Salesforce Rooftop Garden Tour

Spent a wonderful day at the Salesforce Rooftop Garden in San Francisco! Mari and I took BART to Embarcadero Station, and then walked the short distance to the Transit Center. From Salesforce Plaza at Street Level, we could look up to Salesforce Park on the fourth floor, and the gondola perched at its upper terminus. We didn't realize it at the time, but behind the white lacy metal screen below the trees is the third floor Bus Deck of the Transit Center (click on the photo to enlarge it and see more detail). The buildings towered over us and provided contrast with the forest of trees and plants on the fourth floor.

View of the gondola and trees in Salesforce Park (floor 4),
from Salesforce Plaza (Street Level)

Winding trail around Salesforce Park

We checked the gondola schedule, hoping to catch a ride up to the Rooftop Level. It didn't seem to be running, so we rode the elevator up instead and explored briefly. At 10:00 AM we joined the monthly walking tour at the Main Plaza (there is also a monthly birding walk and many other health, dance, and musical events). Our tour guide and botanical expert, Ingrid, introduced us to the history and development of the Transit Center and the botanical garden. The garden design celebrates the Mediterranean climate and incorporates plants from all of the earth's five Mediterranean climate zones – Mediterranean Europe, central Chile, South Africa, Western Australia, and the California coast.

Transbay Transit Center Concept - the big picture (click to enlarge) 

Ingrid describes the Wollemi pine at
Salesforce Park (Wollemia nobillis) 

We were surprised to learn that the plants and trees are rooted in only five feet of soil. The roots receive ample water and spread out to anchor themselves, without the need to send down deep tap roots to find water. The soil supports a Redwood grove and many other tall trees. 

View of one of the skylights that help illuminate the Transit Center floor below

Mari snaps a shot of a Monkey Puzzle tree (Araucaria araucana)

The tree and plant collection is amazing. I was especially interested to see my first Wollemi pine specimen. It is one of those "fossil plants" from dinosaur days that was thought to be extinct, until a small grove was discovered near Sydney, Australia in 1994. I remember my Dad (a retired forester) sharing a newspaper article with me about the discovery. Another dinosaur plant (in terms of size) is the Gunnera, which is a tough plant with huge leaves that grows to an enormous size and then dies back during the dry season. (Note that its roots are high in tannins and used to create a black dye and to tan leather, hence the use of tinctoria in its scientific name).

Chilean Rhubarb (Gunnera tinctoria) 

Deep shade under the trees

After the tour we found a table in the shade, and ate our lunch with hiking buddy, Josephine, who joined us. It was fun to relax in such a beautiful environment, surrounded by trees and tall buildings, and catch up on all the news. After lunch, Mari and I sought out the gondola again. This time, we found it at the Street Level terminus below us, seemingly unattended with no intention of moving. We decided to pursue the gondola ride in another visit.

View of the gondola at Street Level
from the Park Level (floor 4)

Instead, we explored each floor of the Transit Center, marveling how beautiful and clean everything is, and filled with natural and diffused light. We studied a comprehensive poster showing all the bus, Muni, and train options available. I felt inspired to both learn the system and do more exploring using my Clipper Card; and to return to the garden to see its seasonal changes. This is a wonderful public garden and a destination worth exploring!

View of the Bus Deck Level (floor 3)

Bringing Back the Natives: 2025

The Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour is back for 2025, and celebrating its 21st Anniversary! I recently attended the two-day online portion of the event, complete with a key note speaker, presentations on fascinating topics, and online garden tours. The online program makes the event available to those who cannot attend the in-person garden tours, including those located outside the Bay Area. One of these years, I'll attend the in-person tours, but in this season of life, I love the convenience of the online version. The in-person garden tours take place the first weekend in May. 

Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour is back for 2025!

Ecologist Doug Tallamy hosted an FAQ session for those looking to transform their yards into ecologically valuable gardens. He answered questions about creating habitat using the questions that he receives from his lectures and email. Many of these questions also appear in his new book, How Can I Help: Saving Nature with Your Yard. Tallamy is leading a grass roots effort across the United States, to convert our yards, containers, patios, and decks to habitat in a Homegrown National Park. You can learn more on the website, and can add your backyard to the virtual wildlife park across the nation.

 

Native gardens are beautiful and exciting (online screenshot)

The online garden tours visited landscapes in San Pablo, Richmond, Berkeley, San Francisco, Oakland, and Walnut Creek. One presenter created a native habitat in the back yard of her rental, and described why the expense, work, and effort has been worth it, despite not owning the property. Benefits include viewing wildlife in an urban setting, relaxing in nature after a busy day, and growing a community of interested neighbors. Seasoned garden designer Lois Simonds of Gardening With Nature’s Design, provided a poetic description of her goals in a garden design.

