NATIVE PLANTS
Planted by the West family, several small gardens at Buckeye Ranch thrive with native plants, fostering a healthy environment. Here's a list of the species found in these gardens:
Black Sage - Salvia mellifera
REPTILES, BIRDS, & MAMMALS
With it's rich natural areas and surrounding farmlands, the lands of the Santa Lucia Highlands and Mountains provide habitat for a diverse range of wildlife. California's Central Coast is known for its abundant birdlife, and the ranch is no exception.Keep an eye out for soaring Red-Tail Hawks, plump quail, and colorful songbirds like the bright yellow goldfinch. In the evenings, you might hear the distinctive calls of coyotes or owls. If you're exploring the fields and grasses, be sure to watch out for the non-venomous Gopher snakes, Garter snakes, and King snakes.
RED-TAILED HAWK
Red-tailed Hawks are large birds, with females being noticeably larger than males.
They have broad, rounded wings perfect for soaring. Known for their impressive aerial displays, Red-tailed Hawks are skilled hunters. They often soar high in the sky before diving down to catch their prey. They feed on small mammals like rodents, but their diet can also include birds, reptiles, and amphibians.
MEDICINE GARDEN
Buckeye Ranch also has a small medicine garden, featuring plants with traditional healing uses. Here’s a list of the species found in this garden:
Achillea millefolium -
Yarrow has traditionally been used for stomach aches, headaches, colds, and internal bleeding.
It is used as an astringent, diaphoretic, antispasmodic, and more.
FRUIT ORCHARD
Maija and Cody’s vision for Buckeye Ranch includes an orchard with a variety of fruit trees. Satsuma, avocado, Meyer lemon, rangpur, lime, pear, apple, fig, apricot, plum, plumcot, nectarine, peach, curry leaf, grape, persimmon, cherry, pomegranate, and olive.
GREENHOUSE
Coming soon to the Buckeye, a greenhouse is in the process of being installed in the winter of ‘24/25.
The greenhouse will be where the majority of the vegetables and herbs grow, including heirloom tomatoes, peppers, kales, cooking herbs, and even a Latvian tea garden.
