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#2 on Sunset Magazine’s list! “Canyons, wetlands, pine forest, and more make up this 47-acre garden overlooking the Pacific."
Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens is a unique natural treasure located at 18220 North Highway 1, just two miles south of Fort Bragg and seven miles north of Mendocino. Lose yourself for an hour — or all day — at one of only a handful of public gardens with ocean frontage. These magical 47 acres encompass manicured gardens, fern-ringed ponds, intimate pocket gardens, coastal pine forests, and wildflower-strewn bluffs at ocean’s edge. Enjoy a picnic on a lush meadow lawn, visit our expanded organic demonstration Vegetable Garden, or plan your celebration in a rustic gazebo encircled by the glory of late-summer dahlias.
The mild maritime climate of the Mendocino Coast offers ideal growing conditions for rhododendrons, heaths and heathers, heritage roses, succulents, conifers, and so much more. A birding hot-spot, the Gardens provides habitat for more than 160 species of birds that live in or visit the Gardens yearly, and the Cliff House provides an indoor vantage for watching winter and spring grey whale migrations.
This “garden for all seasons” is a place to enjoy a retreat from the world, any time of year. Spring brings a profusion of bulbs and stunning rhododendrons. The Perennial Garden is in full bloom and dahlias create a riot of color during the summer months. In fall, an abundance of mushrooms burst forth — a mycologist’s paradise! Come see what makes our garden special.
And for very special wedding planning, choose to exchange your vows under a rustic wooden gazebo, at an elegant affair in the Dahlia Garden, dancing under the stars on the Event Lawn, or say “I do” on a bluff overlooking the Pacific; these Gardens can be where all your wedding dreams come true.
Visit http://www.gardenbythesea.org/ for the vast events calendar. You'll find Garden Walks, Bird Walks, Succulent Workshops, Mushroom Walks and so much more!
Major Annual Events:
- Annual Rhododendron Show: Late April—California’s largest Rhododendron show, co-sponsored with the Noyo Chapter of the American Rhododendron Society, features more than 700 entries.
- Art in the Gardens: 1st Saturday in August—A day of incredible art by California artists, delicious food, wine and beer, music, and much more!
- Festival of Lights: Late November to Mid-December (Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays)—Celebrate the season with an evening at the Gardens, as thousands of lights sparkle throughout the Gardens.
- Festival of Lights Gala: Late November—This grand event raises funds to allow all children 16 and under free admission to the Festival of Lights.
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