Wine Country Gardens: Flowers to Sculpture to Butterflies

Sonoma Country Gardens & Flowers

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. October 14, 2008

SONOMA COUNTY, CA, April 5, 2007. It's no accident that famed horticulturist Luther Burbank chose California's Sonoma County for his experimental gardens and farm. With one of the best growing climates in the world, Burbank remarked that the wine-growing and agricultural region must be, "the chosen spot of all the earth as far as Nature is concerned."

Burbank's work resulted in hundreds of new varieties of flowers, vegetables and trees, and his legacy lives on in Sonoma County's astonishing variety of gardens and organic farms that take full advantage of the region's ideal, Mediterranean temperature and rich soil.

In Spring, as bright yellow blossoms of wild mustard line vineyard rows and golden poppies hold court on hillsides, there are a multitude of gardens to visit and flowers to enjoy in "Sonoma Country."

Sculpture Gardens

Wildwood Farm Sculpture Garden is a favorite stop for gardeners and Japanese maple aficionados. A hand painted sign conveys the rich experience awaiting visitors who turn up the curving drive. Towering trees date back to the turn of the century when John McLaren (most famous for San Francisco's Golden Gate Park) planted them, built rock circles, and laid out foot and carriage paths. A number of these trees are exceedingly rare: a fifty foot Catalina Ironwood, a Soapbark tree, and a sixty foot California Nutmeg. A series of mosaic paths connect a free form gazebo, a sunken garden and a brick terrace. Rare Japanese maples, a dogwood that blooms throughout spring and summer, weeping beech and Katsura trees with unusual perennials create interest throughout the year. In the spring, bright red Legion of Honor poppies bloom throughout the large sculpture garden.

10300 Sonoma Highway 12, Kenwood

707-833-1161

www.wildwoodmaples.com.

Inspired by the International Garden festival at Chaumont-sur-Loire in France and the Grand Metis in Quebec, Canada, Cornerstone Festival of Gardens is the first gallery-style garden exhibition in the United States. It features an ever-changing series of walk-through installations showcasing new and innovative designs by the world's finest landscape architects and designers. The Gardens include a market caf'e and a gallery providing background information about the designers and the creative process employed in each installation. Cornerstone Festival of Gardens is open daily.

23570 Highway 121, Sonoma

707-933-3010

www.cornerstonegardens.com

Unique Gardens

Luther Burbank Home & Gardens, in Santa Rosa, is where Luther Burbank, the famous horticulturist and plant breeder, worked for over 50 years conducting plant experiments. More than an acre of gardens are dedicated to many of his horticultural contributions including the Shasta daisy hybrids that he created and introduced in 1901 after 17 years in development. Special garden areas also focus on medicinal herbs, cutting flowers, roses, wildlife habitats, and ornamental grasses. From April through October, you can tour the Greek Revival house where he lived, walk through the greenhouse he designed and built, and view demonstration beds that illustrate his work. The gardens are open year-round to the public and are interesting to visit any time of year.

Santa Rosa Avenue & Sonoma Avenue, Santa Rosa

707-524-5445

www.lutherburbank.org

The Sonoma Coast Kruse Rhododendron State Reserve showcases 317 acres of second-growth redwood trees, Douglas fir, grand firs, tanoaks, and a plethora of rhododendrons. Each May these spectacular flowers burst into bloom and color the deep green of the forest with brilliant pink blossoms. There are five miles of hiking trails through the forest with a short loop trail that leads through clusters of rhododendrons. Ferns line the canyons where seasonal streams flow. In addition to the rhododendrons, other plants include salals, pacific wax myrtle, and California Huckleberry.

Highway One between Jenner & The Sea Ranch

707-847-3221

www.parks.ca.gov

The magnificent 500-acre Bouverie Preserve is covered with oak woodlands, mixed evergreen forest, and chaparral, and its landscape is known for its amazing spring wildflowers. Because of its diversity, Bouverie Preserve is home to a rich and distinct combination of plants and animals, including more than 130 species of birds, 350 species of flowering plants, and numerous large mammals such as the bobcat, grey fox, and coyote. Guided Nature Walks are offered to the public one or two Saturdays a month except during the summer. Visitors of all ages can participate in docent-led walks to explore the natural history of the Preserve. In small groups, hikers explore one of many trails through mixed evergreen forest, flower-carpeted oak woodland, and rugged chaparral. Reservations are on a first-come first-served basis and can be made a month in advance of each respective hike.

Highway 12 between Glen Ellen and Sonoma

707-938-4554, email [email protected]

www.egret.org.

The nine acre Garden Valley Ranch has established itself as one of Northern California's finest horticultural gems. It began in 1981 as a bed and breakfast inn but succumbed to owner Ray Reddell's "hobby gone bananas" and by 1998 this nine-acre garden rose ranch produced, sold, and shipped over a quarter of a million blooms throughout the country that year. Standing on the Ranch are several buildings constructed in 1890 that have earned National Historical Landmark status. One major new feature of the gardens is the new display border, measuring 220 feet long by 14 feet wide, and edged in beautiful local stone. This border contains not only roses, but perennials, shrubs and annuals arranged in color sequence, from cool colors on the ends to brilliant colors in the center. Other portions of the grounds include a 75-foot pond, surrounded by lovely plantings, and a water cascade crossed by a beautiful bridge. Not to be missed is the fragrant garden featuring bay, yew, English Box and filled with fragrant plants year around. No tour to the ranch would be complete without taking a look at the 7,000 roses grown for cut-flower production. The Ranch is open for touring Wednesdays through Sundays, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The best months are May through October.

