On Sunday, June 7, 2026, Alameda County Master Gardeners Irene Beebe and Max Fairbee, in cooperation with ABG, presented a workshop on Water and Climate Change at REAP Climate Center’s well-appointed outdoor classroom.
The main points to take away from their slide show and talk were:
- Compost holds water and nourishes the soil.
- Mulch cools, slows evaporation and keeps down weeds.
- Drip Irrigation is the most efficient watering system (but don’t count out soaker hoses).
- Trees should be a high priority to save (water deeply ~ once a week).
- Lose your lawn (or at least shrink it).
- Consider graywater systems and/or rainwater harvesting.
Their excellent slide show included suggestions for water-permeable hardscaping, rain gardens, bioswales, rain barrels and cisterns. Proper planting methods included:
- Planting in blocks rather than rows.
- Selecting determinate or bush varieties of tomatoes, for more fruit in a shorter period of time and
- Selecting other short season crops.
Attendees felt that, though they were no strangers to gardening in a drought-prone environment, Irene’s and Max’s presentation supplied a good number of common-sense and clever methods for gardening while conserving our precious water supply. Click here for more resources and additional information.
