• Am I falling in love with Waste Management of Alameda County?  Why, YES! That’s because they have teamed up with the Bay-Friendly Coalition in their customer mailing this month to educte their customers about the the benefits of replacing lawns with more water efficient landscaping.

    “Replace your ordinary grass lawn with a Healthy, Sustainable Garden. The Bay-Friendly Gardening Program can help you!”  In addition to the information on www.loseyourlawn.org, learn how to install an elegant low-water use garden by reading Wholly H2O’s information on waterwise landscaping.  There, you’ll find out that grass is the most irrigated crop in the United States.  In fact, those of you living in desert areas of California will benefit greatly by replacing your lawns and lowering your draw on water imported from Northern California’s Bay Delta.

    In addition to thier information on lawn replacement, Bay Friendly hosts a truly fabulous yearly garden tour, and this year’s tour features many gardens that nourish their plants with rainwater and graywater.

    This year’s host gardens represent the many different styles of Bay-Friendly. You will find urban homesteads with orchards, chickens and bees, greywater installations by local experts, and drought tolerant replacements for water thirsty lawns. The host gardeners themselves are a diverse group that includes permaculturists, native plant enthusiasts, do-it-yourselfers and landscape professionals.

    Sunday, April 29th – Alameda & Santa Clara Counties
    Sunday, May 6th – Napa County
    Saturday, May 19th – Marin County

    ALL TOUR DAYS: 10am – 4pm

    Tour Registration

    • Registration is required to receive a Tour Guidebook which contains directions and garden descriptions
    • Cost is $10 for a Tour Guidebook alone, or $35 for Guidebook, plus Bay-Friendly Membership