A restoration project after three years (online screenshot)

The Skyline Gardens Restoration Project presentation was inspiring. A group of volunteers is working to do away with invasive species (such as European bunch grass) in the Oakland Hills. Invasive species have few natural enemies to combat them, and crowd out native species in the area. The three-year process involves weeding to do away with invasives, and promoting re-entry of California natives.  Volunteers donate 2-3 hours a week, and are rewarded with friendship and good snacks while they work, and a beautiful restored landscape in the end!

Sidewalk plantings provide habitat for birds, bees, butterflies, and insects (online screenshot)

Aesthetic pruner, Leslie Buck, gave a demonstration of the three main cuts required to prune California native plants - thinning, heading, and tipping. For more information see her book, Cutting Back: My Apprenticeship in the Gardens of Kyoto, part how-to and part autobiographical.

Native garden at Woodside Library (photo by Kathy Kraemer (online screenshot)

I found out more information about Assembly Bill 1572 (AB-1572), which prohibits the use of potable water for irrigation of non-functional turf. This law will be phased in starting in 2026. AB-1572 will transform the California landscape, reduce water consumption, and provide more habitat for California native flora and fauna. Not to worry - turf used for golfing, playing teams sports, and group events is retained. Rebates are available.

Native gardens provide a respite (online screenshot)

Several presentations focused on making our landscapes more firesafe, which is very timely in light of recent fires in California and Maui. The key seems to be keeping a five foot "clear zone" around the perimeter of the house. I am inspired to look at the zone around our home to see what can be improved.

Making your home firesafe (online screenshot)

Several presentations focused on the need to plant California native plants for bees and insects. Food is important, but so is shelter, and the habitat needed for reproductive cycles. When planting a garden, plan for a year-round banquet for generalist and specific feeders. California is home to about 6000 plant species from which to choose.

Bees gather together (online screenshot)

These are just a few of the highlights from the two-day online event. Check the Bringing Back the Natives website for more information about the 2025 online and in-person topics, speakers, garden tours, and resources. It is clear that Doug Tallamy has 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. The concepts apply to gardens in any climate and location in the United States - go native!

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).

Summer Heat at Filoli

Over the last decade, my Aunt Char and I have visited Filoli in Woodside, California in all four seasons and at Christmas. The gardens, grounds, and home are always beautiful, stately and inspiring, and there is always something new to see. We recently visited Filoli in the midst of a summer heat spell to celebrate Aunt Char's birthday. As an added treat, my cousin Chris (of Glam Camper fame), and his wonderful wife, Nancy, were in town and joined us on the expedition. On the day we visited, staff and volunteers were preparing for an evening fundraising gala, so we caught glimpses of the preparation throughout our visit.

Grand entrance with begonia containers and party preparations

Ready for our house and garden tour

The temperature hovered in the low nineties, so we were in shade-seeking mode throughout our visit. We lingered within the house for our self-guided tour and enjoyed the decorating changes since our last visit to Filoli for the holidays in 2019, and the beautiful floral arrangements from the gardens. Chris and Nancy pointed out some interesting details about the unique woodwork that appears throughout the house. We also appreciated the cooler temperature and relief from the midday sun. 

A shady spot close to the house

Enjoying the architecture from a shady bench

The grounds were beautiful in layered shades and textures of green. Begonias, coneflowers, and hydrangeas were blooming in full force when we visited, and the dahlias were just ramping up.

Sunken Garden

Garden House

Shady terrace with begonias in containers

The Garden House is one of my favorite buildings. It would be the perfect space to savor my morning coffee and read the newspaper and periodically enjoy the landscape through the arched windows. For our visit, we enjoyed a break from the sun and the beautiful views of the garden.

Garden House is a favorite place

A shady respite in Garden House

By the time we  toured the Cutting, Vegetable, and Production Gardens, the sun was not as high in the sky and a marine breeze was stirring. Resting in the shade to survey the beauty was still part of our strategy.

View of the Wedding Terrace

Hydrangeas of all colors

The hydrangeas were so beautiful and colorful! The flower color is partially determined by the soil's pH (acidic soil yields blue or lavender, and alkaline soil yields pinks and reds). The gardeners must modify the soil to produce such a variety of color. (We had time to ponder this on the shady path). 

Black-eyed Susan flowers

View towards Crystal Springs Reservoir from the High Place

My husband, Rick, joined us at Fentons Creamery and Restaurant for dinner and ice cream creations, and conversation about our visit to the garden. The atmosphere at Fentons was very festive that night, with lots of birthday celebrations (we fit right in with Aunt Char's birthday). Later we regrouped at our home for conversation in the cool of the evening. What a great day, filled with beauty and wonderful people!

Bringing Back the Natives: 2023

The Bringing Back the Natives garden tour is back for 2023, with both virtual and in-person formats. Last weekend the virtual garden tours took place on Zoom, and in several weeks, the in-person garden tours will take place. As in previous years I attended both days of the virtual garden tours (but will be travelling during the in-person tours, so will miss see the gardens in person).

