On a recent trip north of the San Francisco Bay Area, my husband and I stopped at the Mendocino Coast Botanical Garden, just south of Fort Bragg. We spent an hour and a half roaming through the gardens, despite overcast skies and a light rain (one of the hazards and benefits of travelling in the fall)! We had hoped to see the gardens two years ago (see Visit to Mendocino), but access was restricted and limited because of COVID-19, and closed during our stay. Now that things are opening up a bit, it was much easier to visit (still with appropriate caution).
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| Gardens and nursery |
The botanical garden was founded in 1961 by retired plantsman, Ernest Schoefer and his wife, Betty, with a grand opening in 1966. The mild coastal climate, available water source, and acid soil inspired them to collect rhododendron species. They added other collections, including perennials, begonias and fuchsias, heath and heather, succulents, Mediterranean plants, camellias, conifers, dahlias, and magnolias.
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| Entrance to the gardens |
During our visit, we caught a sneak peak of the lights being installed for the upcoming Festival of Lights, which runs after Thanksgiving through mid-December. Judging by what we saw, FOL should be a lot of fun. Seeing the decorations reminded me of the holiday lights celebration at Filoli (see Filoli at Christmas).
Following is a gallery of photos showing what caught my eye while roaming the garden. Visiting a botanical garden in November is a great opportunity to study what plants look like the fall season. This is useful for assessing the year-round interest of plants, trees or shrubs that you are considering for your own garden or landscape.
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| Begonia in a beautiful shade of coral |
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| Sedum "Autumn Joy" - perfect color for fall |
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| The succulents and cacti are thriving in the mild coastal environment |
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| A collection of carnivorous plants |
Two important components that I look for in a botanical garden, besides amazing plants, include great signage and plenty of benches. The signs should be clear and informative, and the benches should provide a comfortable place to rest and observe nature. Another positive component is evidence of birds and wildlife. The Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens has all of the above.
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| A young dawn redwood dropping its fall needles |
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| An unusual magnolia |
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| A spruce with a low growth habit |
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| Contemplating the beauty of fall |
In summary, we enjoyed exploring the plants, trees and shrubs of the gardens, despite the intermittent light rain and dark skies. The staff and volunteers provided helpful information and answered our questions. We didn't make the full loop out to the Cliff House, so we have that to look forward to in a future visit. But we made good use of our time and enjoyed fall in the gardens.
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| The deer gate |
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| Fern collection |
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| A few dahlias are still blooming |
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| An appealing collection of heather |
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