North Bay

Gardens open daily from 8 am to 7 pm
No fee
Guided tours through home and greenhouse April through October, Wednesday through Sunday, 10 am through 3:30 pm, fees $2 for adults and free for children under 12.
Call to arrange tours for groups.

This garden is an outdoor museum that showcases Luther Burbank's work and includes many of the plants he developed during his lifetime. It's is also a serene setting fulfilling Mrs. Burbank's desire that the area surrounding their home become a memorial park. You can view a pictorial exhibit describing Burbank's work, stroll gardens that feature plants popular in the late 1800's, see roses developed by California hybridizers, and enjoy cutting gardens, demonstration beds, fruit trees and much more.

Call for open hours

A ten-acre site in the center of Marin, this peaceful garden center might also be named an arboretum: its extensive collection of historic specimen trees warrants that name. Come here to stroll and relax. Or, visit some of the buildings on the site and take part in the activities sponsored by one of the many founding and affiliate groups.

9 am to 5 pm Thursday through Monday
No fee
Many garden lovers make an annual early spring pilgrimage to the gardens at Sonoma Horticultural Nursery. This is when the incredible display of rhododendrons and azaleas are at their peak. But this garden is a delight all year round, with flowering plants of all types growing throughout the natural woodland in the garden. This is a collector's paradise and you'll encounter plants that go beyond the ordinary. Colors abound; be sure to see the "yellow" garden and the beds of day lilies.

Open April through October, Wednesday through Sunday, 10 am to 5 pm
No fee
This is one garden that needs to be on everyone's "must see" list. Combine the several-hour drive north of San Francisco with lunch in nearby Occidental for a great weekend excursion. While Western Hills is famous world-wide within the horticultural community, it's as equally appealing to the person planting their first garden: both enjoy the garden's naturalistic settings with paths, bridges and hidden vistas and plants of every hue, size, and form. It includes a working nursery so you can often bring home the plant or two that caught your eye.

No fee
This garden is technically outside the border of the San Francisco and Monterey Bay Area region. But its a worthwhile trip, especially for any who struggle with the problem of hot summers and little water: here you'll find many trees and plants that do well in the warm central valley and need little summer water . While there's something for everyone at the Arboretum, one area to look for is the oak grove, where you can view nearly 100 different oaks.

San Francisco

Golden Gate Park is one of San Francisco's premiere tourist destinations. It is also a spot that residents enjoy on an ongoing basis. While the whole park is garden-like, there are certain areas that garden lovers appreciate perhaps a bit more. You may want to visit:

• Many know the Japanese Tea Garden, it is a popular destination with tourists and residents alike.
• Another landmark garden, the Conservatory of Flowers is closed due to extensive damage incurred in last winter's storms, although you may still enjoy the annual flower beds that surround it.
• You may want to visit the recently renovated Fuschia Garden -- all the plants in it are resistant to the fuschia mite that has decimated many of our fuschias. These plants were developed at Strybing, check with them for additional information.
• In the spring, a popular garden is the Rhododendron Dell.
• The AIDS Memorial Grove is located near the Stanyan Street entrance to the park.

Call 415-666-7200 for general information about the park.
Call 415-750-8340 for information about the AIDS Memorial Grove
Call 415-666-7107 for information, hours and fees for visiting the Japanese Tea Garden

Open daily dawn through evening
No fee
Pier 39 attracts many visitors with its shops, sea lions and new aquarium. Perhaps less known are the container plantings that complete its landscaping. Children of any age enjoy the topiaries, and garden lovers can view up close an excellent collection of annuals, perennials, shrubs and trees that thrive in this maritime climate. Be sure to visit in early spring; thousands of blooming tulips are outstanding.

Open weekdays 8 am to 4:30 pm
Open weekends and holidays from 10 am to 5 pm.
No fee
You might visit Strybing to walk across its rolling lawns and view the colorful displays of flowers. Or, you might watch the birds in the central pond and read a book while enjoying a sunny afternoon. When you are ready to stroll a bit beyond the garden's center, you will enjoy one of the world's finest botanical gardens and arboretums. Its collections include plants from Chile, New Zealand, Australia, Asia, South Africa's Cape Province, the New World Cloud Forest, Primitive Plants, a California native meadow, a Japanese moon garden, and a Redwood trail.