Doug Tallamy from University of Delaware gave the keynote address, “Restoring the little things that run the world: Why it matters, and what you can do”. Tallamy presented simple steps that each of us can­ take right in our own backyards to reverse declining biodiversity. Tallamy has written several books including The Nature of Oaks, and is a popular speaker on topics such as keystone plants, creating a wildlife corridor in the landscape, and starting a homegrown national park. His latest book is Nature's Best Hope: How You Can Save the World in Your Own Yard is a version of his previous publication Nature's Best Hope that is geared for middle-schoolers. Tallamy has inspired many gardeners to completely change the trajectory of their landscapes (and has deeply influenced our own upcoming landscape project).  

Interesting presentations include tours of landscapes with designers and property owners (some of  whom also embrace "green home" principles with solar panels, off grid electricity, and so forth); how to design and maintain monarch-friendly gardens; harvesting rainwater for irrigating your garden; and native plant sources in the Bay Area, such as East Bay Wilds and Native Here Nursery. I especially enjoyed learning about sunny and shady keystone plants (plants that are not only beautiful, but also support insect and bird life); native plants as street trees (progress is being made in some cities); and the important role that aphids play in the landscape (hint: they are the basis of the food chain, so embrace them). For the soul, I loved the photo-essay "Life and Death on Silverleaf Lupine" and the video "The Beauty of New Life: March and April in the Native Plant Garden".

Upscale bird bath

Resin bird bath and fountain

Neighborhood lending library with succulent roof

It's not too late to sign up for the 2023 in-person garden tours on Saturday, May 6 (Bayside gardens) and Sunday, May 7 (Inland gardens).  Registration enables you to visit the gardens and see the recordings from the virtual garden tours. To learn more about the online agenda from last weekend, see Agenda 2023 Online Tour. To learn more about the in-person agenda in a few weeks, see View 2023 In-Person Tour Gardens. The tours are free, but donations are appreciated to offset costs.

Bringing Back the Natives: 2022 (Virtual)

The Bringing Back the Natives garden tour is back for 2022, and this time with both a virtual and in-person formats. Last weekend the virtual garden tours took place, via Zoom and YouTube. In a couple of weeks, the in-person garden tours will take place. This year I attended both virtual garden tours and may attend some of the in-person tours (first time ever)!

Doug Tallamy from University of Delaware gave the keynote address, based on his most recent book, The Nature of Oaks, which follows an oak tree through the calendar year. Doug is an advocate of planting keystone plants, which provide vital food sources and shelter for other species, and help define entire ecosystems. His favorite example is the oak tree, which hosts whole communities of birds, moths, butterflies, rodents, beetles, spiders, and more. Doug has spoken on aspects of this this topic over the last three years. It's very common to hear other presenters quote Tallamy or report how their landscaping practices have changed because of him (one person even tore out all their agapanthus after hearing Tallamy speak)!

Some of my favorite presentations include organizer Kathy Kramer's plant round up: "Ten Best Native Plants for Sunny Areas" and "Ten Best Native Plants for Shady Areas". And Al Kyte' retrospective on his 50-year old California native garden in Moraga, which is the subject of a six-video series called "Dimensions of Beauty". It's also fun to learn about new tools, like the Sun Surveyor app for tracking sunlight in your garden; native plant sources such as East Bay Wilds and Oaktown Nursery; and landscape designers. 

Sun Surveyor app

Bee condo

How to prune manzanitas

It's not too late to sign up for the 2022 in-person garden tours (April 30 and May 1).  Registration enables you to visit the gardens and see the recordings from the virtual garden tours. To learn more about the online agenda from last weekend, see Online Garden Tour agenda, 2022. To learn more about the in-person agenda in a couple of weeks, see View 2022 In-Person Tour Gardens. The tours are free, but donations are appreciated to offset costs. Hope to see you there! 

Bloom! California

 Not sure how to get started with California Natives? You're not alone - including me, who has been fascinated with California native plants for years. I'm sold on the concept of using California native plants in the garden, but pulling it all together is daunting. The California Native Plant Society (CPNS) is kicking off a campaign to help. Bloom! California focuses on eleven starter plant groups, with recommendations for plants that are easy to grow in California, require low water, and are host plants for butterflies, birds, bees, and other wildlife.

The eleven basic plant groups include ornamental grasses, mints, iris, currants, clarkia, manzanita, yarrow, sage, phacelia, toyon, and oaks. Most plant groups included multiple plants suggestions. All can be grown in California, but some may be more suited to where you live. The filtered plant list has access to the Calscape database for information about each plant, its requirements, and the wildlife it supports. If you've signed up for Calscape, you can save plants to a custom list. I created "Bloom-CA" for my top favorites (and added a Western Redbud).

My top favorite native plants

Export to Excel for a convenient list of plant choices

This scoped list makes it easier to focus on several foundational plants to start, and makes a convenient shopping list. Calscape also provides information about nurseries where you can purchase California native plants. Calscape is a great resource for California gardeners (see Calscape from last year).