Diane, I grow lots of species roses, including many native to California. Particularly with regard to the California species roses, I defer to my local botanic garden, Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden, which specializes in California natives. They do not fertilize the CA species roses growing in the ground (some while still in the nursery in pots get a little slow-release). I'm about a mile and a half away and our soils are quite similar. The soil is not overly rich, yet it doesn't seem to be actually deficient in a major nutrient either. Species like these conditions quite well. I also pay attention to where in the grounds they plant the roses as not all like things exactly the same. Those that prefer a more shady situation get it, and those the like sun get that. They also plant in communities so that the species are growing with the companions plants that they would have in the wild. So the plants help each other, keep things in balance. I took a class at RSABG recently and a couple of the things the teacher discussed were the concepts of microclimates AND hydrozones in your home garden. Pay attention to both. Group plants that have the same water requirements together, those that like shade together too. Study the changing patterns of sunlight throughout a whole day and through the seasons in your yard to help consider which plant to place in which location. Two of the California species roses that like different conditions are Rosa minutifolia and Rosa californica. While R. californica wants a little shade and a moister soil (particularly in heat), Rosa minutifoflia does its best in full sun and allowed to dry out to crispiness in the summer (it hates wet roots in the heat of summer). Minutifolia that gets the summer dormancy it craves blooms very heavily and also sets a tremendous number of hips. That same rose given too much water in the summer (not allowed its natural dormancy) will still bloom but it is nothing like the plants that are treated more naturally. The difference in hip production is quite striking too. Those that get too much summer water and shade produce few to no hips. It might be alive but not close to its best. Rosa pinetorum is new to my garden this year. I looked at where RSABG had theirs planted when siting mine. Theirs is in an area that gets varying amounts or shade during the day. As a companion they have the nitrogen-fixer Cercocarpus traskiae (Catalina Island Mountain Mahogany). I put R. pinetorum where it gets sunlight filtered by a pomegrante tree and used as a companion another nitrogen-fixer, a groundcover ceanothus, 'Diamond Heights'. R. pinetorum is blooming quite nicely in this spot. They have R. gymnocarpa in a fairly shady area where it blooms well. I have a new baby plant from Forestfarm that I've also put in a shady area. It is growing well but hasn't bloomed yet. I have, let me see, how many Rosa minutifolia now? Five R. minutifolia and 4 Rosa minutifolia 'Pure Bea'. They are all still small. The one getting the most sun is also the best producer of hips--eventhough I've been told this selection, from the San Diego area by Tree of Life Nursery doesn't set hips. Yes it does! But be too generous with the shade and water, let alone food, and forget about seeing a hip display.;) As to fertilizing CA native roses, a light hand is best in my experience. My young plants, at least some of them, get a little diluted fish emulsion, but not very frequently. The one I like best is Espoma's Gro-Tone (2-2-2). It hasn't been readily available locally, so lately I've been using Neptune's Harvest, 2-4-1. Nothing stronger than that, no soil amendments, and only a few have gotten a light covering of the soil with shredded redwood bark. Those that have near neighbors shading the soil don't get any bark. I use the fish emulsion to give new plants a little boost to get them established. They will soon get none at all. Many of the companion plants to these roses are also CA natives, and they are often intolerant of any fertilizer at all (think instant death!) while some won't actually croak from the practice. I have lots of other species roses from around the world. I considered where they originated from as well as the climate and other conditions (such as altitude) that they do best in and how close that comes to my garden. Of course that doesn't mean I didn't consider some I shouldn't have and bought them anyway as I liked them so much.....;) But for the most part, the species I've brought in are thriving. I did lose one though, but by sort of a fluke. It was Rosa brunoni 'La Mortola'. It was a huge plant (climbing way up into a eucalyptus tree) that I never fertilized growing by a seasonal stream. It was the December we had WAY above normal rainfall (2010 or 2011???) and the stream overflowed and submerged this plant for a week or two. The plant died right away.:( Melissa

Having just returned from Kona and being a regular Starbucks customer... Yeah sure, you can certainly use coffee grounds in your garden for native plants. Just note that grounds are quite acidic, but so is most the native soil. Grounds are just like compost.

I don't know much about CA natives but round here all plants like fertilizer, especially those in pots. I prefer slow-release organic fert around 4-5-4 or so. But like I said i don;t live in Ca

My thoughts are, that you have put the plants under rather a transplant shock. I don't know what your "fertilizer/native soil mix" is comprised of, or how well drained etc. Or how big a hole you dug down and sideways before planting. But the location now - and I'm assuming you have reasonable heat in summer - is that they are getting reflected heat off the house, the path, and also from the sand. I have no idea what sandbox sand comprises, it probably varies from area to area of supply, but it may contain chemicals, or treatments... adverse to plants. If you wanted a hard mulch I'd think better to go with some sort of gravel or stone - doesn't dry out so quickly and is hopefully inert.