East Bay

Open daily
No fee
3,000 roses
Visit this garden to see not only the roses, but the stunning architecture of the entire garden. Tucked into a quiet north-side Berkeley neighborhood, one garden highlight is the rose amphitheater with tiers of different-colored roses descending to the base.

Open 8 am to 4:30 pm Monday to Friday
No fee
View this garden to see an excellent example of a Mediterranean- based garden and come away with an appreciation for the plants that thrive in our area. The plantings are incorporated into classic settings, reflecting both Italian and Asian influence, as well as more contemporary plantings. (The garden is part of the Blake house complex, home of the UC Berkeley president, and many enjoy seeing the garden in context of this stately home.)

This historic house and 40-acre estate is open each year from April to September. The 37-room mansion was designed by San Francisco architect J. Eugene Freeman for coal baron Alexander Dunsmuir and his wife in 1888. John McLaren, the landscape architect who designed Golden Gate Park, is assumed to have designed the gardens after the home was bought by the I. W. Hellmans in 1906. You can tour the house and gardens on Wednesdays, or attend one of the many special Family Sunday gatherings that combine a visit with turn-of-the-century games such as croquet and badminton, and cultural entertainment reflecting the rich diversity of the Bay Area Community. During the Tour season, the grounds are open to the public free of charge each Tuesday through Friday from 10 am to 4 pm. Three different routes are included in the self-guided landscape tour of the estate grounds. Trees and other plant material are well marked, and described in the self-guided tour booklet. You'll be able to see excellent specimen-size examples of many of trees used in Bay Area landscapes as well as other perennials, grasses, and vines. The house also opens for a short period during the Christmas season and is a popular destination for many who enjoy seeing its festive decorations and participating in Victorian-style holiday events.
$5 fee, $4 for seniors and juniors (6 to 13) for Wednesday and Sunday tours.
$2 fee, $1 fee for seniors and juniors (6 to 13) for Family Sunday events without tour.)
Wednesday tours at 11 am and 12 noon, Sunday tours at 12 noon, 1 pm and 2 pm.

Open daily 8:30 am to 5 pm
No fee
If you want to understand more about the myriads of plants that grow in California's diverse climate, visit Tilden. Its ten-acre collection is organized into nine major climate areas and as you visit each area, you'll see plants growing together as they do in their natural habitat. Excellent signage makes it easy for the novice gardener and the expert to learn and appreciate a great deal about our native plant heritage.

No fee
Open weekdays 10 am to 3 pm, Saturdays and Sunday from 10 am to 4 pm (winter hours (November to April) are 10 am to 4 pm all days.
Part of the large park complex that fronts Lake Merritt, Lakeside Park Gardens are an idyllic setting for a visit. The various gardens in the complex include Japanese, rhododendron, fuchsia, cactus, lily, herb, iris, palm, fire escape, city, vegetable, compost and herb gardens.

Open daily dawn to dusk
No fee
Visit Oakland's official rose garden to see roses in a classic Italian-style garden setting. With its peak bloom in mid-May, this garden is a popular Mother's Day destination and also a popular site for weddings. Long known for its collection of modern hybrid tea roses, the garden is an excellent destination to view over 500 All-American rose selections and a collection of historic hybrid teas from the 1920's to the 1950's.

9:30 am - 4:30 pm every day but Tuesdays
No fee, picnicking and pets welcome

The Niles Rose Garden is located on one acre of an old historic site in Fremont. It's been renovated and maintained by the Friends of Heirloom Flowers (510-656-7702). Abutting a second acre lawn and butterfly garden, the entire site makes for a pleasant visit any time of the year. In addition to roses, you'll also find many interesting and rare trees and shrubs in the gardens, many of which bloom between January and May.

The Garden is located on part of an old rancho once owned by Don Jose de Jesus Vallejo. In 1843 he built on part of the land the "Old Adobe" building -- still present and open to visitors by appointment only. Later part of the land housed a 400-acre nursery. It was once the largest nursery on the west coast, responsible for the addition of many new varieties of plants and trees. Over time the acreage was reduced further still, although there is a still a wholesale and a retail nursery on part of the site. Land not developed into condominiums became a City of Fremont park.

Open daily 8 am to dusk

This typical Victorian ranch house is surrounded by 4.5 acres of grounds, first planted as a nursery by the Shinn family in the 1870's. Now part of the City of Fremont's park system, Shinn house and gardens is a popular site for weddings and group events. Gardeners and tree lovers visit it to see the many unusual specimen trees on the estate grounds.

