Gardens of the Bay Area Tour

Start
Thu, May 17, 2012
8:00 AM
End
Sun, May 20, 2012
7:00 PM
Location
San Francisco Bay Area
Spaces left
42

Join us for a spring tour of the San Francisco Bay Area, touring some of the best public and private gardens and select nurseries. Our members-only tour includes:

Thursday May 17 Berkeley and the East Bay
Our motorcoach departs 9:30 am today from Oakland Intl Airport to begin a 4-day horticultural adventure in the San Francisco Bay Area. First stop is the University of California Botanical Garden in Berkeley. Established in 1890, the Garden has over 13,000 different kinds of plants from around the
world, cultivated by region in naturalistic landscapes over its 34 acres. We'll have a boxed lunch before continuing on to the garden of Jana Olson. Built into a stunning canyon, with a year-round creek running under the house and through the garden, Jana's garden is filled with a bounty of plant life and sculptures. Enjoy a myriad of sights: the kitchen garden with chickens, the Grotto of Santa Basura, and a two-ton granite head in the creek. A wild and woodsy garden, it is topped by the large rustic house dubbed Camp Shasta by its occupants, who feel as though they are at home in a park. Refreshments will be served. One or two more private gardens in the East Bay before arriving at our home for the next three evenings, the Embassy Suites Walnut Creek. Enjoy the hotel's nightly wine and cheese reception, then the balance of the evening is at leisure.
Lunch, Reception

Friday May 18 Gardens of the East Bay
After breakfast at the hotel, we're off to Th e Ruth Bancroft Garden in Walnut Creek before we head to several exclusive private garden visits including the Katherine Greenberg garden in Lafayette. Boxed lunch will be provided. More about this day coming soon! An opportunity to stroll the charming restaurants and boutiques of Walnut Creek will be available at the end of our day. Breakfast, Lunch, Reception.

Saturday May 19 Gardens of the North Bay
After breakfast at the hotel, we'll begin the day with a visit to Annie's Annuals, a delightful nursery specializing in rare and unusual annual & perennial plants, including cottage garden heirlooms & hard to find California native wildflowers. We'll continue to Wave Garden and its spectacular vista of San
Francisco Bay. Then we're off to Tiburon for a bayfront lunch at Guaymas, famous for it's fabulous view of San Francisco across the bay. After lunch we will tour Roger and Mary Greenberg’s garden in Tiburon, featured on tour for the Garden Conservancy, S.F. Botanical Garden, Santa Barbara Garden Society and many others. Also published in “Fine Gardening” and other garden books. We'll end our day of touring with wine and cheese at the Oakland garden of Raul Zumba, a huge garden with interesting hardscape, great water features and various sitting areas and garden rooms. Raul maintains the garden wonderfully, and his house is small but spectacular.
Breakfast, Lunch, Reception.

Sunday May 20 The City
After breakfast at the hotel, we'll load our luggage onto the coach and head for San Francisco, the City by the Bay. Our schedule calls for visits to the San Francisco Botanical Garden at Strybing Arboretum and the Flora Grubb Gardens as well as several private gardens. Our tour ends at San Francisco International Airport, timed for flight departures 7pm and later. Guests returning to the Embassy Suites or staying on in San Francisco may take BART directly from San Francisco airport to their destinations. Breakfast, Lunch.

Tour Includes: NOTE: This tour includes substantial walking and stairs.
 Exclusive private garden visits in the East and North Bay
 Visits to UC Berkeley Botanical Garden, SF Botanical Garden
 Nurseries: Annie’s Annuals, Flora Grubb
 3 nights all-suites accommodation
 Breakfast and lunch daily
 Wine and appetizer reception each evening
 Transportation and entrances to all included events
 Tour Leader Scott Borden
 Limited to 42 guests.

Transportation Information: Details about flights, driving to the tour, etc.... click Here

Tour Price: $786 per person based on 2 persons sharing a room. A supplement of $196 applies for sole occupancy of a room. Donation of $100 per person to San Diego Horticultural Society included in tour price.

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Our Mission To inspire and educate the people of San Diego County to grow and enjoy plants, and to create beautiful, environmentally responsible gardens and landscapes.

Our Vision To champion regionally appropriate horticulture in San Diego County.