The Going Native Garden Tour offers a free tour of native gardens here in the Santa Clara Valley and Peninsula, the San Francisco south bay. The event has been organized by the California Native Plant Society (Santa Clara Valley Chapter), in association with UCCE Master Gardeners of Santa Clara County.
The event takes place all day Saturday and Sunday.
Saturday features a showing of those gardens in the northern cities:
- Los Altos
- Mountain View
- Palo Alto
- Redwood City
- San Mateo
- Sunnyvale
Sunday features a showing of those gardens in the southern cities:
- Campbell
- Cupertino
- Gilroy
- Los Gatos
- Morgan Hill
- San Jose
- Santa Clara
The array of gardens on the Going Native Garden Tour ranges from established collector’s gardens to those that are newly installed, and from acre lots to townhome gardens. A few gardens will contain mostly local native plants, others the horticulturally available suite of natives from throughout California, and the rest a mixture of natives and Mediterranean plants. Some gardens have been designed and installed by owners, the others by professionals.
What’s special about California native plants? They are adapted to our soil and climate, and are easy to care for. A large number of native plants are naturally drought tolerant. They are unmatched in habitat value, attracting native birds, butterflies, and other forms of wildlife. And, as the gardens on the tour show, California native plants are beautiful; the gardens on the tour display a sense of place that is uniquely Californian.
Gardens on this tour were selected because they:
- Feature native plants
- Are pesticide-free
- Reduce waste by composting, mulching, and selecting appropriate plants
- Conserve water
- Provide habitat for wildlife
On tour day, sponsoring nurseries will conduct native plant sales at select gardens. Part of the proceeds benefit Going Native Garden Tour.
Looking for answers to specific questions? Refer to the GNGT FAQ…
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