Open every day except Christmas
9 am to 4:45 pm. Summer hours may vary
Fees: Thursdays free.
All other days: Adults $3, children 3 - 18 $1, UC students free

This fifth-largest botanic garden in the world is too large to absorb during any one visit. One suggestion is to start with one of the docent-led tours at 1:30 pm on Saturdays and Sunday (free with admission). Or, if you don't join a tour, simply follow your eyes to an area of interest, because in this large collection there is truly something that will appeal to every gardener. The garden is worth several visits during each season. (An annual pass is available for purchase for $20 for individuals, $30 for families and as part of membership benefit for Friends of the Botanical Garden members.)

Diablo Valley

Open daily dawn to dusk
No fee
An association of individuals, garden clubs and plants societies, Heather Farm is a non-profit educational corporation. Its five- acre complex - with a greenhouse, lath house, community building and three acres of demonstration gardens - makes it one of the most important garden centers in Contra Costa County. Stop by to stroll through its permanent collection or visit its many demonstration projects.

Open daily dawn to dusk
No fee to visit the garden
(Museum is open Wed - Sun from 11 am to 5 pm, $4.50 for adults, $2.50 for children 3 to 17, $3.50 for seniors over 65)

The Lindsay Museum is a wildlife rehabilitation and natural history center that exhibits some, non-releasable native wildlife in a natural setting. Its goal is to foster a living connection between people and wildlife-part of that goal is accomplished by demonstrating the natural environment in which wildlife lives. Visit the Nature Garden that surrounds this museum and you will see native plantings featuring oak woodlands, meadows, chaparral and many annuals and perennials.

Gardens are open daily from 8 am until dark.

This sixteen-acre arboretum and nature park lies in the heart of Concord. With a natural stream winding its way through it, the arboretum is a peaceful sanctuary in the heart of an urban community. Come visit to stroll the pathways, or just to relax and unwind. Currently under development is a 3.5 acre international garden with wisteria arbor. You can also enjoy rose gardens and herb gardens. The arboretum's focus is plants native to California and the other Mediterranean climates of the world.

$5 fee for garden tours. From mid-April through mid-July, tours are held Friday and Saturday at 9:30 am and 1 pm. From mid-July through mid-October, tour times are Friday and Saturday at 9:30 am only. From mid-October through mid-April, you'll be able to visit the garden via tour the 1st and third Saturday at 1 pm. through fall. Call above number to make reservations.

Visit this garden to see magnificent specimens of succulents, cacti, yucca and other plants that require minimum water. In addition to viewing the thousands of plants, you'll also see their integration into a well-thought landscape design. The garden was started by Mrs. Ruth Bancroft, and while now is operated as a non-profit corporation, still exhibits her special touch. Special events are also featured at the garden from time to time, see the events section for information.

Peninsula

Open Monday through Saturday, 9 to 5
No fee

The Allied Arts Guild Spanish-Colonial style buildings host an environment for working artists and shops for visitors. But the gardens, inspired by those in Granada, Spain, are what attract the eye of all who visit this serene and tranquil setting. Here, you'll have a unique opportunity to see a Spanish-style Mediterranean garden, with arches, fountains, and courtyard gardens nestled among the many buildings. The center benefits Lucille Salter Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford; you may want to have lunch or do a bit of shopping during your visit to this popular peninsula garden.

Open mid-February until early November
Docent-led tours of house and garden Tuesday through Saturday
Self-guided tours Friday and Saturday
Docent-led nature hikes of the undeveloped land by advance reservation
Call for fee information.

Filoli is one of America's great garden estates and local gardeners should visit it at least once (although after an initial visit, you'll most likely find yourself making many return trips). Set in a vast acreage of native oaks, the formal gardens and vistas can take one's breath away. While beautiful at any time, many enjoy Filoli most in the spring when the massive wisteria that cover the house are in full bloom and are accompanied by hundreds of other spring blooms. Filoli hosts many special events during its season as well as during the Christmas holidays.

Open weekdays 10 am to 4 pm, weekends 11 am to 4 pm
No fee

Visit this garden to experience a traditional Japanese tea garden, and also to see how a serene setting can be developed successfully in the middle of an intensely-developed urban community. A joint effort of San Mateo, its gardening community, and a sister city in Japan, this garden presents both dramatic vistas and skillfully executed detail. A special bonus to the home gardener are the wide variety of trees in the garden, most of which will thrive in local gardens.

