East Bay Green Home Tour

 Last year we looked into the cities of the future as envisioned by the architectural firm of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (see Cities of the Future). This year we're looking into the homes of the future. The East Bay Green Home tour is being introduced this year, inspired by the successful Bringing Back the Natives tour (see Bringing Back the Natives: 2021 Kickoff and Bringing Back the Natives: 2021 Update). The East Bay Green Home tour is a two-day event, made available via Zoom and YouTube, which features tours of a dozen East Bay homes that have gone green. The initial tour was held Sunday, June 6, and the final tour will be held on Sunday, June 13, 2021.

A major focus is moving toward homes powered by renewable energy sources, to reduce dependency on fossil fuels. Solar panels, induction cooking, and energy-efficient homes are major focuses. The tour included an all-new, all-electric apartment in Oakland, and homes that had been retrofitted for all-electric. The cost of conversion is high, and unreachable for many, so finding ways to bring everyone along were discussed. 

Solar panels provide power source

Charging station, heat pump and power boxes

I learned a lot from the event, and appreciated the passion and enthusiasm of the presenters. California has set some bold goals to become less dependent on fossil fuels, so it is interesting to see the innovations and programs available to get us there. It's daunting, but exciting to see all the energy pioneers and early adopters of new technologies.

Induction cooking

It's not too late to sign up for the final day of tour. To learn more about the event, see the schedule, and to register, see East Bay Home Tour. Videos of the home tour sites are posted. Resources provides links to information about clean energy, clean power, and green builders, and Sponsors provides a list of sponsors and community partners. The event is free but donations toward event expenses are appreciated.

Looking Ahead to 2020

Happy New Year! 2019 is a blur behind us, and 2020 is in our sights. It's always fun to have a new year stretching out before us, beckoning us into the future!

Each year I like to pick a theme for Eden By The Bay. For 2020, I think the only thing we can possibly entertain is Vision! It's too perfect, and the same opportunity will never present itself again. So, for the year 2020, we will look to the past for visionary ideas that got us to where we are; live fully into the present moment with the ideas that surround us; and look to the future for great ideas that will sustain close to eight billion of us. As always, our focus will be gardens, landscapes, and the natural world.

2020 vision - past, present, future	Innovations of the past
Roof gardens of today	Future of farming

Along the way we'll take time to rest, to breathe, to read great books and watch great movies. We'll spend time with our loved ones over delicious meals, get our hands dirty in the garden, and take inspiration from time in nature. We'll roam locally here in the San Francisco Bay Area, and hopefully put on our travelling shoes to venture further afield. Despite the ups and downs of life, I'm planning a great year in 2020, and hope you'll come along!

Fall Festival at Marra Farm

One of our South Park rambles with Mako took us through the Marra Community Garden. Recall we visited in winter, and saw the bones of the garden and lots of healthy looking kale (see Marra Farm Community Garden).

Marra Farm community garden in South Park, Seattle

Walking with Mako

When we visited this time, in late summer, the garden was filled with beautiful produce just starting to ripen, and within a month of harvest. The corn stalks stood high, and the ears were just ready to bulk up.

Giving garden

Corn stalks at Marra (note the slender ears of corn)

Beds were filled with a variety of squash, tomatoes, sunflowers, chard, lettuce, beans, and several types of pumpkin. Everything looked healthy and delicious.

Garden plots

Makes me wish were were going to be in town for the Marra Farm Fall Festival on the fourth Saturday in September. If you're in the Seattle area, find out more: Solid Ground 17th Annual Marra Farm Fall Fest.

Cousin Chris and the Glam Camper

A couple of weeks after flower viewing with my folks in Southern California, they came to visit us in the San Francisco Bay Area, prompting gatherings with my husband, aunt, and I. We always have fun together, whether exploring the Bay Area (see Filoli in Spring), eating ice cream at Fentons Creamery & Restaurant in Oakland or waffles at Fatapple's Restaurant & Bakery in El Cerrito, or just sitting around the kitchen table sharing family stories. This year we had the extra pleasure of Cousin Chris joining us.

Cousin Chris and the pop-up camper

For the last three years, Chris has been building a pop-up camper in his garage. By day he works in the fast-pace tech industry for a major corporation in Arizona. By night he is a family man with a wife and two college-age kids, active in his church and community, and a hands-on craftsman of wood and metal.

Hardwood door and entry to the camper

Chris drove the camper on its inaugural run from Arizona to the Bay Area, stopping at a rest stop for a few hours of sleep. The camper held up like a trooper, and proved itself strong and travel worthy. We all met at my aunt's house on a rainy afternoon, and finally got to see the fruit of Chris's labor.

Side view of the popped-up camper

We saw the sturdy trailer that is its base, a demo of how the camper pops-up and is leveled, its refrigeration and electrical capabilities, and the outside storage possibilities. We learned about all the research and new skills required to weld and rivet and seal the camper, and the variety of materials used.

Adding the removable windows

Then we saw the cozy hardwood interior with its amenities for water and cooking and the future fan. The captain's chair has a swing out desk for working on the road, and the space is configurable with comfortable benches by day, and either two single beds or a double by night. Cabinets provide space to stow gear and provisions.

Cozy hardwood interior (framework for the future fan on the ceiling) 

Our host for a cozy afternoon

We spent the afternoon in the camper probing Chris for details, and admiring the craftsmanship. Most of the building material was either purchased very cheaply (like the hardwood, acquired from a lumber yard going out of business), or re-purposed (like the windows).

