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Home Ground Habitats —
A Living Place for Native Plants, Pollinators, and Learning

Organic Plant Nursery and Educational Center in Novato, California

Guided by the work of Charlotte Torgovitsky

Explore the Habitat Garden

May Native Plant Sticky Monkeyflower
(Diplacus aurantiacus)
Continue

Native Plants

We grow California native and climate-adapted plants that support pollinators, conserve water, and belong to this landscape.

Living Habitat

The garden is a working ecosystem — pesticide-free, biodiverse, and alive with birds, insects, and seasonal change.

Learning & Guidance

Classes, conversations, and hands-on knowledge help gardeners create resilient landscapes at home.

Not just a nursery — a place to understand how a garden can live.

Discover
Why We Do This Work

In a valley shaped by open space and quiet trails, Home Ground Habitats exists to show what happens when people choose to live in partnership with the land. Our gardens hum with life—wings, petals, seeds, and stories—reminding us that restoration can begin in the smallest, most personal places.

We nurture this sanctuary so others can learn to create their own. Through hands-on teaching, pesticide-free gardens, and the simple act of growing together, we help rebuild the threads of biodiversity and inspire a deeper, more reciprocal relationship with the natural world.

Discover Habitat Garden

Guided by
Charlotte Torgovitsky

Born with a love for nature’s rhythms, Charlotte Torgovitsky has spent her life nurturing connections between people, plants, and the wild world around us. From her childhood gardens in Denmark and India to her leadership at Home Ground Habitats, Charlotte’s journey reflects a lifelong devotion to cultivating harmony with nature.

Read Charlotte’s Story

Explore: What You Can Do Here

Visit, learn, and become part of the Home Ground Habitats

Visit the Nursery

Step into the living garden to explore seasonal native plants, pollinator habitats, and public demonstration landscapes.

Take a Class

Learn hands-on skills in plant propagation, habitat gardening, and sustainable growing guided by real experience.

Experience the Garden

Walk the paths, watch butterflies and birds, and see how a California-friendly landscape grows through the seasons.

Read the Blog

Stories, seasonal guidance, and practical wisdom to inspire and support creating vibrant habitat at home.

Support the Mission

Volunteer, donate, or participate — help native plants and pollinators thrive across our vibrant local community.

When we garden with nature, the garden begins to teach us—about patience, balance, and the quiet intelligence woven through every living thing.

— Alan Good, Facilities Manager

Begin
Your Learning Journey

When we learn in the company of plants, something quiet and beautiful happens—knowledge begins to grow from the inside out, and tiny seeds and simple cuttings become the beginnings of a living habitat. In these hands-on classes, you’ll work gently with “mother plants,” soil, and seed, discovering how to read the seasons, sense the right moment, and follow the subtle guidance of nature, because at the heart of our philosophy is this: when we garden with nature, the garden becomes our teacher, and every new plant is both a gift to the land and a promise to the wild creatures who share it.

Start Learning with Us

Native Plants Through the Year

From winter blooms that feed early pollinators to late-summer seeds that nourish birds and wildlife, California’s native plants follow a beautiful seasonal rhythm. Discover the rhythm of what thrives when.

See Plants of the Season

From the Blog

Seasonal observations, planting tips, and news from the nursery

March 10, 2025 • 1min
Spring 2025 Plant Sale!

Spring is almost here. Celebrate in the garden with us at our first Plant Sale of the year. Saturday, April 12th, 2025, 10:00am – 2:00pm. Join us to purchase organically grown habitats plants, hear expert…

January 22, 2025 • 1min
Home Ground Habitats Fall Celebration 2024

Our Harvest Season Event was a Bountiful Success! The Fall Celebration 2024 at Home Ground Habitats in October was an autumn day of celebration. Thanks to all who helped out at our Novato plant nursery…

December 5, 2024 • 1min
Winter 2025 WAL Class registration opens 1/7/25 at 9:00am

Registration opens in January for the upcoming WAL class series, beginning February 1st, at Marin College Series: Watershed Approach to Landscaping Winter 2025 A series of classes based on the Watershed Approach to Landscaping philosophy…

Join Us

Be part of something growing — here’s how you can connect, give, and contribute.

  • Volunteer With Us
  • Support Habitat Work
  • Community Partnerships
  • Garden Events & Days
  • Summer Camp Scholarships
How You Can Help

Visit the Nursery

Step into a living garden nursery — find native plants, seeds, and thoughtful guidance for creating habitat at home.

Location

1875 Indian Valley Rd, Novato, CA 94947

Hours

Tuesdays — Thursdays: 1—4 PM
(or by appointment)

Plan Your Visit
Home Ground Habitats symbol

We’re proud to partner with organizations dedicated to sustainability and ecological stewardship.
Our work has also been recognized through regional awards — learn more.

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