Native Plant Extravaganza this weekend, Sat, 9/20 / Free talks and more!
EBCNPS News List
From Kathy Kramer, Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour
Fall is approaching and the days are shorter and cooler—which means it’s almost time to plant natives! Shop this Saturday, Sept. 20, at the Native Plant Extravaganza, or order online from Green Thumb Works, Down by the Bay, or California Native Seeds on either Sat. or Sun. Sept. 20 or 21, and a percentage of your purchases will go to support the Tour.
Now is a great time to replace the highly flammable plants in your garden with natives
According to the Marin Fire Safe Council, fire-hazardous plants include junipers, Pride of Madeira, fountain grass, rosemary, bamboo, cedar, cypress, eucalyptus, pines, yew, breath of heaven, pampas grass, acacia, and palms.
Great replacements for fire-hazardous plants are California lilac, coffeeberry, lupine, monkeyflower, sages, yarrow, and other beautiful water-conserving California native plants—they will also be great additions to your garden as they will invite birds and butterflies into your yard.
My long-time colleague and friend Glen Schneider developed this list of Easy to Grow East Bay Natives. The plants on this list will provide the best habitat for birds, native bees, and butterflies, which have been living with, and depending on, our local native plants for thousands and thousands of years.
Doug Tallamy’s research has shown that certain plants—what he calls “Keystone species”—provide the greatest value to wildlife. Any of the keystone species on that list—such as oaks, pink flowering currants, goldenrod, ocean spray, and our native strawberry and sunflowers (Helianthus californica or H. annus) among others, would also be wonderful additions to your garden.
I’ve seen first-hand what a difference planting with local natives and keystone species makes. My own garden, a 5,000 sq. ft. lot in San Pablo, was once covered in ivy, Himalayan blackberry, cotoneaster, and a collection of weird South African plants. After replacing them with local natives and many keystone species I have seen forty-two species of birds and twenty types of butterflies and moths in my garden, as well as native bees, tree crickets, grasshoppers, dragonflies, salamanders, a delightfully varied collection of spiders, and more. Here is my iNaturalist page, if you’d like to see the creatures I have photographed in my garden.
That brings us back to the Native Plant Extravaganza on Saturday, Sept. 20. Details are below. Ask the friendly staff at any of these participating nurseries for plant suggestions for your own garden.
Native Plant Extravaganza
Saturday September 20, 10:00-4:00
Shop in-person during the Saturday, Sept. 20, at the Native Plant Extravaganza, or order online from Green Thumb Works, Down by the Bay, or California Native Seeds on either Sat. or Sun. Sept. 20 or 21, and a percentage of your purchases will go to support the Tour.
Green Thumb Works is owned by native plant landscape designer Sandra Nevala-Lee. Now available from Green Thumb are Hummingbird Hangout and Beneficial Insect Haven plant bundles, consisting of hardy, beneficial one-gallon plants for full sun to part-sunny areas. Browse Green Thumb’s online list of available plants here.
Down by the Bay, owned by garden tour host Josh Rubietta-Cheng, carries native plants that are genetically local to the East Bay—these are the best plants for wildlife: check out Down by the Bay’s local native plant list online.
California Native Seeds is owned by garden tour hosts Danny Galindo and Eugene Shabalyanu: they say,”Enjoy the magic of watching a native landscape sprout from seed—your plants will be strong and tough, and the process is so rewarding! Celebrate the Native Plant Extravaganza by stocking up on the seeds of your favorite natives online—a percentage of every order placed between Sept. 16 and 21 will benefit the Tour. Use code EXTRAVAGANZA25 at checkout and you’ll receive an extra 10% off!”
You can always find the Extravaganza information later by visiting the Extravaganza section on the Tour’s website.
Free Talks in the Nurseries - Saturday, Sept. 20
Down by the Bay Native Plant Nursery, 2363 Catalpa Way, Hayward
11:00 and 1:00 “How to create a Pollinator Pathway: a guided walk to four Pollinator Pathway gardens” lead by Down by the Bay owner Josh Cheng-Rubietta
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East Bay Wilds, 2777 Foothill, Oakland (the entrance is on 28th street)
12:00 “Beautiful plants that will add color and interest to your garden throughout the year” by Pete Veilleux, owner of East Bay Wilds
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The Watershed Nursery, 601 A Canal Blvd. Richmond
1:00 Join the Watershed Nursery staff and three local native landscape designers for an informative panel and Q&A on designing and gardening with CA native plants
Featuring:
Sallie Bryan of 4B Garden Design
Chris Garcia of Four Dimensions Landscape Cooperative
Christopher Telomen of Soft Earth Landscapes
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Oaktown Native Plant Nursery, 702 Channing Way, Berkeley
2:30 “How to create beautiful, diverse, and colorful shade gardens under oaks, redwoods, or in urban shade. We will include balancing the elements of light, soil health and water” by Oaktown owner Suzanne Carter