Eco-Friendly Garden Tour 2023

It was a bright and very warm day, but hundreds from our communities joined in the 2023 garden tour. We sponsored 2 gardens in the tour, plus working with our partners, the fabulous Laguna Foundation.

With the recent heat, the gardens were bursting forth with bloom. Our Plant Information signage attracted people to plants, even if they were not blooming. Cathie Haynes opened her garden in Cotati with help in greeting from Judith Rousseau and Ashley Hamlett. We had 159 visitors to her garden. Marie Kay Hansen shared her garden in Oakmont with greeting by Liz Parsons and I. 186 visitors made their way to Oakmont. There was lots of interest in how Marie Kay convinced her Home Owners Association to allow conversion of her lawn to natives.

The Laguna Foundation topped everyone with 538 visitors to their fabulous demonstration garden. Most of their staff was there to support the tour and plant sale at our shared nursery. We almost sold out of plants and interest in Native Plant Gardening was proved with the sale of 25 copies of our new Sonoma County Native Plant Gardener book.

Our partnership has grown since we started building the nursery 5 years ago. The CNPS Milo Baker Chapter is so fortunate to have their support. I, as Nursery Chair, especially value Ayla Mills, their nursery manager, and Maggie, Brent, Elias, Christine, Wendy, Anne and Carlos for going above and beyond what we committed to in our original agreement.

It was inspiring to see so many people asking about natives and wanting to switch. Our Milo Baker Chapter voices for the last 40 years are finally making an impact. Our neighbors are ready to extend habitat into their landscape, support native birds, butterflies and bees, while saving water. Thanks to all of our members for educating friends and neighbors about natives.