Going Native Garden Tour 2009
Garden Submission Form

The 2009 Going Native Garden Tour will showcase gardens that provide habitat for wildlife, are water conserving, are free of synthetic pesticides & fertilizers, and contain 50% or more native plants. The gardens featured in the tour will demonstrate that from townhome lots to acre plots, beautiful California native plant gardens are possible for anyone.

Purpose

  • Provide Santa Clara and San Mateo County residents with the opportunity to see first-hand gardens containing 50% or more native plants.

  • Illustrate that healthy, attractive gardens can flourish without the use of chemicals.

  • Motivate residents to introduce native plants into their gardens.

  • Promote environmentally-friendly gardening techniques by providing people the opportunity to visit a variety of attractive pesticide-free gardens.

  • Encourage gardeners to provide wildlife habitat in their home gardens.
Details

  • Tour participants will pre-register for the tour. Visitors will receive directions after registering.

  • The tour will be advertised in local papers, gardening-related and environmental publications and on a variety of websites. Host garden information (garden addresses and directions) will be provided to registered participants only.

  • During the tour, host gardener(s) will need to staff their gardens and be ready and willing to provide information on native plants, and to explain the various natural gardening techniques that are used. Volunteers will be sought to assist with greeting visitors and answering questions.

  • Hosts must label the native plants. Information on how to make labels will be provided.

  • Visitors will be informed in advance that restroom facilities will not be available at host gardens and that the gardens will be available for viewing only between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. on tour day.
Step 1: Evaluate your garden

The Going Native Garden Tour Selection Criteria are:

  • The garden is located in either San Mateo County or Santa Clara County.

  • The garden owner has an email address and will access it regularly to participate in tour communications.

  • The garden owner accepts the waiver of liability.

  • For the portion of the garden being considered for the tour - front yard, backyard, large side yard, or entire yard - at least 50% of the plants must be native to California.

  • The garden does not feature invasive plants. The list of plants of concern has been extracted (with permission) from the CAL-IPC's Invasive Plant Inventory located at: http://www.cal-ipc.org/ip/inventory/pdf/Inventory2006.pdf.

  • Garden owners are encouraged to serve as hosts during the tour. If that is not possible, then with notice far enough in advance and permission from the garden owner, the committee will provide docents to serve as hosts.

  • Depending on the number of available volunteers, the tour committee may be able to provide docents and greeters to all garden owners who request them. However, this cannot be guaranteed, and garden owners are encouraged to recruit their own volunteers, and have them register on the tour website.

  • Garden owners are expected to label their native plants. The tour committee will provide helpful advice about how to make labels on the website.

We especially seek gardens that:

  • have enthusiastic owners willing to participate in our Garden Preview Program

  • embody ecological principles and provide natural habitat

  • have no lawn or a small lawn

  • are aesthetically pleasing and well tended

  • are easy to reach and have nearby parking.

Step 2: Submit the form

Complete this form as soon as possible. Applications will be evaluated as they are received. Garden selection will be made from respondents that meet tour criteria and best demonstrate a variety of natural gardening techniques. If your garden is not selected, it could be because of this desire to showcase a variety of natural gardening techniques, or because selected gardens were clustered together, not because of the quality of your garden.

Step 3: Wait to be notified

After the Garden Submission Form has been reviewed, gardens that meet the criteria will be visited by a garden tour planner. Don’t worry about having your garden look its best at this time. The purpose of the visit is for the garden tour planner to meet the gardener, view the garden, and discuss the site.

Questions?

If you have questions, email gardens@goingnativegardentour.org.

 



CREDITS: Special thanks to Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour and Kathy Kramer for assistance with tour planning and permission to adapt their materials.

Garden Submission Form

Going Native Garden Tour 2009
Sunday, April 19, 2009, 10 am – 4 pm

Please answer all questions. This information will not be distributed; it will only be used to communicate with you.

If your garden was featured on the last year's Going Native Garden Tour, please check this box, and fill in only your name, address, email address, daytime phone number and any information that has changed. You still need to accept the liability waiver at the bottom of the form.

