Lot size: 1,500 sq. ft. front garden, 99% native
Garden Age: Garden was installed in 2010
Years on the Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour:
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 founded in 1898 by women intent on preserving the natural beauty of the Berkeley hills: it continues to serve the community today, offering programs in culture and the arts. The original clubhouse, designed by Bernard Maybeck, burned down in the 1923 fire and was rebuilt the following year. The native garden is a community effort, designed, installed, and maintained by Hillside Club members and volunteers.
Other Garden Attractions 
• The concrete bench with redwood slats was designed by the architect Julia Morgan, and recreated using one of her original molds.
• Bicyclists can lock their bikes against the custom-made hand-wrought bike racks.
• This garden is watered once every two weeks in the summer.
• Are you interested in making friends while celebrating the arts and culture? New members are welcome! Ask how you can join the Hillside Club.
• Restrooms are available to Tour participants.
Gardening for Wildlife 
The native plants in this garden provide nectar, seeds, and berries for butterflies, bees, and birds.
Keystone species in this garden (watch this talk by Doug Tallamy!)
Keystone species—our own, local ecological powerhouse plants— in this garden include flowering currant, manzanita, redbud, and native strawberry.
Tours of the Hillside Club’s historic hall
11:00 and 1:00 Brief tours of the historic Hillside Club will be offered by Ellen Dougherty
Workshop
1:30 Garden tool-sharpening demonstration by Liza Malm, Hillside Club Member and professional gardener
Music
2:00-4:00 American songs and Balkan tunes with Jim Fisher
Plants Available
Seeds of poppies, columbine, and lots of other native flowers, and divisions of Douglas iris and more will be available in exchange for donations. All were propagated from Club members’ gardens.
