maintenance equipment. She noted that native landscaping can cut noise and emissions associated with weekly use of gas mowers, blowers and trimmers. "I don't have a gardener, so there's no gas powered machines every week on my property that make a lot of noise," LaPlante said.

LaPlante described logistics for the sale: CNPS will offer roughly 2,000 plants laid out on a patio, generally in 1-gallon pots and organized alphabetically by botanical name. Staff and volunteers will help shoppers identify plants for particular site conditions, hold purchases while customers shop and assist with loading. "We literally have thousands of plants available and have been able to support, sourcing of very rare plants that you may not typically find in most nurseries," she said.

Merchandise and informational resources will be available at the sale. LaPlante said the sale will feature a T-shirt using artwork by Rochelle Boyd that depicts nine plants that grow in the San Gabriel Mountains, and that copies of The Wildflowers of California (published by the California Native Plant Society this year) will be for sale or order. She also said members receive discounts on plants and shirts.

LaPlante encouraged residents to check the CNPS and Monrovia event listings for the latest plant lists and availability, noting that plant inventories are preliminary until delivery on the day of the sale. "It's a great opportunity for you to find some unique and rare finds to actually create your space the way you'd like to see it," she said.

The remarks were delivered during a public comment segment. No formal city action or vote on the plant sale was recorded in the transcript.