Registration is open for the free, virtual Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour, now in its seventeenth year. For the second time, this award-winning, annual tour of East Bay native plant gardens will take place entirely online, on four Sundays in April and May: April 25, May 2, May 16, and May 23, from 10 am to 3 pm each day.
The tour will feature a fascinating and inspiring talk by ecologist Doug Tallamy (more on that below), 27 beautiful native plant gardens from throughout Alameda and Contra Costa counties, a Q&A session with each garden host, nursery tours (including our chapter’s own Native Here Nursery on April 25, 1:30-2 pm), garden design and plant selection sessions, and much more. The tour will be held on Zoom and YouTube, and participants can submit live questions and share their own insights with others. Join all days or tune in to the sessions that interest you most. No matter if you’re just getting started with native plant gardening or an old hand, you’ll leave this tour more knowledgeable and inspired.
Don’t miss the kick-off on April 25 with ecologist Doug Tallamy—it will change how you garden. Tallamy is the author of several books about the relationship between native plants and wildlife and makes a convincing case that native plant gardening is critical to help sustain and restore our native insect and bird populations. And it’s not a dry, somber talk. Tallamy’s caterpillar close-up photos alone are worth watching the presentation, and he’s very entertaining and engaging.
Click here to sign up and to view the full event schedule. To see last year’s Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour recordings, check out the videos on the tour’s YouTube channel, and follow the tour on Facebook for updates, seasonal garden tips, and more.
— Stephanie Pruegel
April 2021
