With Native Bee Specialist Celeste Ets-Hokin

Early spring is the right time to rejuvenate or plant for a soon to be blooming, fragrant and buzzing native bee garden. A premier example of plant selection and pairing can be seen in the new native bee garden overseen by native bee specialist Celeste Ets-Hokin. The bee garden is located in the Pollinator Garden (across from the Edible Demonstration Gardens –look for the Pollinator signs).

“A good bee garden should include a mix of pollen- and nectar-rich annuals and perennials, offering flowers of different colors, sizes, shapes and bloom periods.  And of course you’ll want to make sure that at least some of these plants are California natives.  Native plants are generally four times more attractive than exotic varieties to our native bees,” says Celeste.

To give you a head start, here’s a look at some of the perennials and annuals she’s introduced to the bee garden. Then to learn more about native bees and the creation of their glorious garden in the Gardens at Lake merritt, be sure to read the following article by Celeste, “The BEE-UTIFUL Gardens at Lake Merritt:  We Built It and They Came!”

PERENNIALS

California Natives:

Erigeron glaucus (seaside daisy), “Bountiful” and “Wayne Roderick” cultivars

Grindelia stricta (gumplant)

Penstemon heterophyllus (beardtongue), “Margarita BOP” cultivar

Spheralcea ambigua (desert mallow),

Lupinus latifolius parishii (lupine)

Monardella villosa (coyote mint)

Solidago californica (goldenrod)

Exotics:

Agastache (giant hyssop) – there are some native species, but more difficult to locate

Bulbine frutescens (bulbine)

Coreopsis lanceolata (tickseed)

Calamintha (calamint)

Gaillardia (Arizona blanket flower) “Oranges and Lemons” cultivar

Lavandula (Spanish lavender)

Helenium (sneezeweed)

Nepeta (catmint)

Salvia melissidora (sage)

Salvia uliginosa (sage)

ANNUAL SEEDS:

Best scorpionweed species –

Phacelia tanacetifolia

Phacelia distans

Phacelia cicutaria

Phacelia campanularia

Eschscholzia (California poppy)

Lupinus succulentus arroyo (arroyo lupine)

Gilia capitata (gilia)

Cosmos bipinnatus (cosmos)

Cosmos sulphureus (cosmos)

The BEE-UTIFUL Gardens at Lake Merritt:  We Built It and They Came!

Article by Celeste Ets-Hokin, native bee expert and advocate overseeing

 the Gardens’ native bee garden

There are some 4000 species of bees that originated here in North America, and these native bees are far and away our most important pollinators.  Their pollinating services are vital to the survival of North American plant communities, which in turn provide food and shelter for the many animals in these ecosystems.  Ironically, the more familiar honey bee, an introduced species from Europe, is not included in this group of essential native pollinators.

Like the honey bee, our native bee populations are suffering steep declines nationwide, threatened by habitat loss and pesticide poisoning.   While these trends are alarming to environmental scientists, most of the rest of us aren’t even aware of the existence of native bees, let alone their astonishing diversity or their profound importance to our ecosystems and food webs.

So about four years ago I began working with the Alameda County Master Gardeners to establish a native bee demonstration garden within their section of the Gardens at Lake Merritt.  Our goal was to attract a diversity of native bees to the garden and introduce the public to this amazing and colorful cast of characters.  We hoped to educate gardeners about how easy and rewarding it is to create a bee-friendly garden and participate in the conservation of these critical species.

Beginning in February of 2009, we planted a diversity of California native and exotic plants known to offer good pollen and nectar resources for our native bees.  We added a few nesting blocks for solitary wood nesting bees, and kept much of the area free from mulch, to allow ground-nesting bees easy access to the soil substrate.  Then we waited to see who showed up.

We couldn’t have been more delighted.  Our small efforts were rewarded by a steady stream of native bee visitors from spring through fall, including mason, mining, digger, leaf-cutter, long-horn, sweat, cuckoo and bumble bees.  Our little bee garden was living proof that when you build it, they will come!

Now it’s been just over a year since we moved our demonstration bee garden from the modest section of the ACMG trials area to a larger, sunnier, triangular plot at the center of the Lake Merritt Gardens.  The new site is easily identified by a large stump at one end, drilled with holes for wood-nesting bees, as well as a sign provided by the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, designating the area as a pollinator habitat.

