From Kathy Kramer:

Dear Friend of the Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour and Green Home Features Showcase,

I’m writing to let you know about our many upcoming spring events: also about Assembly Bill 1572, which provides an amazing opportunity to create native plant gardens in schools, libraries, in front of city offices and at HOAs—information on obtaining rebates for installing native gardens is included: yo let you know how you can help Al Kyte’s celebrate his 90th birthday: and, finally, to ask if you can join our team of volunteers.  

Save these Dates!

1. Tuesday, January 28, 5:30–8:00, Castro Valley Library
“Bringing Nature Home:  Join us in reimagining the places where we live”

Please join me in reimagining what the Bay Area was like just a handful of generations ago, when antelope and tule elk grazed in the hills, salmon returned to local creeks to spawn, chorus frogs sang love arias in the evenings, and birds filled the skies—and then let’s work together to figure out how we can restore some of these lost landscapes both for the creatures that are depending upon us to do this, and also to bring nature home for ourselves and our children—so we can live in and enjoy greener, healthier, and more beautiful cities. 

We’ll start at 5:30: come pick up free native wildflower seeds, and browse the native plant cutting table. Sign in to be entered in a drawing to win a free native garden design consultation. Light snacks and drinks will be provided but feel free to bring a sandwich, as we’ll be working through the dinner hour. 

At 6:00 we’ll watch a video of Doug Tallamy’s inspiring presentation, “Nature’s Best Hope” afterward we’ll talk about what we would like to do to make the places we live and work and play welcome areas for birds, butterflies and bees, as well as people, and how we can move forward and help each other turn our ideas reality. 

This free meeting will be moderated by Kathy Kramer, founder of the Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour, and it is co-sponsored by the Tour and the Castro Valley Library. 

If you have them, bring labelled native plants, seeds, or cuttings to share.  Also, bring envelopes to take seeds home in, and plastic bags with wet paper towels in them protect cuttings you have picked up. 

Native plants you can take cuttings from are: sage, coffeeberry, currant, toyon, fuchsia, California lilac, and manzanita. Cuttings can be brought in jars of water, or wrapped in damp towels or paper towels.  You can bring roots and rhizomes from fuchsia, yarrow, hummingbird sage, and aster.   Roots and rhizomes also need to be kept damp.  

We’ll meet in the Castro Valley Library’s Chabot/Canyon Room, at 3600 Norbridge Avenue, Castro Valley, on Tuesday, January 28, 5:30-8:00 PM.

Questions?  E-mail Sandra Nevala-Lee-Lee at greenthumbworks@hey.com, or Kathy Kramer at kathy@kathykramerconsulting.net.

2. Saturday, February 22, 10:00-4:00
Native Plant Extravaganzas—shop for good at your favorite native plant nurseries, as a percentage of your purchases made during the Extravaganza will go to support the Tour!

Free Talks at the Nurseries on Feb. 22 are:

10:00 “Designing a Flower-Forward Native Garden” by Colleen Wheeler, owner of Curious Flora, 740 Market Ave., Richmond. See the plant list here. (Formerly Annie’s Annuals.)

11:00 ″Container Gardening with California Native Plants” by Aaron Bluestein from the the Watershed Nursery Cooperative, 601 Canal Blvd., Richmond—see the plant inventory here.

12:00 “Gardening for birds: These are the plants that will bring them to your garden” by Pete Veilleux, owner of East Bay Wilds, 2777 Foothill, Oakland—see the plant inventory here. Note that the entrance to the nursery is on 28th Ave.

1:00 “Using sheet mulching to start the creation of neighborhood pollinator pathways—visit the six recently-planted native plant demonstration gardens within an easy walking distance” by Josh Rubietta, owner of  Down by the Bay Native Plant Nursery , 2363 Catalpa Way, Hayward—see the plant list here,

or…

Shop on-line on either Saturday or Sunday, Feb. 22 or 23 at Green Thumb Works - see Green Thumb’s plant list here, or at Down by the Bay: see their plant list here,

and…

A percentage of your online purchases will also go to support the Tour.

3. Saturdays, February 22 from 10:00–2:00 and March 22 from 10:00-1:00
Free Native Plant Propagation Workshops at Las Positas Community College, Livermore
Come learn how to propagate native plants at these free native plant propagation workshops. To receive details about and sign up for these workshops join the Native Plant Resource Teams—it’s free to join this action arm of the Tour, and it’s free to attend our events!

4) Sunday, March 2 Propagation event with Nature in the City and Green Hairstreak Corridor Walk, San Francisco, 10:00-3:00
Join us in propagating plants that will support the green hairstreak butterfly, followed by a BYO picnic lunch and a walk to a few of the fifteen restored habitat sites created to support this beautiful butterfly, which was, until fairly recently, thought to be locally extinct.  To receive details about and sign up for this event join the Native Plant Resource Teams—it’s free to join this action arm of the Tour, and it’s free to attend our events!