498 Pepper Road, Petaluma

707-795-0919, [email protected]

www.gardenvalley.com.

The beginnings of what may be the oldest butterfly garden in the country can be traced to Della Hallberg, an avid gardener. Hallberg Butterfly Garden is a sanctuary for the Pipevine Swallowtail Butterfly. The gardens cover nine acres of overgrown vines and thickets, flowering pathways and meadows filled with butterfly plants, trees & shrubs, native plants and perennials.

8687 Oak Grove Avenue, Sebastopol

707-823-3420

www.hallbergbutterflygardens.com

Bamboo Sourcery was started by Gerald Bol who traveled extensively throughout the world, studying and collecting rare and endangered bamboo species, introducing many new varieties to his collection. His diligent efforts are represented throughout the nursery, where there are more than 300 species in total. The 7-acre demonstration gardens are a pleasure to tour. Bamboo varieties can range in size from a few inches tall to over 100 feet, with many variations in cane color and leaf size and shape.

666 Wagnon Road, Sebastopol

707-823-5866

www.bamboosourcery.com

Luther Burbank bought a 15 acre farm on Gold Ridge in 1885. Today it is known as Gold Ridge Experimental Farm located in Sebastopol. During Burbank's career he introduced over 800 varieties of fruits, flowers, vegetables and grains. He worked more than 14 years to hybridize a new species, the Shasta Daisy. It has been developed into more than 100 varieties and is the official flower of the City of Sebastopol. Gold Ridge Farm is open daily for self-guided tours and for group tours by appointment.

7781 Bodega Avenue, Sebastopol

707-829-6711

www.wschs-grf.pon.net/bef.htm

Winery Gardens

Magnificent gardens surround the tasting room at Kendall-Jackson Wine Center. The gardens are a sensual delight where the visitor can experience, touch, taste, and smell the flowers, fruits, herbs, spices and vegetables that fill these amazing gardens. Visitors are welcome to meander through the gardens, have a picnic or simply enjoy the beautiful array of colors and textures from one of the benches or gazebos. Guided garden tours are also available. With wine glass in hand, enjoy the Sensory Garden path designed to tune senses to the aromas and flavors in wines. The Culinary Gardens include sections dedicated to the cuisines of France, Italy, Asia and South America, medicinal herb gardens, seasonal fruits, vegetables and over 180 varieties of heirloom tomatoes. Open daily from 10am-5pm.

5007 Fulton Road, Santa Rosa

707-571-8100

www.kj.com

Ferrari-Carano Winery and Gardens offers a profusion of vibrant blossoms year-round in the five acres of gardenscapes surrounding the winery. The gardens are Italian/French in style with classic, geometric shapes that form the architectural backbone of the garden. No matter what the season, the gardens are a delight, changing constantly in color scheme and plantings, beginning each year with over 10,000 tulips and daffodils that take center stage in the spring. Tulip fans can call the Tulip Hotline, 707-433-5349, in the late winter/early spring months to find out when the tulips will be in full bloom. Visitors can leisurely stroll the meandering paths and foot bridges along a rippling stream past the waterfalls at both ends. The over 2000 species of trees and shrubs are marked with identification tags, making this self-guided tour informative as well as breathtaking.

8761 Dry Creek Road, Healdsburg

707-433-6700

www.ferrari-carano.com

Korbel Rose Garden, located at Korbel Champagne Cellars, is one of the most magnificent flower gardens in the country. In Spring this plush setting surrounded by redwood trees, burst with the color of hundreds of bulbs planted annually. Throughout the summer and into fall, over 250 variations of antique roses bloom. The garden also features over 1,000 varieties of plants and flowers, and bulbs, perennials and annuals. Within the garden, the unique topography creates micro-climate areas identical to exotic areas of the world, and features plants indigenous to those regions. Tours run Mid April through Mid October, every Tuesday through Sunday, at 11:00 a.m., 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.

13250 River Road, Guerneville

707-824-7316

www.korbel.com

Stroll through the gardens and lavender fields at Matanzas Creek Winery. The estate property is home to six gardens that represent unique design themes intended to complement the natural beauty and elements that surround the area. The lavender holdings consist of a one-acre plot with over 4500 lavender plants (shrubs) that annually produce approximately two million stems of lavender per year. Two species of lavender are grown - Provence & Grosso. Provence is grown for culinary use and its flowers are a lighter shade of violet and have a milder aroma and sweeter flavor. Grosso lavender features spicier, stronger and more robust flavors and is recognized for the vibrant purple-violet flower color. It is more suitable for home, bath and medicinal uses. Matanzas Creek Winery's lavender plants bloom in June and are harvested in late June or early July, depending upon the weather.

6097 Bennett Valley Road, Santa Rosa

707-528-6464

www.matanzascreek.com

Sonoma County, located 30 miles from San Francisco, is America's premier wine, spa and coastal destination, featuring more than 250 wineries and 76 miles of stunning Pacific coast.

For a free visitors guide or information on hotels, wineries, events, spas, attractions, and dining in Sonoma County, visit www.sonomacounty.com or call 800-576-6662.