And within a few short months of its establishment, what a glorious pollinator habitat the new location became!  I must admit that on that cold bleak day in January of 2012, when we first transplanted our proven perennials from the old site, we had our doubts about the new garden.  There wasn’t much to see then but an expanse of muddy ground, interrupted here and there with some twiggy clumps holding on to a few sad looking leaves.

But by the end of the year we had seen roughly 80 species of native bees visit the prolific succession of spring, summer and fall blooming plants that soon blanketed the entire plot.  And on any given day there was such an abundance of bees that one visitor to the gardens declared it to be “Bumble Bee Central”! So for all you Doubting Thomas’s out there who think you can’t readily build a bee-friendly garden, think again!

I hope the story of the Lake Merritt bee garden will inspire gardeners everywhere to join us in creating habitat for our VIP (very important pollinators) native bees.  Together we can make the landscape BEE-UTIFUL!

In addition, Celeste has authored an extraordinary resource for true bee and pollinator enthusiasts “Garden Variety Native Bees of North America – Perpetual Calendar.” It is a wealth of stunning photography and pollen and nectar sources.  For more information contact: celeste.ets@comcast.net.

August Special Events

Wild Oakland  Free Guided Pollinator Walk in the Gardens Saturday, August 10, noon-2:00. Learn what is happening in the plant and pollinator world of Oakland… like the construction of our new bee hotel!

The walk and talk will be led by Tora Rocha, Park Supervisor for the City of Oakland and founder of the Pollinator Posse, a volunteer group working  to create pollination corridors as well as hand-rearing butterflies to increase survival rates (and because it’s fun).

She’ll teach you about what’s going on behind the scenes to increase pollinator activity in Oakland through initiatives like creating pollination corridors and managing and creating habitat through projects like the Bee Hotel, and more!

You also will learn how to get involved with the Gardens to help create more habitat and join the Pollinator Posse to raise and release your very own monarch, if you’re so inspired. For more info, check out the invite on the Wild Oakland website.

Planning and Planting a Great Winter Vegetable Garden, Saturday, August 24, noon-1pm: Learn how to grow a hearty cool weather vegetable garden. There are many benefits to a fall and winter garden as a wide variety of vegetables thrive in the cooler months.

Lead by Master Gardener Sam Foushee, who grows beautiful vegetables during all seasons in three Bay Area communities, you will learn the special needs vegetables have in the fall and winter as well as how to plan your garden and plant for success.

This talk is free and open to the public. Please join us, and bring your own gardening questions! Gather in the Master Gardener Trials Gardens in the Edible Demonstration Garden. Download the full Workshop Series schedule here: 2013 Trials Garden Workshop Series

Introduction to Bonsai: Interactive Demo and Questions in the Bonsai Garden, Sunday, August 25, 1pm-3pm. This free workshop (held every fourth Sunday of the month) covers the art of Bonsai including techniques, styling, care and grooming. You are welcome to bring your own tree for some TLC.

July Special Events

Golden Gate Lily Society Show and Sale, Saturday and Sunday, July 13-14, noon-5pm, in the Lakeside Park Garden Center. Free admission.

Sydney Mitchell Iris Society Sale, Friday, July 26, 7:30pm in the Lakeside Park Garden Center. Free admission.

Managing Pests in Your Garden Safely, Saturday, July 27, noon-1pm: Want to learn more about what is eating your vegetables? Or what virus killed your tomato plants? And where to find out more when you do have a pest problem in your yard? This is the talk for you.  Learn how to identify your bugs and manage them in the least toxic manner. Bring leaf & bug samples!

Master Gardener Dennis Brown will help you see your way through aphids, ants, snails and slugs as you learn about common pests and diseases. This talk is free and open to the public. Please join us, and bring your own gardening questions! Gather in the Master Gardener Trials Gardens in the Edible Demonstration Garden. Download the full Workshop Series schedule here: 2013 Trials Garden Workshop Series

Introduction to Bonsai: Interactive Demo and Questions in the Bonsai Garden, Sunday, July 28, 1pm-3pm. This free workshop (held every fourth Sunday of the month) covers the art of Bonsai including techniques, styling, care and grooming. You are welcome to bring your own tree for some TLC.

