Home
Join Our Email Mailing List
Gardeners' Resources
A Sense of Place
Our PCC Planting Project
Related Websites:
CNPS Santa Clara Valley Chapter Website
CNPS State Website
Going Native Garden Tour
|
|
|
Visit these gardens any time that they're open (please check websites for hours).
|
|
Colleges
|
|
NATIVE HILL.
Foothill College, 12345 Moody
Road, Los Altos Hills. Begun in 1982 by former faculty member Robert Will
as a teaching aid for students, this small patch of land has grown under
CNPS member Ellie Gioumousis's care to house 170 species within one acre
of land. It is the best demonstration garden of California native plants
in the South Bay. It was slated to be paved over in 2000, but an
outpouring of public support has spared its life ... so far.
|
|
|
ENVIRONMENTAL STUDY AREA.
De Anza College, corner of Stelling & McLellan (inside the campus), Cupertino.
Over 300 species of native plants representing 12 natural communities. Read
story in Cupertino Courier.
|
|
|
DUNCAN
HALL BOTANICAL & HABITAT GARDEN.
San Jose State University,
San Salvador St (near 4th St), San Jose. Planted in the mid-1980s, this
4,000 sq.ft. area is landscaped with natives such as lemonade berry,
Brewer's saltbush, spice bush, coffeeberry, and toyon, and home to a
variety of species of birds, bees, squirrels, and lizards. It is
maintained by the Natural History Club.
|
|
|
MISSION COLLEGE.
3000 Mission College Boulevard, Santa Clara. New plantings of natives.
|
|
|
A CALIFORNIA NATIVE GARDEN AT STANFORD.
Stanford University, Palo Alto. Designed by Meg Webster and installed in 2002, this garden replaced
a lawn that was surrounded by redwoods, giant sequoias and coast live oaks.
|
|
|
Schools
|
|
CHERRY CHASE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
1138 Heatherstone Way, Sunnyvale.
(408) 522-8241. A small native plant garden is located on a piece of land
right next to the street.
|
|
|
PETERSON NATURAL AREA.
A 2-acre site planted in 1970 with native plants from eight biotic
communities. Peterson Middle School, 1380 Rosalia Way, Sunnyvale. Bryan
Osborne 408-736-1402 or 408-720-6540 ex 3335.
|
|
|
HACIENDA
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE MAGNET SCHOOL.
A 1-acre site planted in 1971, contains redwood forest, oak woodland,
chaparral, grassland, streamside and pond habitats. Hacienda Environmental
Science Magnet School, 1290 Kimberly Drive, San Jose.
|
|
|
Parks
|
|
TAYLOR STREET ROCK GARDEN,
Guadalupe River Park and Gardens, San Jose. This water-wise garden is planted
amid large boulders along Taylor Street
near Spring Street in San Jose just south of the airport and west of Highway
87. Small trees, native shrubs, grasses and bulbs have been planted here so
far. This small park is a work in progress that will add more California
native plants and signage to identify them. The Friends of Guadalupe River
Park and Gardens are committed to making the Guadalupe Gardens section of
the almost completed river park a showcase for the orchards, roses,
water-wise gardening techniques, and California native plants that make this
valley the best place to garden.
|
|
|
OVERFELT GARDENS,
Educational Park Drive (at McKee), San Jose. A section of this
city park called "California Wild" is devoted to California
natives.
|
|
|
ULISTAC NATURAL AREA,
Lick Mill Boulevard, Santa Clara. A 40-acre site saved from development and in the
long, slow process of restoration.
|
|
|
STEVENS CREEK TRAIL,
Mountain View. New landscaping is all natives. Plants include ceanothus, iris,
fremontodendrons, elderberry, sages, native roses, buckeye, alder, and
sycamore. Landscaping starts at La Avenida (off Shoreline, where there's a
trailhead), then follows Stevens Creek for about a mile south to
Central Expressway.
|
|
|
HILLSBOROUGH WATER CONSERVATION PARK,
El Camino Real at Floribunda, Hillsborough. Mixed planting of drought
tolerant species includes many California natives.
|
|
|
Libraries
|
|
WOODSIDE LIBRARY GARDEN,
3140 Woodside Road, Woodside. The garden (in the back of the library) is composed
entirely of California native plants. It is open to the public during
library hours: Mon-Thu 11-7; Fri-Sat 11-5. It is maintained by the Woodside-Atherton Garden
Club. There is a brochure with a map of the different plants.
|
|
|
Nursery Demonstration Gardens
|
|
YERBA BUENA NURSERY DEMONSTRATION GARDEN.
Established in the hills above Woodside in 1960 by native gardening
pioneer Gerda Isenberg, this 2-acre garden features mature shrubs
alongside a variety of perennials and wildflowers. The insect life in this
garden offers convincing proof of the value of native plants. A true
resource for Bay Area gardeners. 40 Langley Hill Road (2.2 miles off
Skyline Blvd), Woodside. (650) 851-1668. Tue-Sun 9-5.
|
|
|
LARNER SEEDS DEMONSTRATION GARDEN.
A 1-acre site planted in 1980 with plants from several biotic communities.
Definitely worth a visit. 235 Grove Road, Bolinas. Tue, Thu 10-2, Sat
12-4.
|
|
|
Arboreta
|
|
REGIONAL PARKS BOTANIC GARDEN.
Tilden Park, Berkeley. The largest collection of California native plants, with
plenty to excite the native
gardener.
|
|
|
STRYBING ARBORETUM,
Golden Gate Park, San Francisco. Contains a section devoted to California natives, the
Arthur Menzies Native Garden.
|
|
|
UC BERKELEY BOTANIC GARDEN,
Strawberry Canyon, Berkeley. 200 Centennial Drive, #5045, Berkeley, CA 94720. (510) 642-0849.
13 acres of California natives.
|
|
|
UC SANTA CRUZ ARBORETUM,
Empire Grade, UCSC Campus, Santa Cruz. Large sections devoted to plants from California,
Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa, and a "Natives Come
First" Garden.
|
|
|
Others
|
|
SUNSET MAGAZINE GARDEN.
85 Willow Rd, Menlo Park. Nearly 300 native plants of the West Coast arranged by region.
Tours Mon-Fri 11:30, 2:30. (650) 321-3600.
|
|
|
PACIFIC GROVE MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY,
165 Forest Avenue, Pacific Grove, CA 93950. (408) 648-3116. Winter home of
migrating monarch butterflies.
|
|
ASILOMAR CONFERENCE GROUNDS,
800 Asilomar Boulevard, Pacific Grove, CA 93950.
(831) 372-8016. Worth a visit for the dune restoration project. The
plant nursery includes a 960 square-foot greenhouse, which grows more than
400,000 plants, representing 25 native species for transplantation on the
grounds.
|
|
|
ALAMEDA COUNTY WATER DISTRICT DEMONSTRATION GARDEN,
43885 S. Grimmer Blvd., Fremont. (510) 659-1970. Drought tolerant garden has many
California natives.
|
|
|
PORTOLA VALLEY TOWN CENTER,
765 Portola Road, Portola Valley. Native
garden next to the Historic Schoolhouse.
|
|
| |
This page compiled by Arvind Kumar with input from Bracey Tiede, Tanya Kucak,
and Wendy Winkler. Send your comments and suggestions to
chhaprahiya@yahoo.com
All photos © Arvind Kumar
|
|
|
|
