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Gardens in SF and environs

Marie Tulin
13 years ago

Our daughter is moving to SF for a job. We'll be visiting her periodically and I've got to see "your" gardens! Would you please share your favorite gardens in SF (it is a big city, I know) as well as lovely places to visit (besides gardens) within a two hour drive when we're staying a few days?

We're not big-crowd people and love to explore out of the way places and non-touristy activities. I imagine we'll make a few trips this year (she's 22 and a long way from home in MA) so we can plan ahead, unlike our typical way of operating.

I actually don't know where her apartment is, or I'd ask for B & B recommendations and restaurants too. I hope you don't mind these non gardening questions, but I can't think of a more trusted source than Gardenwebbers.

Thanks so much,

Marie

Lexington, MA

Comments (5)

  • iris_gal
    13 years ago

    San Francisco is quite built up and I can't recall any special gardens. Golden Gate Park is nice. Berkeley U. across the bay has gardens and Oakland/Piedmont area has great landscape ideas for city sized lots. Annie's Annuals is a great source of plants unavailable in most nurseries.

    A tourist attraction is Filoli, south of SF. Sorry I don't have more ideas for you. (for some reason I can't post the link)

    But the one thing I would not want to miss is the drive on Hwy. 1 to Big Sur and a leisurely lunch at Nepenthe. It's further away from SF than you want.

  • Laurel Zito
    13 years ago

    I have posted a link for white crane springs garden in San Francisco. You should see both the rose garden in golden gate park and the dahlia garden which is located near fuschia glen near the Big Green House, the Conservatory and you can look inside for a small fee. The Braille garden is in the arboretum in Golden Gate Park. There are some plant near the big will mill in Golden Gate Park near ocean beach. I can't think of any more public gardens.

    Here is a link that might be useful: White Crange Springs

  • deep___roots
    13 years ago

    Well, if you'd like to see the Berkeley campus, it is quite attractive in places and there is a botanical garden run by the University at the top of Strawberry Canyon. There are some very nice panoramic views of the Bay from certain points of the garden. Fairly cheap to enter, not crowded usually, some nice plant collections...I'm a member there.
    Filoli is maybe 40 minutes south of SF near Woodside CA. The former estate of the Mattson family (Mattson Steam Lines), it is a pretty nice piece of formal plantings and fancy turn of the century architecture. Yeah, I could live there! Probably 20+ bucks to enter per person.
    And Monterey (the area), maybe 2.5 hours south of SF, just because. An overnight trip to Monterey is perhaps called for at least once in a lifetime.
    I don't know north of SF that well, but I'm sure there are attractions in that direction too.

  • Marie Tulin
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Thanks, everyone for your ideas. I'm printing them out and making a notebook. Maybe some of you Californians will visit the places suggested to me! I meet tourists all the time who have seen more of Lexington and the area I have. We were just too busy raising kids, working, and enjoying our own backyard for many years.

    I really do appreciate that you've taken the time to write in detail. Keep the ideas coming.

    Marie

  • Laurel Zito
    13 years ago

    Things are really speard out in CA. Often you have to drive all day to see something, but this park near San Jose, you can go and back in one day. Muir Woods is close by in Marin County. You can go up to the Russian River area if you want to drive farther. Napa has a lot of wine tasting. If you drive pass Sacramento you can see the gold country. If you drive farther up highway 1 to half moon bay, and santa cruz, both of these are lovely areas.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Big Basin Trees State Park