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August 24, 2006

Sources of Inspiration- Great Bay Area Gardens

Having a good idea of design style for a new landscape project can take the project to a new level of design and make a very special garden space. Books are a good place to start to get inspiration. What style of garden, features, and materials should the garden include- modern, Asian, Mediterranean, xeriscape, California native? While garden books are a good starting place, it is often better to draw inspiration from other gardens to get ideas on plants, materials and design solutions. Fortunately, the Bay Area has several interesting gardens throughout the region to lend inspiration.

Good Bay Area Gardens for Design Inspiration:
Marin Art & Garden Center in Ross
Cornerstone Gardens in Sonoma
Sunset Display Garden in Menlo Park
San Francisco Botanical Garden at Strybing Arboretum, Golden Gate Park
San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers- Don't miss the Japanese Gardens, De Young Museum and others in Golden Gate Park
Hakone Japanese Gardens in Saratoga
Elizabeth Gamble Garden in Palo Alto
Ruth Bancroft Gardens in Walnut Creek
Filoli Estate in San Carlos
UC Berkeley Botanical Gardens
Quarry Hill Botanical Garden in Glen Ellen
The Gardens at Heather Farm in Walnut Creek
(thanks to Ruth Bancroft Gardens links page)

In addition to these gardens, another good source of inspiration can be outstanding residential gardens in your neighborhood. Or, if touring gardens sounds a bit boring, combine a search for garden inspiration with a trip wine tasting. There are many interesting gardens in Napa and Sonoma Counties, see the post, "Find Ideas for your Landscape at the Local Winery", for more.

Posted by Michael O'Connell at August 24, 2006 06:18 PM

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