BEK Collective

06/02/2026

Reposted from
Design in Bloom by Bianca Koenig
Let the Sunshine In!

For health, for joy, for growth, let the sunshine in. That might mean stepping away from the screen, the couch, or even a dark place in your mind. But when you can make the time and space to let that sunshine warm your face. On a public bench, soaking in the street scene, at a comfy chair in a corner of the garden, or the front stoop among the neighborhood kids, it’s a chance to reconnect and feed the body. Warmth, a positive light, vitamin D, a required source for photosynthesis and creating the air we breathe. Let the sunshine in!

When planning the garden, we look for opportunities for morning coffee with the sun rising from the East. Views of the setting sun towards the West are popular for comfortable and social seating areas to enjoy with friends. Western and Southern exposures can also bring significant heat gain. Consider shade trees and shade structures to help bring comfort and energy efficiencies to the space. With a mix of shade and sun, plants and people can dial-in their preferred balance. Each plant type and person will have their own preference!

When diagnosing a struggling plant or planning for a new garden, the Sun Seeker app is a favorite tool. The 3D View function helps to calculate the total sunshine hours that will access a particular spot in the garden. Or, provide guidance for framing the sunset view throughout the year. May was Mental Health Awareness Month. Remember to make time for gardens, gathering, and sunshine to help fuel our souls with light and love!

05/14/2026

Reposted from
Design in Bloom by Bianca Koenig, PLA, ASLA

I finally made my very first visit to the Cambria Wildflower Show. Now in its 18th year, this event was truly beyond what I expected. Hundreds of wild species, from Monterey County line to Morro Bay Estuary were collected, identified, labeled, and put on display. I was grateful to find a friend and fellow plant nerd to walk and view each one of the hundreds of local flowers. I was also surprised to find samples of grasses, conifer trees, and… w**dy and invasive species! Every single specimen was collected, identified, and labeled with special notations for invasive, not native, and/or poisonous. There they were! The resilient and determined plants which pop up in the gardens I maintain, every year after the winter rains… Euphorbia peplus, Asparagus asparagoides, and a particular, Oxalis micrantha. Finally, I can acknowledge each one by name as I pluck them from the garden one by one!

When it comes to w**d management, I always start with for specific information and a thorough history of the source, habits, and specific eradication methods for each plant type. Each species always has their own durable characteristics, like springing up years later from dormant seed and root stock! Each species has a story to tell about the movement of humans and animals across the globe. And each species has a special strength to grow, thrive, and photosynthesize in the tough and challenging environments of roadway ditches, sidewalk cracks, and other disturbed soil areas. These amazing forms from nature– they amaze me… and keep me busy! Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “A w**d is a plant whose virtues have not yet been discovered.”

Many thanks to for sponsoring this extraordinary educational event.

02/28/2026

“MARINA LOVE”
The Imjin Artwork program was informed by various stakeholder and outreach engagements to highlight all the things people LOVE about the City of Marina. While thirty-two unique and custom art panels were hardly enough to capture every item on the list, our team of artists, researchers, and empaths, had the deep honor and pleasure of highlighting the elements which embody the City of Marina specifically and unlike any other place on earth.

11/15/2025

We’re pretty excited for the beautiful Cypress tree to find its new home at the center of the 8th Street roundabout and art installation. The roundabout will be a centerpiece to a pedestrian promenade and honor the military history of those who trained and served at Fort Ord.

❗️ This Monday, Nov. 17, Shea Homes will be carefully transporting a 35-foot cypress tree from 1st Avenue to the roundabout off 8th Street! The move is expected to take just a few hours.

🚧 A temporary detour will be in place along 8th Street while the tree makes its journey. A professional traffic control team will be managing the route to ensure safety for drivers and pedestrians.

🌲 Keep an eye out! The tree will be rolling down the middle of the road on inflatable rollers and specialized equipment as it’s guided to its new home!

🤝 Thank you for your patience as this one-of-a-kind move takes place in Marina.

