East Bay Baby

Sorry for the long silence on this blog – our family moved to a new house, a nearly month-long ordeal of packing and unpacking with children and cat underfoot. Most of us have recovered from the trauma, though, and our sunny little backyard encourages us to plot large vegetable beds and google “how to take care of dead lawn.” In that spirit, then, here are some flower and garden themed activities around the East Bay:

• Annie’s Annuals Spring Party, April 10-11: This gigantic nursery is improbably housed in the heart of the Richmond industrial area. Who knew?! The party includes bunnies, chickens, and a sandy play area for the kids, and music, garden talks, and 2.5 acres of rare and exciting plants for the adults.
• Western Railway Museum train ride through the wildflowers, every Saturday, Sunday, and Wednesday in April, with departures at 11:00am, 12:30pm and 2:00pm. You like flowers, your kids like trains (or perhaps vice versa) – please everyone with a day trip to the Western Railway Museum and a hour long ride through the wildflowers on the Scenic Limited!
• Join a Community Garden – if you lack a backyard, there are community gardens all around the East Bay! Here are community garden locations in Oakland, Berkeley, Emeryville, Walnut Creek, and so on.
• Take a wildflower hike – if you and your kids are the outdoorsy sort, check out the best wildflower hikes in the Bay Area from Weekend Sherpa. In just a few short months the hills will be back to yellow and brown, so step to it!