Showcase Feature It was a desire to recreate lost habitats of the East Bay—the wildflower meadows, grasslands, and oak savannas that existed here hundreds of years ago—and to provide resources for the wildlife that depend

Showcase Feature As a child working in his parents’ native plant garden, Scott was not drawn to the idea of gardening with nature. But as a new homeowner faced with a yard full of ice

Showcase Feature The lawn that was in place when Miriam purchased the house wasn’t cutting the mustard; it needed too much water, for one thing, and it also took too much time to maintain. In

Showcase Feature This mature garden, designed by Sandra Nevala-Lee, owner of Green Thumb Works, was formerly lawn, on both terraced levels. Sandra and students from San Lorenzo high sheet mulched the lawn away. In its

Showcase Feature Breaking news! Josh and David's garden recently won the "Most Beautiful Yard Hayward" contest! Leading up to that honor was this story...Undaunted by the Bermuda grass in the front and back gardens (well,

Showcase Feature Inspired by the Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour and Doug Tallamy’s talks, Janet and Ed asked Pete Veilleux to remove the non-native ornamentals in their front garden and design and install a

Showcase Feature In 2009 Diane and her hiking buddy, Sally, converted their gardens from solid lawn to water-conserving wildlife habitat gardens together. They took classes as a team, did their research jointly, and just generally

Showcase Feature Long-time Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour attendees and avid hikers Maria and David wanted to “bring nature home” and make their own garden a haven for pollinators. Through the Tour they visited

Showcase Feature Note: This garden is on a steep lot and has many steps, some with no rails. It is not a garden for those with balance issues. If you are on crutches, use a

Showcase Feature Mary Ann and Richard have attended the Tour since its inception in 2005. Over the years they found not only inspiration but also Lois Simonds, owner of Gardening by Nature’s Design, who worked

Showcase Feature Though small, this inviting garden has it all; great plants for wildlife, water for thirsty creatures, and a seating area from which plant lovers can enjoy the colorful display of flowers and varying

Showcase Feature Long-time Tour-goer Julie Benson didn’t love the lawn and the accompanying retinue of non-native plants that came with the house; over the years they were replaced with a pleasing array of attractive, water-conserving

Showcase Feature Got a small garden? Wish you had one that was attractive to people and wildlife, low-maintenance, and used very little water? If so, this is the garden for you! The original garden consisted

Showcase Feature This delightful garden, designed and installed by Dave and Jennifer, is a riot of color in spring and summer, with nearly a hundred different types of natives blooming in a bountiful succession. The

Showcase Feature Rolland and Jen worked in the field of environmental restoration for decades. When they bought this house in 2011, they were eager to remove the plastic sheeting that covered the front garden, and

Showcase Feature Before its amazing transformation the front garden was an overgrown jumble of non-native shrubs; under them were about a million oxalis plants, which Ruth pulled, one by one. (Tip! The time to pull

Showcase Feature Undaunted by the enormous slabs of pink concrete and falling down fences in the back yard of her newly purchased home, Jamie set about creating a garden that is inviting to people, as

Showcase Feature When Susan and Bill's children were small they got a lot of use out of the large lawn in the back yard. Once the kids were grown, and inspired by gardens they saw

Showcase Feature When long-time Tour participant Barbara bought the house, it came with a garden—full of ivy and acacia—that had been abandoned for decades. An avid hiker, Barbara designed a “garden on the wild side,”

Showcase Feature This small Albany garden, which contained Bermuda grass, rosemary, and a holly tree when Debra bought the house in 2012, was designed by Debra, who has long had a passion for California native

Showcase Feature The kids had grown up and no longer played on the lawn (“which had never looked particularly good,” observed Bjorn), a large, diseased tree had recently been removed, and the garden clearly needed

Showcase Feature Anne and Ed, who have attended the Tour since its inception, hired Michael Thilgen, of Four Dimensions Landscape, to design and install this peaceful and productive garden. In the back yard the swimming

Showcase Feature This large corner lot contained an enormous lawn when Stefanie bought it, and this was exactly what she wanted. Stefanie, who has been attending the Tour since its inception in 2005, yearned to

Showcase Feature When Danny and Eugene bought their house in 2016 they knew the thirsty lawns and sprawling junipers had to go. The garden they designed and installed themselves transformed the space into a delightful

Showcase Feature NOTE: This garden has sloping ground and uneven steps. The back garden is accessed via a set of stairs with a handrail. This garden should not be visited by those with balance issues.

Showcase Feature Sue read Douglas Tallamy’s charming NY Times Op Ed piece, “The Chickadee’s Guide to Gardening: In Your Garden Choose Plants That Help the Environment,” and knew that she wanted a native plant garden

Showcase Feature The front garden of the Hillside Club features California native shade-loving plants, including Western azalea, currants, snowberry, dogwoods, and ferns, which are a beautiful complement to this historic building. The Hillside Club was

Showcase Feature A sheet mulching workshop held at neighbor Dixie Finley’s house inspired Laura to sheet mulch her own lawn away. The charming woodland garden that took its place was designed by Laura, and installed

Showcase Feature Nancy is passionate about both nature and archaeology; these interests intertwined in the development of the garden she designed and installed, which was modeled on ancient Roman gardens. The rectangular courtyard, planted with

Showcase Feature Maria, who grew up in this house, felt it was time for a change. She was ready for the lawn, pyracantha and tired groundcover to go. After hearing Pete Veilleux of East Bay

Showcase Feature Anita’s passion is the conservation of species, both plants and animals. She takes her cues from nature, and gardens “on the wild side”. Her garden, which contains more than one hundred species of

Showcase Feature Michael has turned an area that formerly contained only exotics into a charming native plant garden.  Wide, gracefully curving garden beds, provide the drainage that most natives need, wrap around a reduced lawn. Recently

Showcase Feature This beautiful garden was created to provide food, shelter, and nesting areas for birds—and has it! More than eighty species of birds have been drawn in by the butterfly and moth attracting plants

Showcase Feature On Earth Day in 2007 volunteers and Park Superintendent Lucy Lawliss eyed the sterile lawn and exotics growing in front of the visitor center; realizing that this landscape was not reflective of John

Note: This hillside garden is accessed via a narrow, sloping path. Watch your step. This garden is not for those with balance issues. Showcase Feature The local native plants in this large garden have created