Entertaining in style (everyone got to try the captain's chair)

Room for all

This is not just a camper, this is a Glam Camper full of beauty and craftsmanship, stories and  passion. It made me think about how satisfying it is to step away from the virtual world of our computers and devices (fun though they are) and create something in the real world. (Plus, I couldn't help but think, wouldn't this be the perfect accommodations for flower viewing)!

Selfie (or groupie) shot back in the house

Seahurst Park

On New Year's Day the four of us took Mako on a walk at Seahurst Park in nearby Burien, Washington. It was the first sunny day since we arrived in the Seattle area (although the sun did peak out periodically throughout our visit). Seahurst is a 178-acre park on Puget Sound, comprised of both shoreline and forests. Within the last 15 years the beach has been improved via a restoration project that removed part of a decaying sea wall and restored the beach to a more natural state.

Winter forest on the way to the beach

View of the Sound and Olympic Mountains

At the park, we had wonderful views of the Sound and the Olympic Mountains. It was chilly and clear, and everything was bathed in beautiful golden winter light. We walked along the shore, then hiked up into the canyon, and back down to the beach.

Walk in Seahurst Park

Marine Technology Lab in the center of the picture

We passed by the Marine Technology Lab that is used by several school districts. We had plenty of company along the way, no doubt many folks were eager to be out in the sunlight with family and friends before heading back to work. Mako seemed to enjoy the hike, as well as the car ride to and from the Park.

Golden winter light

Mako on the move (and loving it)

Back home we did a little packing, worked on a puzzle, and ordered dinner from nearby Proletariat Pizza. Later we watched the French version of Beauty and the Beast (2014) with Vincent Cassel, Léa Seydoux, and André Dussollier. It was a satisfying end to our Christmas visit in Seattle, and the perfect kick off day to the new year!

Marra Farm Community Garden

On one of our long rambles in South Park, Seattle with Mako, we passed through Marra Farm, a four-acre farm parcel that is part of Marra-Desimone Park. The original Marra Farm was operated as a truck farm by the Italian-American Marra family from the early 1900s to the 1970s, and was then sold to King County.

Marra Farm community garden in South Park, Seattle

In 1997 several citizens and nonprofit organizations restored part of the farm, and today it operates as a community garden, growing more than 13,000 pounds of organic produce a year. Seattle residents can sign up for a P-Patch lot, and are added to the waiting list.

Healthy kale and greens at Marra Farm

Greenhouse structures at Marra Farm

We walked through the raised garden beds and green houses. It was December, cold, and raining, but the kale looked fantastic! The large chicken coop was stocked with many species of chickens.

Chicken coop at Marra Farm

Another restoration project is underway nearby – Hamm Creek, a tributary of the lower Duwamish River which empties into Elliott Bay. According to Habitat Restoration along the Lower Duwamish Waterway, the restoration at Hamm Creek provides a “fish-passable” connection to the Duwamish river, enabling salmonid spawning in Hamm Creek.

Hamm Creek habitat restoration

Living with Drought: Wrap Up

Living with the reality of prolonged drought in the Western United States, and the Bay Area, forces us to rethink our water-thirsty gardens and adopt new practices.

Dry field in the Central Valley

Getting Started 

Kick off the grand project of living with drought here in Northern California, and the greater Western United States

Living with Drought
Badge of Honor
Ahead of Their Time

Coping with Drought 

Learn about plants that thrive in low-water gardens, look for alternatives to the ubiquitous green lawn, and consider the merits of using gray water in the landscape.

Botanical Collections of the Bay Area
Replacing Lawns
Ground Covers
Grasses
Vines
Gray Water in Dublin
Dry Gardens in the Bay Area

Interesting Ideas

Some big ideas to help our gardens thrive in continual drought.

Where to Shop: California Natives
Dry Farming
Shopping for Water

Books, Mags, and Movies

Books, magazine articles, and movies with a drought theme.

National Geographic: When the Snow Fails
California Native Landscape
Chinatown (Jan 2016)
Young Ones (Jan 2016)
Dune (Jan 2016)

Clear Lake Wine Country

We visited several wineries in Clear Lake, and learned all about the wonderful soil, enriched with age-old volcanic ash, and the excellent climate and growing conditions. One especially interesting winery is Ceago Vinegarden Wineries, created by Jim Fetzer (formerly of Fetzer Vineyards), near Nice on the north end of Clear Lake.

Ceago Winery from the dock – lavender

Ceago is a certified Biodynamic winery that uses organic, sustainable, and earth-friendly practices, designed to produce a top grade product and rejuvenate the earth. Their practices include crop rotation; composting; use of, manures, green manures, and organic fertilizers; and avoiding genetically engineered organisms and chemical pesticides. Ceago specializes in both red and white wines, and also grows organic vegetables, and lavender for its essential oils.

Shady arbor

We had a great visit to Ceago. We arrived by boat, so approached the winery from Clear Lake. The lavender had recently been harvested, so the remaining plants were a dusty gray green and clipped into rounded shapes (it must be beautiful when the plants are in full bloom). The buildings and grounds are lovely and well kept, with restaurant, tasting room, and small store centrally located in the main building. The landscaping includes a central courtyard, a leafy arbor, and vegetable garden.

The dock

Working Goats in Alameda County

I love interesting and creative solutions to difficult problems. One of my favorites is the use of goat herds in Alameda County to combat dry vegetation that would otherwise pose a fire risk. I’ve seen goat herds in the hills behind Oakland and out in Dublin, California.

Goat herd on assignment in Dublin, California

The goats are transported around the county, and get to work eating vegetation (eliminating the need for herbicides to kill it). When the site is under control, the goats move on to the next site. Brilliant!