Lavenders are featured prominently in the Sensory Garden, with their own “Lavender Hill” in the center of the garden. Here, drifts of several lavender varieties in beautiful shades of blues, purples and whites provide distinctive herbal fragrance.

Lavender is known for it’s ability to reduce stress and induce relaxation, and this effect is apparent when strolling through the Sensory Garden this time of year. Combined with the hum of bees and trickle of water from the nearby fountain bowl, the wafting lavender scents calm and refresh. 

Lavenders prefer sunny, dry conditions, and require good drainage. Amending the soil and planting on a mound will help with drainage issues. They also look much better with an annual heavy pruning after flowering. Lavenders may develop dead branches after a few years, and it is usually best to replace rather than attempt to “save” them.

Types of Lavender

One of the easiest lavenders to grow is Lavandula ‘Goodwin Creek Grey’. As it’s name implies, the foliage is a soft silvery grey, growing to about 2 1/2 feet tall and 3 feet wide. It tends to flower almost year round, so it is hard to know when to prune it back; however, a heavy pruning each year keeps it compact and the foliage fresh. Although the violet flowers may not be as showy as other varieties, ‘Goodwin Creek’ doesn’t have the dieback problems that plague other lavenders. 

Lavandula intermedia ‘Grosso’ is a very fragrant and very high in essential oils; thus, it is widely grown for use in cleaning products. It is very showy in bloom, usually July through September, and flowers dry well. Plants grow as large as 3 feet tall and 5 feet wide, with sage green foliage and tall violet purple flower stems. Pruning after bloom keeps it from getting woody. (Recommended as one of the best lavenders by Rose at Morning Sun Herb Farm http://www.morningsunherbfarm.com/ssp/home)

Lavandula angustifolia ‘Munstead’ is a dwarf English Lavender variety that grows about 1 foot tall.  The sweetly aromatic flowers and gray-green foliage are excellent for cooking. It is an early bloomer, with purple flowers that dry well.  Good drainage is essential. Lavandula angustifolia ‘Hidcote Blue’ is similar low growing English Lavender that is also recommended as one of the best lavenders by Rose at Morning Sun Herb Farm.

Lavandula stoechas ‘Otto Quast’, or Spanish Lavender, is also easy to grow and very showy in bloom. Spanish Lavender is one of the earliest blooming, often starting in February and continuing for months. It has distinctive rosy purple flowers with “rabbit ears” that stick up on top, which are quite impressive en masse. The angled afternoon sun can make the flowers light up and glow purple. Plants are about 2 1/2 feet tall by 4 feet wide.

You’ll find Tricia Christopher in the Sensory or Mediterranean Gardens most work party days (the first and third Saturdays of each month). She’s happy to answer your questions about Mediterranean gardening and/or visit her website http://www.tchristopher.com/

June Special Events

Love Our Lake Day, Sunday, June 9 from 11am to 4pm at Lake Merritt, Lakeside Park and in the surrounding Oakland neighborhoods. Oaklanders and visitors alike are invited to come play in the car-free streets & parks surrounding Lake Merritt and celebrate the area’s transformation through Measure DD!

We are expecting many visitors to the Gardens at Lake Merritt.  We need 8–12 Volunteer Ambassadors to welcome our guests. If you would like to join the fun, please send us an email and include your contact information and the times you are available to volunteer with us.

The festive event will enrich three miles of car-free streets with recreation and cultural activities for the entire family. At 2pm Mayor Jean Quan will be at the south end of the lake for the Grand Opening of Lake Merritt Boulevard featuring a beautiful new amphitheater and four-acre park.

California Suiseki Society Show,  Saturday and Sunday, June 8 & 9 from 10am-5pm, at the Lakeside Park Garden Center. Free to the public. Stones have been admired and collected by mankind since time immemorial. And throughout history, cultures around the globe have developed unique names, disciplines and guidelines for their particular art form.

The Japanese art is called “Suiseki”, in China “Scholar’s Rocks”, in Korea it is “Suseok” or “Gongshi”. Among many other terms used, some might include: viewing stones, artistic stones, object stones and many more.

Bay Area Carnivorous Plant Society Show, Saturday June 15, noon-4pm. Free at the Lakeside Park Garden Center.  Carnivorous plants derive some or most of their nutrients (but not energy) from trapping and consuming  animals or protozoans, typically insects and other arthropods.

