Bay-O-Vista Improvement Association
BOVIA,
P.O. Box 461, San Leandro, CA 94577
boviaconnect@gmail.com
GARDEN TOURS
BOVIA Garden Tours have commenced for 2026. Please be sure to click the link to check the Events Calendar for the date of the next upcoming tour.
We have several beautiful gardens tours per year that showcase, beautiful and diverse garden settings within the Bay-O-Vista community. BOVIA members, please contact Kat Wellman at katwellman54@gmail.com or email Johnnie Holland at johnnie.holland@comcast.net if you would like to become a member of the BOVIA Garden Club or join any of the upcoming garden tours in 2026. We hope to see you there and enjoy some fresh air, beautiful scenery and neighbors and friends.
GARDEN CLUB MEETINGS
This wonderful group of experienced gardeners and “trying to learn more about gardening” BOVIA members meet monthly to discuss a variety of gardening issues and resources. More Bay-O-Vista Garden Tours are being planned, as well as a potential photography book of the many beautiful gardens we have in Bay-O-Vista. We meet via zoom on the 3rd Wednesday of each month from 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. Please join us by contacting Kat Wellman at katwellman54@gmail.com.
IT’S “BARELY” FALL
As fall approaches, we reflect on the colorful days of summer and think our gardening days are limited to maintenance such as leaf raking and mulching until spring arrives. Surprisingly, there are several interesting garden projects that can fulfill your gardening days with rewarding results – the planting of fall bulbs, bare root trees and autumn color.
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AUTUMN COLOR
September marks such events as the return to school, the start of the football season and the beginnings of holiday thoughts. It’s also a time for replanting the garden. While most think it’s time to yank out dying summer annuals, clean out garden containers and close up the garden until spring, September is actually an excellent time to add rich texture and vibrant color to keep your garden blooming throughout fall and winter.
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ALTHOUGH IT'S FALL, THINK SPRING
Although the calendar says fall, this gardener is thinking spring. There is no better time than fall to stage your garden for spring. The warm days and cool nights provide an ideal climate to establish new flowering trees prior to their dominant season that winter will soon be bringing on. The cool, moist soil allows roots to evenly dispersed around the trunk, which promotes a strong and health tree and allows growth to begin as soon as the weather warms up again. Come spring you can sit back and benefit from the array of color bursting from the bright greens of the foliage to the white, pinks and reds of the flower’s blooms. Spring flowering specimen trees are readily available in the fall as well as a good selection of bare root trees and shrubs and fall planting bulbs.
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The Z TO A’S OF HOUSEPLANTS
I couldn’t think of a better place to start than with the “ZZ” Plant (Zamioculcas Zamiifolia) also known as the Aroid Palm. It’s one of the recent indoor plants to hit the market and has been described as the ideal houseplant. The ZZ plant can tolerate low light, lack of water, tough indoor conditions and even a certain amount of neglect.
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WATER IN THE GARDEN
Water has immense attractions. It has a relaxing effect with the refreshing coolness it brings, the tranquility of sounds it offers, and the sheer beauty of nature that it invokes. Water features for centuries have created natural focal points in the garden. Today, there are many options available to bring the essence of water into your garden setting – from the simple birdbath and the large variety of fountains to elaborate ponds, waterfalls and self-constructed container water gardens.
Thanks to modern technology, establishing a beautiful water garden can be a simple weekend job requiring only a minimum of skills. Water gardens can take the form of waterproof containers on the patio or a half-barrel with a fountain tucked into the garden foliage.
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SPRING'S BOUNTY OF COLOR
What’s new for Spring – flowers that are small, fragrant and unique; colors that are rich, deep, and strong. The pendulum has swung away from the gentle pastels of the past. Orange is the “new” color for the season and can be dramatic when combined with waves of blue and splashes of lime green. Or try mixing orange with yellows accented by purples and whites for a fresh new look.
Smaller flowers including miniatures are high on most gardeners’ list. Why? They are hardy performers, typically come back year after year and are well suited in today’s smaller or specialized gardens such as rock gardens, containers and perennial beds. And fragrance in flowers is becoming a must after being sacrificed for so long in the past for flower color, size and uniformity.
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"IMPATIEN" FOR SPRING?
No matter how you spell it, Impatiens are a wonderful source of color for your garden and are one of the sure signs of Spring. Impatiens flower non-stop May through November, need little fertilizer, are relatively resistant to most diseases and insects, and are among the few colorful annuals that thrive and bloom in full shade. Impatiens are actually a perennial but are considered an annual as in most areas they are killed off by frost.
Impatiens work well in flowerbeds, borders, edging, mass plantings, planters, window boxes, and are well suited for hanging baskets or potted containers.
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GARDEN CORNER RESOURCES
We also want to provide gardening resources to our residents and will eventually use this site to post questions and answers.
This is for BOVIA members to exchange information on gardening tips – for our novice and our expert gardeners – we need you all!
Do you have a gorgeous garden, a green thumb? A problem with gophers? What is the best spray for pests that is safe for pets? Do you have extra fruits and vegetables to share or trade? What are the best drought-tolerant plants?
Please send your recommendations and any gardening questions or concerns to Kat Wellman at katwellman54@gmail.com or Johnnie Holland at johnnie.holland@comcast.net. We can help each other!