How can you get your 15 minutes?  Apply for a coveted spot on the Bay Friendly Gardening Tour, where you can showcase your lovely back or front yard efforts.  Your garden does not have to be large, but it must be eco-friendly – which means all standard lawns and water-hogging flora are thumbs-down.

It’s time for Montclair gardens to shine.  Last year, some really cool gardens were featured from other places.  One Berkeley garden contained a mini-orchard along with salvaged junk-art.  There also was a nice yard in Alameda, which included a picture-perfect pond – proving that HGTV shows come true.

When I visit homes throughout Montclair, I’m amazed by the landscapes and sheer variety around places.  Some are quite verdant spots, with different flowering trees and plants.  Others are more natural settings in the woods.  Still others have very nice decks and views, but the plant life is far more sparse.

While the Tour site says there’s an August 1st deadline, we have confirmed that local gardeners may apply online through month’s end.  The tour organizers would like to include a range of Oakland Hills gardens, along with the Friends of Sausal Creek’s native plant nursery.

To make sure your entry’s received properly, please reach Jeanne Nader at jnader@stopwaste.org or 510-891-6500.  Here’s hoping you get your 15 minutes of gardening fame, next spring!