Open Monday - Friday 9 am to 4:30 pm
No fee

Many of us learned gardening skills by referring to Sunset's Western Garden Book, magazine and "how to" books, and a trip to its corporate headquarters garden is like visiting an old friend. The garden beds are laid out to match the Sunset garden zones that run from the Pacific Northwest to the Mexican desert, so you can see first hand plant representatives from the various areas. You'll also find here many examples that translate easily to your own garden setting.

Santa Clara Valley

Open daily during daylight hours
No fee

Decent-led tours $3 per person, minimum group size is 8. The Gamble house and garden illustrate the large, comfortable home of the Victorian era, restored and reconstructed by a community non-profit foundation. Its formal garden areas include wisteria and rose gardens and a cherry tree allee, each providing flowers in the spring and a cool oasis in warm weather. In the summer, Gamble's demonstration gardens catch the eye, with colorful beds of flowering annuals and perennials and beds of herbs and vegetables.

Open daily 8:30 am to sunset
No fee

Emma Prusch dedicated her 86-acre dairy ranch to the people of San Jose in 1969 and it's since been transformed to a center where you can see and learn about San Jose's past -- when it was still the "Valley of Heart's Delight". A "Belle of Portugal" rose bush that is over 100 years old still graces the farm house porch. A rare fruit orchard is maintained on the property as well. Visit here to see a working farm, orchards, community gardens and a vibrant community center that organizes a wide variety of classes and activities for both children and adults.

Open daily
No fee
Guadalupe River Park and Gardens encompasses 450 acres along the Guadalupe River in San Jose from the Children's Discovery Museum downtown to the San Jose International Airport. The master plan for the entire project includes historical gardens, varietal gardens, a wholesale nursery complex, an arboretum, recreational and environmental facilities and a River Promenade. Visit the garden now to see its beginning phases--the Courtyard Garden, Historic Orchard, Taylor Street Rock Garden and the Heritage Rose Garden. (There is a separate listing in this directory for the Heritage Rose Garden.)

Monday through Friday, 10 am to 5 pm
Saturday and Sunday, 11 am to 5 pm
Closed legal holidays
Donation requested, parking fee
Developed in the early 1900's, this authentic Japanese hillside garden was nearly lost in the early 1960's. Saved by the city of Saratoga and a community foundation, the garden has been restored to a pristine state. Walk upward from the entrance among many paths to the Moon Viewing House and enjoy the waterfalls and artful blend of trees and shrubs. Smaller specialty gardens have also been developed, among them a bamboo garden where you'll see bamboos ranging from small ground covers to towering trees.

8 am to 30 minutes before dusk
No fee

This garden was planted by 750 community volunteers in March of 1995. With 5,000 plants and 3,000 varieties of antique roses, it will be the largest collection of heritage rose in the world once complete. With its state-of-the-art irrigation system and modern mulching methods, visit this garden to see roses thriving without herbicides and pesticides. You may be hard-pressed to notice these elements, as your eyes will be drawn to the kaleidoscope of colors as you walk through the concentric circles of rose bushes and shrubs that radiate out from garden's center.

Open daily 10 am to dusk
No fee

Located within the bustling Kelly park area, this popular garden is where many local residents first encountered traditional Japanese garden design. Located on several levels, the garden's ponds connect via waterfalls to the lowest level. Here you'll find a large Koi pond which delight children at feeding time. This garden, a joint project between San Jose and its sister city, Okayama, encompasses a more open style than many Japanese gardens found in the USA.

Open daily 10 am to sunset

The Overfelts were one of San Jose's early farming and ranching families and this park sits on a portion of their ranch, given to the city by Mildred Overfelt. Her vision was to provide a place where visitors can rest, relax and stroll in a peaceful setting. Visit the gardens yourself and enjoy rolling hills, lake shores and wandering pathways. There's a fragrance garden, rose and iris beds, and a California native plant and wildlife sanctuary. The Chinese Cultural Center includes hall, pavilion, a friendship gate, and additional garden areas.

