Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour

Kathy Kramer Consulting
1718 Hillcrest Road
San Pablo CA 94806
(510) 236-9558 (Phone and fax)
Kathy@KathyKramerConsulting.net

www.BringingBackTheNatives.net

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MEDIA CONTACT: Kathy Kramer, (510) 236-9558
Kathy@KathyKramerConsulting.net
www.BringinBackTheNatives.net

Digital photographs available at www.BringingBackTheNatives.net

Registration is now open for the
Fourth Annual Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour Sunday, May 4, 2008

Companion Events
1. Select (Guided) Tours
Saturdays and Sundays April 12, 13, 26, 27, and May 3, 18, and 25, 2008

2. Native Plant Sale Extravaganza
Saturday and Sunday, May 3 and 4, 2008

San Pablo, CA - Registration is now open for the free Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour, which will take place Sunday, May 4, 2008, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at various locations throughout Alameda and Contra Costa counties. Participants on the fourth annual, free, self-guided Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour can choose from sixty showcase native plant gardens. They will have the opportunity to learn how select and care for California native plants, lower their water bills, design a low-maintenance garden, attract butterflies, birds, and bees, and garden without using pesticides. Approximately 60 talks will be offered throughout the day. More than 5,000 people are expected to register for this annual event; early registration is suggested to ensure a place.

The delightful collection of gardens offered this year on the Sunday, May 4, 2008 Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour range from Jenny and Scott Fleming’s 50-year-old collector's garden to several that are newly installed, and from five-acre lots to small front gardens in the flats. Garden styles run the gamut—from restoration gardens containing local native plants to the horticulturally available suite of natives from throughout California, and from gardens designed and installed by owners to those designed and installed by professionals.

In the “Preview the 2008 Gardens” section at www.BringingBackTheNatives.net are photographs of each garden, extensive garden descriptions, and plant lists, as well as a list of nurseries that sell natives. Landscape designers familiar with designing with natives can also be located on the website; many of these landscape designers are offering discount consultations to tour participants.

Two companion features will be offered as part of this year’s Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour. The first, a series of Select Tours—exclusive, guided tours of inspirational native plant gardens—will take place on Saturdays and Sundays April 12, 13, 26, 27, and May 3, 18, and 25, 2008. The Select Tours will provide serious gardeners with additional opportunities to learn how to select native plants and garden for wildlife; obtain insights about designing native plant gardens; and gain an insider’s view of a variety of unusual and delightful gardens in a small group setting. Several tours will be lead by noted landscape designers, and will feature gardens they designed and installed. One of the Select Tours is a Gourmet Bicycle Tour to Walnut Creek and Lafayette gardens; another is a Fraction of a Century Bicycle Tour of two spectacular Oakland gardens; another is a walking tour of three Berkeley gardens.

Select Tour group size is limited to 30; the fee is $30 per person. Registration for the Select Tours at www.BringingBackTheNatives.net is required. Early registration is suggested, as these small tours are expected to fill quickly.

The second companion Tour feature is the Native Plant Sale Extravaganza, which will take place on Saturday and Sunday, May 3 and 4. This exclusive sale features a number of native plant nurseries—many not normally open to the general public—which carry large quantities of hard-to-find California natives. This two-day shopping opportunity will offer native plant fans a good selection of native plants and provide a relaxed shopping experience. Knowledgeable staff will be on hand to help shoppers select the right plants for their gardens, and Saturday shoppers will have time to visit more showcase native plant gardens on Sunday, May 4, during the Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour.

What’s special about California native plants? They are adapted to our soil and climate and are easy to care for. Native plants are naturally drought tolerant. They attract native birds, butterflies, and other forms of wildlife. And, as the gardens on the Tour show, California native plants are beautiful; these lovely gardens display a sense of place that is uniquely Californian.

Admission to the Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour on Sunday, May 4, 2008, is free. Admission to the Select Tours is $30 per person, with a limit of 30 people per tour. Registration prior to April 26 is required and can be completed at www.BringingBackTheNatives.net. While registering, a visit to the Carpools and Gardeners Match section of the website will help registrants find neighbors to share gardening skills, native plants, or tools; to plan work parties; or carpool, either on the day of the Tour, or to the Select Tours.

For more information, contact Kathy@KathyKramerConsulting.net or call (510) 236-9558 between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m.

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