Name

Street Address

City

 Zip

Email

Please re-enter the email:

Day phone

Evening phone

Parking restrictions

Nearest two main cross streets

Nearest freeway

What would you like to be the name used for your garden on the preview page?

The Garden

Total property size (sq.ft.)

Approximate size of garden areas proposed for the tour:

front

back

parking strip

side

What kind of garden do you have? (Check all that apply)

native plants from throughout California
local native plants
low-water-use
drought-tolerant plants
collector's garden
wildflowers
collect seeds/cuttings, propagate own plants
woodland
butterfly
bird
hummingbird

unusual or large tree (type )
insect-attracting plants
slope
creekside
low maintenance
wildlands look
manicured look
edible landscape
other

What kinds of birds, insects, amphibians, reptiles, and mammals visit your garden?

How do you provide food, shelter, nesting areas, and water for wildlife?

Describe any unusual physical features of your garden. (Stream? Extreme shade? Extreme slope? Difficult soil? etc.)

Approximately what percentage of your garden (excluding lawn) is planted with native plants? %

Approximately what percentage of your garden is lawn? %

Average water regime? (no summer water, once a week, occasional, etc.)

Do you have a water feature? yes no If yes, please describe it:

Which water company or agency provides your water?

What methods of water conservation do you use?

How do you deal with persistent weeds?

Is your garden free of synthetic chemicals? yes no

What, if any, fertilizer do you use?

What do you do with your yard debris?
 compost
worm bin
other

When you began gardening at this site, were there elements that needed correcting? What were they? Did you successfully address them? How?

Which of the following natural gardening techniques do you currently use?

drought-resistant plants
sticky barriers (e.g., Tanglefoot)
copper barriers
encourage beneficial insects with plant choices
encourage birds with plant choices
grasscycle (leave clippings on lawn)
use compost to enrich soil
dense planting to outcompete weeds
tolerate some plant damage

disease-resistant plants
provide wildlife habitat (food, shelter, water)
provide sound of falling water to attract wildlife
efficient irrigation (drip, timers, soaker hoses)
mulching with leaves, grass, wood chips
reduced lawn size
grouping plants of similar needs
minimize hardscapes (concrete patios, decks)

Are there any special or unique features such as plants, special habitat, or erosion control projects that you would like to showcase in the garden guide? Examples might include mason bee nests, a butterfly garden, bank stabilization project, nursery, or other unique elements of your garden.

The Gardener

How experienced are you at gardening?

beginner
intermediate
experienced

How many years have you been gardening?

How many years have you gardened at this specific location?

What is the age of your garden (in years)?

Approximately how many hours do you spend working in the garden? hours

per day
per week
per month
per year

Who designed the garden?

Who installed the garden?

 

Other

Do you have before and after photos of your garden? yes no
(Photos are not required, but are of interest when available.)

Is your garden certified by the National Wildlife Federation as a Backyard Wildlife Habitat Garden?
(The NWF website is http://www.nwf.org/backyardwildlifehabitat; certification is not required for participation in the tour.)
yes
no
certification in progress

How did you hear about the tour?

Would you be willing to give two 15-minute talks on the day of the tour? yes no
If yes, please provide the title of your talk:

Please indicate your acceptance of the liability waiver by checking the box below. This waiver is required for participation in the tour.
WAIVER OF LIABILITY (required): In consideration for being allowed to participate in the Going Native Garden Tour, I agree to hold harmless and indemnify the Santa Clara Valley Water District and its retailers and each member of their Boards of Directors and their officers, agents and employees, all other sponsors and supporters, Going Native Garden Tour and its organizers, garden owners, volunteers, docents, and sponsors from any and all claims, demands, damages, expenses, and any other liability for injury, death, damage, loss or liability of any kind arising out of or resulting from participation in the tour excepting claims arising out of willful misconduct or gross negligence.

Please submit your completed application by clicking on the Submit button below. Your application has not been submitted until the Submit button has been pressed. Applications are processed as they are received. The deadline for submitting gardens is Thu, January 15, 2009, 12:00am .