Open daily dawn to dusk
No fee

Historic Rengstorff house was moved from its original site to Shoreline Park and carefully restored by the city of Mountain View. Once the restoration was complete, a traditional Victorian-era garden was designed an installed, including many roses of that period. While the garden is open daily, you can also tour the re- furbished house if you visit on Tuesday, Wednesday or Sunday from 11 am to 5 pm. House and garden are popular as a retreat site for organizations or for weddings.

8 am to 30 minutes before dusk
No fee

Surrounded by redwood trees and green lawns, this urban rose garden has been an oasis for garden lovers since 1927. A classic rose garden in every sense, much of its collection is concentrated on the hybrid tea roses that have been so popular in American gardens. You'll see climbers, miniatures and shrub roses. With its reflecting pool and fountains, this garden is especially lovely in April and May when the roses are enjoying their first bloom. Like many area rose gardens, this too, is a popular setting for weddings.

Open daily, shopping center hours

Here you'll find container gardening at its finest and be able to view close up common and unusual annuals and perennials that reflect carefully thought-out color themes. This is an excellent spot to visit to pick up some ideas about new plants or color combinations to try out in your garden. The gardens are integral to this shopping center--you'll even see them featured in billboards on local freeways that advertise the center. While many make a point of visiting during the winter holiday season or the height of spring, you'll find flowers blooming here every month of the year.

No fee

This Mediterranean-style estate sits in the foothills of Saratoga in a forested area. Trees dominate the gardens here and a walk through the formal garden areas, with their lawns, fountains, and statues, will evoke the feeling of Italy. The estate buildings host many programs and events that attract music and theater fans. Others come to walk the garden and branch out to the more forested areas and enjoy bird watching--Montalvo is also a bird sanctuary.

Monterey Bay / South Santa Clara County

Open daily, dawn to dusk
No fee

This three and a half acre garden on several levels nestles among the buildings of the shopping center. Its infrastructure consists of granite boulders from nearby Carmel valley, driftwood from nearby beaches and large bronze statues. What catches the eye here, however, is the vibrant colors that drift in waves up and down the various garden levels. The flowers are mostly low growing and tend to be "everyday" flowers that visitors can admire, then buy at local nurseries and grow successfully in their own yards.

Open daily from 8 am to 6 pm
No fee

The Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems UC Santa Cruz research and education group manages the 2-acre Alan Chadwick Garden and the 25-acre UC Santa Cruz Farm. Both sites are managed with organic growing techniques and feature hand-worked raised beds. The Farm also has a number of acres in mechanically cultivated row crops. It also features a wide variety of fruit trees, native ornamentals, and extensive vegetable and cut flower plantings.

From late March through the end of October, free docent-led tours of the Chadwick Garden are offered the first Thursday of the month at noon and the first Sunday of the month at 2 pm. On all other Thursdays and Sundays, docents lead tours of the UCSC Farm. A self-guided tour of the Farm is available year-round.

Weekdays 8 am to 5 pm
No fee

This wholesale grower's demonstration garden covers over two acres and features many varieties of annual flowers arranged in attractive beds. While something of interest is growing year round, the best time to visit this garden is July and August when the annuals are at their peak. The area is a montage of every rainbow color and you will be able to see many examples that will thrive in your own garden. Guided tours for groups or individuals can be arranged by advance appointment.

Open daily 9 am to 5:30 pm
(Nov to Feb 9 am to 4:30)
No fee

Anyone who imagines that a water-wise garden is dull and drab needs to visit the Sierra Azul gardens and see the myriads of colors, shapes and textures that fill this two-acre garden. The garden is comprised of beds called "Mediterranean Mounds"-- and you can take home an article that instructs you how to duplicate these mounds in your own garden. The perennials filling the mounds include old favorites and the latest introductions, all chosen for their ability to thrive in our Mediterranean climate. Nestled in the foothills of the coast range, a visit to this relatively new garden is a must for garden lovers throughout the Bay Area.

Open daily 9 am to 5 pm
No fee

Located on a hill high over Santa Cruz, the Arboretum enjoys some of the finest weather in the Bay Area and the plant collection here thrives in this near-perfect Mediterranean climate. Come to see one of the finest collections of South African Proteas in the world and stay to linger over an extensive collection of other plants from South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand. The natives section includes many plants that originate along the West Coast, including those from the islands off California. You will also find rare conifers and hundreds of other unusual plants in this garden, all of which are seen against views of Monterey Bay and the Pacific Ocean.

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