5. Online Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour (registration will open soon)
Saturday and Sunday, April 5 and 6, 10:00-3:00
This year’s speakers include:

• Doug Tallamy 
• Glen Schneider on the Skyline Gardens Restoration project
• Susan Karasoff on gardening for native bees 
• Chief Arnold (from the Berkeley Fire Department) on home hardening, followed by
• A talk about native fire-resistant plants (using the plant list I developed with the Berkeley Fire Department last year)
• Six homeowners will be showing their native plant gardens
• One renter will discuss how she is converting her garden to natives

And more!  

6. In-Person Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour (registration will open soon)s
Saturday and Sunday, May 3 and 4
More than fifty beautiful bird- and butterfly-friendly gardens will be open at various locations throughout Alameda and Contra Costa counties. In addition to the native plant gardens, more than a dozen homes with green home features will be showcased. Registration will open later this spring.  

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Coming your way, soon!  The implementation of Assembly Bill 1572 (see the summary below my signature line – please note this does not affect single family homes)
In late 2023 AB-1572 became state law. This law prohibits the use of potable (non-recycled) water to irrigate decorative lawn on government and commercial properties, and in common areas of homeowner association properties, as well as many others, including schools, libraries, and more. 
This law will effectively eliminate ornamental lawns in California by 2031 anywhere other than single-family homes, fundamentally reshaping the California landscape. The first deadline for compliance is less than two years away, yet most people have never heard of the regulation. 
This is an unprecedented opportunity to transform vast amounts of land into dynamic landscapes that reflect and support California’s exceptional environment. However, there is little time to act; the law begins phasing in on January 1st, 2027 and will reach full implementation by 2031, so every affected property owner or manager in California should start budgeting and planning for compliance now. A summary of this bill is below my signature line. 
As the compliance deadlines approach, there will likely be shortages of landscape designers and installers, and plants and hardscaping materials. Getting started early on replacing non-functional turf would be wise.  
You can help your child’s school or your public library out by letting them know they will no longer be able to water decorative lawn starting January 1, 2027, and encouraging them to replace their lawns with beautiful, water-conserving, low-maintenance native plant gardens. (See this chart for comparison of the water use, green waste generation, and the amount of time needed to maintain a traditional garden compared to a native plant garden. Read about the full study here.)

EBMUD is offering rebates to assist both in the creation of native plant gardens, and also to help institutions that embark on their turf-replacement projects this year, or in 2026.   

EBMUD’s Super rebate doubles the rebate if you install a native plant garden!  Receive up to $2.00 a square foot when you replace lawn with natives.

In addition, EBMUD is offering a $5,000 non-functional turf conversion rebate through Dec. 2026 to institutions complying with the Assembly Bill 1572 requirements. 

More information about EBMUD’s lawn removal rebates can be found here.

For questions about AB 1572, or if you would like to explore getting help for a non-functional turf conversion, email Rebecca Pollon of California Landscape Consulting at:  
calandconsulting@gmail.com 

For questions about school lawn-to-native garden conversions (see this Prospect Sierra Elementary School lawn conversion in El Cerrito), email retired Prospect Sierra Special Ed teacher Genie Barry:  geniebarry@gmail.com

If you live in an HOA that has decorative lawn in a common area, these two presentations will be useful:

“Condo? Apartments? HOA? Getting them to go green!—Three success stories” (The presentations begins three minutes into the video.)

“Going native in multi-unit situations (HOAs, etc.)” Q&A with Rebecca Pollon

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Al Kyte turns 90!  Will you help celebrate his birthday by sending him a card?

I am fond of all of my garden tour hosts, but Al Kyte, whose beautiful Moraga garden was on the Tour for 15 years and who has been such an inspiration to me in many ways, is one of my all-time, most special favorites.  Al turns 90 this month: will you help him celebrate by sending him a card?  I know he would be delighted to hear from those of you who visited his garden, or watched any of the six videos he made on gardening with natives throughout the year.  (These videos are on Al’s garden page.)

Cards can be mailed to:

Al Kyte
57 Corliss Drive
Moraga CA  94556-1230

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If you like what we do, will you help support us?

 You can do help us continut to offer these programs by making a donation:

With your credit card or through PayPal here

Through Venmo at @BringingBacktheNatives

or mail a check to: 

Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour
1718 Hillcrest Road
San Pablo  CA  94806

Major donations to the Tour are now tax-deductible
The Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour has set up a partnership with the nonprofit Golden Gate Bird Alliance (GGBA): donations of over $500 (from donor-advised funds, retirement accounts, or check), can be made through a dedicated fund that will support the Tour.  

Golden Gate Bird Alliance 
2150 Allston Way Suite 210 
Berkeley, California 94704
Federal tax ID number is 94-6086896

Questions?  Contact Kathy Kramer at Kathy@KathyKramerConsulting.net.  Please also let me know if you will be donating to the Tour through Alliance, so the funds can be tracked. 

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Come join our team and help make the world a better place!  We need volunteers to:

Keyword the videos on the Tour’s YouTube channel.

Set up “Choose Your Own Adventure” field trips, to places such as native plant nurseries, the native plant gardens at the Google campus, native plant gardens at libraries or schools, or other destinations.  The world is your oyster when it comes to finding places to go and setting the dates, and you’ll enjoy meeting new people who share your interests!

