Arts Listings

May 4 and May 5 are the in person Bringing Back the Natives Garden tours from 10 am – 5 pm. There are sixty gardens big and small open to the public over the weekend. The tour is free (donations are welcome). You must register to receive the garden tour addresses. https://www.bringingbackthenatives.net/2024-tour-registration

While you are waiting for the email from Kathy Kramer with the tour addresses, start checking out the garden descriptions and photos listed on the 2024 in-person tour webpage.
• BAYSIDE CITY LOCATIONS (number of gardens): Alameda (1), Albany (3), Berkeley (10), Castro Valley (5), El Cerrito (2), Hayward (4), Kensington (1), Oakland (8), Piedmont (1), Pinole (2), Richmond (3), San Leandro (2), San Pablo (1)
• INLAND CITY LOCATIONS (number of gardens): Antioch (1), Clayton (1), Concord (1), Danville (1), Lafayette (1), Livermore (5), Martinez (2), Moraga (1), Pleasant Hill (1), San Ramon (3) Walnut Creek (1)

How to make your windows bird safe is on the Saturday Garden Tour at Keith Johnson’s and Erin Diehm’s house in Berkeley. Their display includes multiple samples of window film and inexpensive DIY projects. (44% of bird glass collisions occur on 1,2, & 3 story buildings)

Most of us have heard by now that if we don’t have milkweed, we don’t have Monarch butterflies. There is so much more to native plants. Native plants are easier to care for, bring joy with butterflies and hummingbirds and full of beauty.

If native plants haven’t been on your priority list please watch the Douglas Tallamy YouTube video with Tallamy giving us the “why” little bites out of plant leaves from caterpillars is reason to celebrate, not a reason to take a trip to by pesticide poisons. Caterpillars are the perfect baby bird food. Even Hummingbird babies need bugs to grow and fledge. https://youtu.be/ft7tWw470sY?si=PpujMALov3q9_hVP

Calscape, the native plants resource, is filled with thousands of choices which makes going on the in person tour the perfect way to start. https://calscape.org

Tour Instructions: If you are someone who takes your dog everywhere, note dogs are not allowed in the gardens. The tour planners and volunteers request, please leave your dog at home.