Bernadette Balics

APLD Designer Bernadette Balics Featured in Pacific Horticulture Magazine

Sacramento district member Bernadette Balics was featured in the summer 2017 issue of Pacific Horticulture magazine, the third in a series of articles featuring APLD designers. The Planting the New California Garden series illustrates how water-use data from WUCOLS can be translated into lush, unthirsty gardens. Bernadette designed a sprawling garden on the outskirts of Davis with low plantings to preserve the long vistas of the surrounding farmland and hills. A perfect example of how drought-tolerant plantings can feel sumptuous, the garden brims with intermingling foliage and flowers, inviting visitors to stroll the boardwalk while pollinators hover and dip.

Link to story: https://www.pacifichorticulture.org/articles/planting-new-california-garden-part-3-bernadette-balics/

Low plantings to preserve long vistas of the surrounding farmland and hills.Credit: Jennifer Jewell

Low plantings to preserve long vistas of the surrounding farmland and hills.
Credit: Jennifer Jewell

BOOK REVIEW: Where on Earth: A Guide to Specialty Nurseries and Gardens in California

Where on Earth belongs on every garden designer’s bookshelf, with its recently revised and updated 5th edition. It’s an invaluable tool to help designers find interesting and unusual plants. There are excellent maps and special sections for every region of the state. In addition, short essays help gardeners to understand how and why some plants are well suited for California and others are not. Each geographic section also lists horticultural attractions in the region.

To celebrate this new edition, an APLD designer from each of our California districts has written about a nursery from the book. Their personal impressions follow.

Harvest Day in Sacramento

In early August, APLD-CA Sacramento District hosted a table at Harvest Day, the annual educational event of the Sacramento County Master Gardeners held at the Fair Oaks Horticultural Center. Pictured are District President Martin Carrión van Rijn and Secretary Bernadette Balics.

Credit: Marti Meyer

Credit: Marti Meyer