May Special Events

SPRING ROSE SHOW! Sunday, May 5, from 1-5pm, at the Lakeside Park Garden Center. Free to the public. Themed “Fairy Tales,” The East Bay Rose Society’s 66th Annual Spring Flower Show is designed to be fun for the whole family. Roses will be displayed by Society members, along with donations from Oakland’s very own jewel, the Morcom Rose Garden. Meet the new American Rose Society President, Jolene Adams, enjoy a great silent auction, bistro offerings, demonstrations and and how-to tips.

April Special Events

Growing organic produce is an enriching and dynamic process offering innumerable benefits to individuals and the community. Oakland’s Office of Parks and Recreation is underscoring these benefits with a new demonstration program at its Lakeside Park Demonstration Garden located in the Gardens at Lake Merritt.

Community organizations bring expertise to these demonstration plots with missions including: teaching self reliance; combating issues of hunger and violence; and growing and making herbal remedies. Special emphasis is  placed on optimizing a garden’s potential through plant selection and growing techniques.

Hundreds of volunteers nurture the plots under expert guidance with each organization featuring free monthly demonstrations, workshops, and volunteer opportunities to design, plant, and harvest from these edible gardens. There is no fee to join these community organizations to work together and harvest together.

For more information on the EdibleGardens, or one of the fifteen other garden locations provided by City of Oakland, please contact Community Gardening Coordinator Carla Jasso at communitygardens1870(at)gmail(dot)com or visit http://www2.oaklandnet.com/Government/o/opr/s/cgardening/index.htm

Kudos to the following organizations for sharing their knowledge and commitment with the community

ALAMEDA COUNTY MASTER GARDENERS: Committed to growing plants that thrive in Alameda County. Their workdays are every second and fourth Saturday from 11am to 1pm and every Wednesday from 11am to 1pm where they are available to answer garden related questions. On the last Saturday of the month from 12 to 1pm you can expect some scintillating lectures on various gardening topics. For a complete schedule visit their website at: http://acmg.ucdavis.edu/Demonstration_Gardens/Lakeside_Trials_Garden/

MERRITT COLLEGE: Grows food for community food banks and offers free classes in urban community gardening every Wednesday from 9:30am to noon. http://merrittlandhort.com/urban-community-gardening

VICTORY GARDEN FOUNDATION’S PEOPLE’S VICTORY GARDENS: These gardens meet the need for communities to be more self reliant and learn to garden with a purpose. There are three (3) garden plots: 1) Small Spaces Garden where you learn how to grow edibles in a variety of small spaces for little to no cost; 2) Food Pantry Garden where it’s a different garden style: Square Foot Gardening and the volunteers harvest and send their abundance to an Oakland food pantry; and 3) Edible Landscaping Garden where you learn to design a sustainable food forest integrating edibles into an existing ornamental garden space.. Mentored work days and education  sessions  are every first and third Saturday from 9 am  to 12 pm and every second and fourth Wednesday from 1pm to 2:30pm.Visit their website for topics and schedule changes: http://www.peoplesvictorygarden.org/apps/calendar

TODDLER GARDEN:  Garden Demo schedule for 2014:

April 26 — Seeds
May 24 — Using Our Senses in the Garden
June 28 — Ladybugs
July 26 — Colors of the Garden
August 23 — Worms
September 27 — Pollinators
October 18 — Pumpkins GARDEN CLOSED THIS DATE, DEMO WILL TAKE PLACE OUTSIDE THE FENCE
November 22 — Winter Vegetables

All activities are scheduled for 10:00-10:30 a.m., and are designed for kids ages four and under. For more information, to be added to the email distribution list, or to apply for a plot, please contact ToddlerGarden@hotmail.com.

ST PAUL’S SCHOOL: Middle school students growing produce for low income seniors and learning to care for the earth as part of the school’s service learning curriculum. Their workdays are every Tuesday and Friday from 2:10pm to 3:15pm.  During the summer months, youth enrolled in programs with the City’s Office of Parks and Recreation tend this budding garden space.

