Planning for a Backyard Greywater System

After planting a front garden that required little irrigation, my client John and I were interested in using his household greywater to irrigate the backyard. Hoping to lower his water usage, we looked for where changes could be made to reduce his water consumption without a large investment of time, or money (it’s widely held that the average american uses 150 gallons of water a day, 60% of this outdoors).

Initially I assumed we would use the washing machine greywater on the second floor. These systems, which are permitted by recently amended California plumbing codes, are the

Wanted: Wood Chips, For Pick-Up or Delivery

“Mama, all you care about is wood chips,” or so my boys occasionally claim. While it might not be entirely true, I do admit to a weakness for tree trimmings. After big storms the tree crews come around and leave piles of wood chips in roadside turnouts—a genuine community service for folks like me who load the whole family up in the truck armed with forks and shovels for claiming those chips.

During a recent afternoon bike ride I spotted a big pile of chips at our local volunteer fire station. When I stopped

Outdoor Day Beds

As co-organizer of the Bay-Friendly garden tour I get to visit a lot of gardens. After a couple of years on the job, I am still inspired by new ideas and often give them a try in my own yard. I always enjoy seeing when other gardeners adopt projects they discovered on the garden tour too. My favorite example of this is probably outdoor day beds.

The first day bed I remember seeing showed up on the 2007 garden tour at Vanessa Kuemmerle's garden in Emeryville. The 2008 tour included a

Talking Dirt

Yesterday I found myself around folks who love talking dirt – or compost, that is!  This week the United States Composting Council sponsored the 19^th Annual Conference and Exhibition and held an Educators’ Workshop, in Santa Clara, to share what educational endeavors are happening nationally and regionally.

Building a Green Roof in Oakland

Building a green roof—one that has plants on it—can conserve energy by keeping the house insulated. Oakland gardener Greg Powell says his green roof reduces heat retention, reduces glare, and increases rainwater infiltration.

School Yard Safari

The kindergarten and 1^st graders at the Pacific Community Charter School went on safari. Okay, it wasn’t exactly the kind of safari that involved searching for large predators on the African savannah, but nonetheless the kids were thrilled by their discoveries.

Hands-On Workshops, Spring Series

Dig deeper into Bay-Friendly and get hands on practice at these workshops. You can sign up for one or the whole series of 8! Online registration is available in early February. The spring series will take place in northern Alameda County, El Cerrito and valley

Green Biz in Mr. Khalifah’s Class

Mr. Khalifah’s 5^th Grade class at Civicorps Elementary School, formerly the East Bay Conservation Corps, in Oakland embraces the spirit of green enterprise. In 2007, I collaborated with Mr.Khalifah’s 5^th grade class as participants of the StopWaste.Org and Alameda County Office of Education’s, Cesar Chavez Service-Learning Program. Mr. Khalifah was intrigued by Van Jone’s idea of the green economy, and specifically how to address urban poverty in black communities in

Visit a Bay-Friendly Rated Landscape

Visit a Bay-Friendly Rated Landscape!

The Bay-Friendly rating system provides a way to quantify how well a built landscape embodies the 7 principles of Bay-Friendly.  Piloted in 2005, the Bay-Friendly Rated Landscape Program now includes 26 completed projects, totaling over 69 acres, with 11 projects comprising 112 acres currently in design and construction. 

Currently the rating system is available to civic and commercial projects (new or major renovations) and new affordable multi-family housing

Kid-Friendly Gardening in Berkeley

When Wanda Nusted retired from the classroom, she didn't want to stop working with kids, she wanted a different setting. An art teacher with little prior gardening experience, Nusted turned her backyard into a playground where, on any given day, her three

Bay-Friendly Qualified Landscapers: Here to Help

Congratulations to the new classes of Bay-Friendly Qualified Landcape Professionals! Now, more than 500 professional landscapers are available to help you with the design or maintenance of your Bay-Friendly garden! Whether you are looking for design ideas to transform your tired lawn into something more inspiring, or in need of maintenance help, Qualified Landscapers are available throughout the Bay Area.

Bay-Friendly Qualified Landscape Professionals have received instruction on sustainable landscape practices, such as:

·         Enhancing soil biology,

·         Caring for California native plants,

·         Weed control through sheet mulching, and

·         Efficient irrigation systems.

To find a Bay-Friendly Qualified Landscape Professional in your area, download the newly updated lists of the current BFQP's.

Design Professionals

Construction and Maintenance Professionals

If you're interested in becoming Bay-Friendly Qualified (or want to encourage your current landscaper), the Bay-Friendly Coalition lists trainings throughout the Bay Area.


-Kelly Schoonmaker, regular contributor

Spring Garden Tour

Welcome to the 8^th annual Bay-Friendly Garden Tour! In previous years, the tour had been organized by StopWaste.Org in Alameda County. This role has now switched over to the non-profit Bay-Friendly Landscaping & Gardening Coalition. The Coalition is very pleased to present the first regional garden tour in Alameda, Napa, and Santa Clara

Nursery Talks

This spring, local nurseries and the Bay-Friendly program will jointly host free interactive and informative events to help you create a healthy, sustainable garden, including:


Guided plant tours with Bay-Friendly Qualified Landscapers to get the skinny on the right plant for the right place.

Rethink Your Lawn Talks – learn how to easily convert your lawn to a Bay-Friendly garden that suits your needs using low cost and labor saving techniques.

Bay-Friendly advisors on hand to answer your questions about Bay-Friendly practices.

Check the Bay-Friendly website for more information, including schedule, about spring nursery events.

With the Watershed in Mind

Closer to Shattuck Avenue in north Berkeley, Codornices Creek has become a rolling and tumbling body of water that flows year-round. Hawks and herons and songbirds use the creek corridor, as do deer and other mammals.

Family Gardening in Alameda

A Bay-Friendly workshop attendee and long-time garden enthusiast, Jill Mariani’s passion for organic gardening is evident throughout her yard. With the help of her two small children, edibles and flowers—including pumpkins and cosmos chosen by her oldest son—thrive in the south-facing front yard. Mallow, butterfly bush and a few fruit trees are among the plants that give the small backyard an expansive feel, and are hearty enough to withstand an occasional soccer ball from play on the chemical-free lawn. Mariani’s

Eric’s Urban Sanctuary in Berkeley

Owner of Gardens by Eric Burkhart, this landscape designer’s home garden is a “an urban sanctuary for plants, people and wildlife”. The well-established canopy of flowering perennials and fruit trees protects naturalized

Backyard Sustainable Design in Oakland

In 2002 when Dinah McFarlane and Larry Chang bought this place, the yard featured a dead hot tub that was breeding opossums, a rotten deck and pagoda from the early 80’s, a fence that had fallen over and a backyard that was almost entirely covered in cement. Luckily,

Cardboard Anyone?

One thing that became immediately clear when meeting Caroline Harris in her Fremont garden is that she is gung-ho about sheet mulching and she’s not shy about knocking on her neighbors’ door with a smile on her face, a pile of cardboard in her arms, and a witty comment on the tip of her lips. Before heading out to her neighbors, Caroline sheet mulched her lawn and replaced it with a mix of Mediterranean plants that don’t need a lot of water to stand up to full sun. Splashes of color from the self-seeding valerian and California