A New Season of LIfe

Today is the first day of the rest of my life - I'm newly retired! Every few years I'm offered an early retirement option at work, and this year I decided to take it. As much as I love my job and working with my colleagues all over the world, I felt that the timing was right to finish that season of life, and start the next one. Yesterday was my last day of work, and today is my first day of retirement.

Starting a new path in a new season of life!

What do I plan to do today? After waking up without an alarm, drinking a cup of coffee, and eating a leisurely breakfast, I plan to do whatever I please, or absolutely nothing. I'm retired!

Bringing Back the Natives: 2024

I recently attended the online version of the Bringing Back The Natives Garden Tour, which spanned a weekend in early April. As in previous years, Green Home Features Showcase tours were interwoven throughout the presentations. The in-person tours take place in early May, so sign up soon! One of these years, I'll attend the in-person garden tours, but in this season of life, I love the convenience of the online version. 

Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour is back!

Doug Tallamy kicked of the event with his talk, "What's the Rush? The Solution to the Biodiversity Crisis". His presentation is a wonderful distillation of the research and ideas he has been developing during his career, and provides a simple solution, in which all of us can participate. We can use our yards, containers, patios, and decks to provide habitat for nature, in a Homegrown National Park. You can hear the presentation on the website.

Celebrating 20 years of Bringing Back the Natives 

Kathy Kramer, tour coordinator, gave a wonderful retrospective on the origin and evolution of "Bringing Back the Natives" in the Bay Area over the last 20 years. She has received numerous awards for her work, and has influenced many gardeners and landscapers to replace their water-thirsty lawns, and to plant drought-tolerant native plants.

Fountains attract many birds

Do-it-yourself bird bath - attaches to the irrigation system

Rocks, gravel, and mud provide a moist and protected spot for butterflies and bees

Providing habitat for birds and butterflies was a recurring theme during both days of the tour. I took note of a few interesting details that could be easily integrated with our landscape renovation. I had never heard of "catios" before (enclosed outdoor patios for cats). They are a great solution for protecting cats in the outdoors (and protecting birds from cats)!

Owl roost

An outdoor "catio"

Finally, I loved the presentations on native plants, street trees, native plant sources in the Bay Area, and year-round color in the landscape using native, drought-tolerant plants. Doug Tallamy has definitely had an impact on gardeners and landscapers in the Bay Area. Many of the presenters brought up his influence on their designs and decisions, including use of keystone species and native plants. There was some discussion about how to handle "pests" in the garden, such as deer and gophers, but a growing consensus seems to be to that gardens aren't just meant to be pretty, but to provide habitat for nature (with many opinions on that continuum).

Field Notes for April

 Welcome back to Field Notes!

April 1, 2024

I'm loving the mix of weather forecasts as we move into April! We have clouds, sun, partly cloudy, rain, and a high of 72 degrees one day and a low of 42 degrees one night. For someone who loves weather, this is a great week! I'm also grateful for the extra rain for our newly planted landscape.

 

Some warm weather followed by a "cold snap" in the Bay Area! 

April 3, 2024

When the sun comes out, the air is sparkly clean this time of year. Any pollutants have been washed away with the rain, or blown away by spring breezes. The flowering trees are in bloom all around the San Francisco Bay Area, no doubt responding to the rain and warm days. I've been enjoying this Prunus spp. on my afternoon walk around Bishop Lake. It's already starting to leaf out.

The beauty of a flowering tree in the landscape

April 6, 2024

I'm excited to be attending the online "Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour & Green Home Features Showcase" this weekend. Doug Tallamy is the keynote speaker and many presentations and online garden tours are scheduled. The online event started in 2020, when the uncertainties of COVID-19 sent everything into lockdown. Turns out the online event was well received - expanding its reach to those out of the Bay Area and those who were unable to attend in person. This year's in-person garden tours are scheduled for the first weekend in May. Visit the website to learn more.

Bringing Back the Natives is celebrating their 20 year anniversary!

April 8, 2024

The wisteria is in bloom here in the Bay Area. This canopy of blossoms provides shelter from the sun over a popular food court. What could be better than eating lunch under the lovely purple flowers! The bees love them, but are too busy among the flowers above to investigate the diners below.

Wisteria is in bloom!

April 12, 2024

Now that the magnolia tree has been removed, I can really appreciate the gnarly, shredding bark of the stately juniper in the lower yard!

Juniper bark

April 17, 2024

A large mural was recently added to Bishop Ranch in San Ramon. The mural is comprised of multiple large, floor to ceiling panels, and depicts many favorite places in San Ramon and beyond. The artist is Julia Gash who specializes in this unique style of travel art. You can view the artwork on the first floor near the Roundhouse, at 2600 Camino Ramon in San Ramon during business hours.

San Ramon (c) by Julia GASH - the Iron Horse Trail is at the top right!

April 18, 2024

I spotted a bit of sakura in the neighborhood. Even this small glimpse of cherry trees in blossom is intoxicating with its beauty. Imagine what it must be like in an orchard of cherry trees!

A glimpse of sakura on my walk in the neighborhood

April 24, 2024

I've been watching the Shōgun TV series and especially enjoying the fabrics and costumes by Costume Designer Carlos Rosario. If you like that type of thing, see The Making of Shōgun - Chapter Three: Creating the Costumes. Some of my favorite bits include:

• Marker 1:09 - note the indigo-dyed clothing worn by the villagers in Ajiro. We did some dyeing with indigo last year!
• Marker 3:18 - meet Heather, one of the fabric dyers for the show, describing dyeing activities.

April 26, 2024

Walks around Bishop Lake have been especially beautiful and interesting this spring. Maybe it's due to all the extra rain! The lake attracts a lot of local and migratory birds, some of which actually raise a few young ones before moving on. This heron seems to favor this spot. Could there be a nest in the reeds, or is it simply a good place to capture a quick bite?

This heron spends a lot of time in this one spot