Page 4 - Sonoma County 2016 Gardeners Resource GUide.indd

Free Garden Tour Focuses on California Natives and
By Gregory Plumb Urban Homesteads
The annual Eco-Friendly Garden Tour (Tour) is coming up on April 30th! Now in its sixth year, the Tour is sponsored by the Sonoma-Marin Saving Water Partnership (Partnership) and focuses on low-water-use, sustainable landscaping. Tour participants will learn water-saving strategies and garden tips from homeowners while perusing gorgeous gardens and mingling with neighbors. The 2016 Tour stands out due to collaborations with two local organizations, Daily Acts and the California Native Plant Society (CNPS) Milo Baker Chapter.
The Petaluma based non-profit Daily Acts will be leading afternoon
guided tours of urban homesteads in Petaluma, Cotati, and Windsor. These gardens optimize precious resources to create bountiful landscapes that offer beauty, wildlife habitat, and fresh food. Homeowners have designed their landscapes as mini watersheds, collecting rainwater, repurposing graywater, and nurturing the soil to keep as much moisture on site as possible. Resiliency- building features like chickens,
bees, and ‘Do-It- Yourself’
upcycling projects will be
showcased as well.
Included in the Tour is the Petaluma garden of Lisa and Gilbert Eldridge. Over the past 35 years the Eldridge’s have transformed a dingy lawn and lava rock landscape to a scene of sustainable abundance
ECO-TOUR cont’d on page 5
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