The Bring Back the Natives garden tour is an annual highlight for gardeners and nature lovers here in the San Francisco Bay Area. The private gardens are far flung – from Martinez to Fremont, Albany to Danville, and everywhere in between. Most gardens are water-wise, use California native plants, and are wildlife friendly. They are beautiful and inspiring and full of wonderful ideas. You really have to plan your tour to visit all the gardens you want to see.
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| Wildlife garden that provides water, food, and shelter |
This year, COVID-19 stopped the garden tour cold due to lockdown and social distancing. This was devastating to both planners and would-be participants. Luckily, a few individuals sprang into action and re-architected the show from an in-person event to an online extravaganza to take place over three Sundays – April 26, May 3, and May 10. The event was kicked off on Sunday, April 26 with an online talk by ecologist
Douglas Tallamy, author of “
Bringing Nature Home: How Native Plants Sustain Wildlife in Our Gardens” and “
Nature's Best Hope”, and a virtual visit to the
East Bay Wilds Native Plant Nursery with Pete Veilleux. Technology and some creative hustle saved the day!
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| Electric blue flowers of the native Ceanothus |
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| Birds love this birdbath |
To attend the final day of the virtual tour, you must register at
2020 virtual event. See
View 2020 Gardens for photos of the gardens, and
Bring Back the Natives to learn more about their mission and resources. Videos of the tours are posted to YouTube (search for "bringing back the natives garden tour").
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| Mix of native plants line the path |
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