Ohlone Greenway Coastal Prairie Restoration Project
Berkeley
Years gardened at this location: 6 years
Garden size: 40 yards of 8’ strips on either side of the Ohlone Greenway (adjacent to the Peralta Community Garden)
Showcase feature: Six years ago community members who wanted to grow local native grassland plants formed a group called CHIA. CHIA cleared a weedy area by hand, and planted more than 60 species of plants native to East Bay grassland/coastal prairie/coastal scrub plant communities. Most of these plants are genetically native to the East Bay and were acquired from Native Here Nursery. Many plants have been propagated from seeds by volunteers at the Peralta Community Garden Nursery.
Other garden attractions:
- Thick layer of mulch was used to suppress weeds.
- Plants along the trail receive no summer water.
- Buttercups and other wildflowers now appear on their own when the rains begin.
Gardening for Wildlife: The large array of native plants provide habitat for birds, bees, butterflies and moths, and their larva. Tarplant provides seeds for birds and homes for green and yellow striped moth larvae. Tiny solitary bees love the Gilia and buttercups. Skippers mate on the needle grass and hummingbirds chase each other around the Fuchsia. Ladybugs snack on aphids found on the bush lupine, while black and orange caterpillars make themselves at home on the same bush lupine. And in early spring, brown caterpillars are camouflaged on dry buckwheat stalks.
Directions: From I-80 exit at Gilman in Berkeley and turn East, toward the hills. Go past San Pablo Avenue, and then past two stop signs. Continue three more blocks and turn right onto Peralta Avenue. Near the end of the block, you will see the iron gates of the Peralta Community Garden on the right. The CHIA Ohlone Greenway Coastal Prairie Restoration Project is adjacent to, and just north of, the Peralta Community Garden.