PLANTING JUSTICE: Dedicated to economic and food justice through support of sustainable local food systems. Their workday is the second Sunday of the month. Check out their website for more information: http://www.plantingjustice.org/

FURIOUS DANCING GARDEN: The New Bill Barham & Co. Multicultural Gardeners and Poets Collective is putting in motion the literary soul of planting, nurturing and ever-changing garden landscape conversation. They are preparing to launch their season of workdays and demos, which will consist of literary events in the garden, beginning in April 2013.  Contact Bill if interested in helping with his garden work by email at williamebarham@sbcglobal.net.

COMMUNITIES ROOTING TOGETHER: Bringing the Cambodian Women’s Group together to plant food crops from their native home. Workdays are every Friday from 10am to 12noon and demos are the first Thursday of the month from 10am-12pm.  Contact Zack Reidman for involvement: zackreidman@gmail.com

CHEF ROBERT DORSEY III: Cultivating gardens with the youth ofOakland’s “Junior Chef Society” as a peaceful solution to combat issues of hunger and violence inOakland communities. Workdays are every second and fourth Saturday from 11am to 1pm.  Contact Chef Dorsey for more information at rd3@chefrobertdorsey.com

HOPE COTTAGE: Sets of seniors with their grandchildren steward this garden plot adjacent to the South entrance of the Gardens at Lake Merritt.  Their plot mixes flowers, herbs, and vegetables to present an attractive display to all who enter – regulars and first timers alike!  Contact Sharon for more details on volunteer participation: sharonbrostrom4@yahoo.com.

Weeds…. they can be overwhelming this time of year due to spring rains and warming weather. Don’t despair! You can win the battle of the weeds without resorting to deadly chemicals or furious digging and yanking. A weed-fighting method called “sheet mulching” works in harmony with nature; weeds disappear while soil improves at the same time.

How does it work? The weeds are literally smothered and not allowed to see the light of day. Layers of compostable materials (such as newspaper or cardboard, compost and wood chips) are piled on top of the weeds. Then the naturally occurring microorganisms and worms in the soil below do the magical job decomposing the weeds.

With time, the mulch layers break down and provide organic material and nutrients to the soil. Thus, sheet mulching not only gets rid of weeds, it also improves the soil fertility and helps a happy community of earthworms keep the soil aerated.

In contrast, digging out weeds disrupts the soil’s natural ecosystem and destroys earthworm tunnels. Spraying with herbicides adds environmentally questionable chemicals to the garden. Sheet mulching works with nature rather than against it. 

Sheet mulching is simple and inexpensive, just follow the steps below:

1. Dampen whole sections of newspaper or flattened cardboard boxes by placing in a large bucket or play pool filled with water. Remove and place directly on weeds, overlapping for complete coverage. Another alternative is to use cardboard sold in rolls, using at least 2 to 3 layers; spray cardboard with water to dampen after rolling out.
2. Spread a  4” to 6” layer of mulch over the newspaper/cardboard.  The mulch can consist of wood chips or a combination of weed-free compost and wood chips. Wood chips can often be found for free from a local tree company.
3. Plant new plants by cutting holes through the newspaper/cardboard.  Replace mulch around plants, but don’t smother them! Hold the mulch a couple of inches away from the base of the plant. If large plants are being used (such as 5 gallon cans and larger), it is best to plant them first, and then sheet mulch around them. Try to keep soil under the sheet mulching so weed seeds will be smothered.
4. The weeds will naturally bio-degrade within a month or two. The wood chips or compost can be replenished annually as needed. Subsequent weeding is much easier as the soil becomes looser and more organic.The sheet mulching technique was used in both the Mediterranean Garden and the Sensory Garden in The Gardens at Lake Merritt with great success:

   

    Before Sheet Mulching: Dense weeds covered the Mediterranean Garden site.

    

    Dampened cardboard was placed in layers over the planting beds.

   Drip irrigation tubing was installed on top of the cardboard.

    

   

   Compost and wood chips were placed over newspaper layers at the Sensory Garden.

    Holes were dug through the layers for new plants.

    

   The completed Mediterranean Garden 1-1/2 years later.Weeds are still suppressed by sheet mulching and the plants are flourishing

   You’ll find Tricia Christopher in the Mediterranean Garden most work party days (the first and third Saturdays of every month). She’s happy to answer your questions about Mediterranean gardening and/or visit her website http://www.tchristopher.com/