Coordinate native seed and cutting exchanges at various locations in the East Bay.  These are fun events: we’ll help you learn the ropes. 

Film and edit videos to make a video of a tour garden—your videos would be shown during the 2026 virtual tour.  

 If you can help with any of these tasks, would you e-mail Kathy at Kathy@KathyKramerConsulting.net? 

That’s it for now: I wish you a happy and healthy 2025!
Warmly,
Kathy
Kathy Kramer
Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour Coordinator
(510) 236-9558
kathy@kathykramerconsulting.net
www.bringingbackthenatives.net

Assembly Bill 1572:  Statewide Irrigation Ban On Non-Functional Turf 
In late 2023, AB-1572 became state law. This law prohibits the use of potable (non-recycled) water to irrigate decorative lawn on government, commercial, and in common areas of homeowner association properties, as well as many others, including schools, libraries, and more. 
This law will effectively eliminate ornamental lawns in California by 2031 anywhere other than single-family homes, fundamentally reshaping the California landscape. The first deadline for compliance is less than two years away, yet most people have never heard of the regulation. 
While the law does not technically require the removal of turf, anyone that has grown grass knows that without water, lawns die or succumb to weeds, ultimately forcing a change. 
This is an unprecedented opportunity to transform vast amounts of land into dynamic landscapes that reflect and support California’s exceptional environment. However, there is little time to act; the law begins phasing in on January 1st, 2027 and will reach full implementation by 2031, so every affected property owner or manager in California should start budgeting and planning for compliance now. 
FUNCTIONAL VS NON-FUNCTIONAL TURF

COMPLIANCE AND TIMING 
All homeowner associations, commercial properties, and government, institutional, and industrial properties must comply by the deadlines below. 
GOVERNMENT PROPERTIES AND PUBLIC AGENCIES: January 1st, 2027
These include but are not limited to: 

• Public Schools and Universities: Including campuses, administrative buildings, and sports facilities. 
• Parks and Recreation Areas: Public parks, playgrounds, sports fields, community centers, and nature reserves. 
• Libraries and Cultural Institutions: Public libraries, museums, art galleries, and historical landmarks. 
• Government Offices: City halls, municipal buildings, courthouses, and administrative offices. 
• Public Transit Infrastructure: Bus stations, train stations, and maintenance facilities for public transportation. 
• Public Healthcare Facilities: Public hospitals, clinics, and health departments.
• Utilities: Water treatment plants, power plants, and public works facilities. 
• Public Safety Buildings: Police stations, fire stations, and emergency response centers. 

COMMERCIAL, INSTITUTIONAL AND INDUSTRIAL PROPERTIES (CII): January 1st, 2028
These include but are not limited to: 

• Businesses: Business parks, plazas and individual business buildings. 
• Private Schools and Universities: Educational campuses, administrative buildings, and student housing. 
• Private Hospitals and Medical Centers: Private hospitals, clinics, and specialized medical facilities. 
• Religious Institutions: Churches, mosques, temples, synagogues, and other places of worship. 
• Non-Profit Organizations: Headquarters and facilities of charities, foundations, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). 
• Research Institutes: Private research centers and laboratories not affiliated with government entities. 
• Corporate Training Centers: Facilities used for corporate training and development programs. 
• Cultural Institutions: Private museums, art galleries, and theaters. 
• Private Retirement Homes and Nursing Homes: Residential facilities for seniors that are privately operated. 
• Manufacturing and processing plants 
• Warehouses and distribution centers 

HOMEOWNER ASSOCIATIONS and COMMUNITY SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS: January 1st, 2029or similar entities. These include but are not limited to the common areas of:

• Condominium associations 
• Planned communities 
• Common Interest Developments (CIDs) 
• Boys and Girls' clubs 
• YMCA/YWCA 

January 1st, 2031: government buildings and public agencies in disadvantaged communities. A disadvantaged community is one with an annual median household income that is less than 80% of the statewide annual median household income. The median household income for a family of four in California in 2025 is $91,905. 
EXCEPTIONS AND EXTENSIONS:. 

• Properties irrigated with recycled/reclaimed water are exempt.
• Single family homes that are not part of a homeowners association are exempt. 
• Watering may be permitted to ensure the health of trees and non turf plantings.
• Cemeteries are exempt.
• Extensions of up to three years may be granted if economic hardship, critical business need, or potential impacts to health and safety can be sufficiently demonstrated.

ENFORCEMENT: 
Compliance: Properties will need to certify every three years that their property is in compliance. 
Monitoring and enforcement will likely become the responsibility of the water district but has not yet been fully determined. 
Penalties: PENALTIES: Those which are defined by the water district (this doesn’t exist yet) or in accordance with California Water Code 1846, which permits fines of up to $10,000 a day, or $2,500 for each acre-foot of water.

Rebecca Pollon, MLA, RQP, CNPLC, QWEL 
California Landscape Consulting 
calandconsulting@gmail.com 
California Landscape Consulting (CLC) helps HOA communities and organizations identify and quantify non-functional turf and develop plans to convert them into vibrant, sustainable, AB 1572 compliant landscapes.