10/24/2025

Have you signed up for the Morro Bay in Bloom Newsletter? If you have, you may have noticed monthly design topic contributions from Principal, Bianca Koenig. This month highlights five spooky details...

https://mailchi.mp/2c9d980e5356/twelve-years-of-service-to-our-community?fbclid=IwY2xjawNoqBRleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETF6d2RubUk1Snh3Ym5YUWRiAR41Bydi-rB0ndn0Q35mlKNz1Qg_HdOeP3hzJYWAw0D7tDfaJWPT-tO0dfb50Q_aem_B3hL2C7kba9Y430NsawWgA

Our Saturday, October 25th session at Centennial Parkway (the chessboard plaza) will mark Morro Bay in Bloom’s twelfth anniversary of our first volunteer gardening session! Greater than 40,000 hours of donated labor has been expended over those twelve years. We fundraise to purchase everything we ...

09/08/2025

BEK turns 4 today! Pumped on our annual round up:
1-Honoring the military history of Fort Ord, Marina, CA
2-Master Plan Exhibit to help build support for an Asian-American Garden, Marina, CA
3-Home for 69 affordable housing units, Paso Robles, CA
4-FYI: Since sundials follow the sun’s position, they display true local solar time, and do not automatically adjust for the man-made change of DST, Marina, CA
5-I promise this is a 100% candid photo! Making magic happen with efficiency and a smile, Paso Robles, CA
6-Helping to build consensus between City and Developer, Paso Robles, CA
7-Delivering light on the darkest nights”, Avila Beach, CA
8-”Make it sexy” - Client, Next step: Details, coordination, and patience to make it real…Cayucos, CA
9-Bringing new life to neglected outdoor spaces, San Luis Obispo, CA
10-Love watching our native garden grow at the office. Come visit! We’re right across the street from the best little beach school, Cayucos, CA

09/10/2024

BEK turns three! Thank you to our Clients and communities for your trust, partnership, and support! It was super hard to narrow down the top ten highlights from the last year. We’ll keep doing our best to bring joy and care to every project!
1 - James Way Beautification for City of Pismo Beach
2 - bringing the love for Anna’s Home Supportive Housing for
3 - front yard makeover and beachfront residential in Cayucos
4 - outdoors are for gathering new residential, San Luis Obispo
5 - listening and learning for City Gateway Signs for Marina, CA
6 - Del Monte Medians study in clay for City of Marina
7 - Del Monte Medians study in watercolor for City of Marina
8 - compact and efficient outdoor rooms are our jam, Hollister, CA
9 - tracing trail alignments in Nipomo, CA
10 - getting hands dirty in one of four test gardens maintained by

05/09/2024

Time is running out, but there's still an opportunity for your voice to be heard! The online survey for Marina's Gateway Signs project will be closing June 3rd, and we urge you to take this final chance to help shape the city's identity.

If you haven't already done so, please take a moment to share your thoughts and preferences by completing the survey.

https://www.marinagatewaysigns.org/

Thank you for your participation and for sharing what you love about Marina!

05/02/2024

Ayude a dar forma a la identidad de Marina: ¡Responda nuestra encuesta Gateway Signs hoy!
Tenemos la oportunidad de mostrar el orgullo de Marina a través de carteles de entrada, que se colocarán en las entradas clave de la ciudad. Nos encantaría escuchar sus historias, preferencias e ideas, para que el diseño de letreros pueda capturar los valores de la ciudad y brindar una cálida bienvenida a todos los que ingresan a la ciudad de Marina. Tu opinión es muy importante para nosotros: ¡queremos escuchar TU historia!
Consulte el enlace a continuación para obtener más información sobre el proyecto y tómese unos minutos para compartir sus opiniones en nuestra encuesta en línea ahora.
¡Compártelo con tu familia, amigos y vecinos! ¡Gracias por ser una parte esencial del proceso de diseño!
https://www.marinagatewaysigns.org/

05/02/2024

Help Shape Marina's Identity: Fill Out Our Gateway Signs Survey Today!

We have the opportunity to showcase Marina pride through the Gateway Signs, which will be placed at key entrances to the city. We would love to hear your stories, preferences, and ideas, so the sign design can capture the values of the city and warmly welcome all who enter Marina. Your opinion on what elements of Marina's identity should be highlighted on the signs is invaluable to us–we want to hear YOUR story!

Please see the link below to find out more about the project and take just a few minutes to share your thoughts in our online survey now.

Please share with your family, friends, and neighbors! Thank you for being an essential part of the design process!

https://www.marinagatewaysigns.org/