Secret Gardens of the East Bay: Park Day School Garden Tour April 26, 2009

The famous Secret Gardens of the East Bay is back! A benefit for Oakland's Park Day School, this unique peek into the area's most beautiful and innovative private gardens makes for special spring day. This year's gardens showcase several landscape designers' own personal gardens and unique styles.

The public tour is on Sunday; there is also a Limited Edition Tour on Saturday, April 25th. For more information, see the website.

On Sunday, also plan to attend the Secret Gardens Village on the Park Day School campus, with over 20 vendors, music, kids activiites, and great food from Citron, Venga Paella, Bakesale Bettys and more!

The Gardens
This year’s gardens showcase several landscape designers’ own personal gardens and unique styles.

Chickens, Veggies and Bunnies, Oh My!!
From the website of Sequoiah Wachenheim and Jay Tidwell's design/build team Earthly Arts: "The decision to create a garden is one of the most direct environmental decisions we can make in our urban lives. We have an opportunity to create wildlife habitat, to grow our own organic produce, or to bring beauty into a neighborhood that really needs it." Artists and environmentalists, these folks truly walk their talk.

1950's Ranch with a 21st Century Appeal
In this spectacular garden, landscape designer Robert Trachtenberg of Garden Architecture uses the grand vista and a varied array of materials and design tricks to draw guests through a collection of beautiful outdoor rooms.

Capturing the Expanse of a Natural Landscape
Native plant pioneers Scott and Jenny Fleming built this hillside home and garden fifty years ago. Come revel in this mature collection of California flora beautifully maintained by young jedi garden master Luke Hass. The force is strong with him.

Artist's Nook in Temescal
Landscape designer and fine artist Scott Holloway invites you into his intimate home studio and courtyard garden. His tastes in color and composition tantalize with palatable palettes in paint and plants.

A Cul-de-sac Sanctuary
The artistic team at Goodman Landscape Design configured a sculptural, colorful and private front yard and a shaded woodside back yard: an avian haven and not such a bad place to perch for the humans who also live here.

Creekside Complex
Nestled in the verdant oak/bay woodland along Cerrito creek, this fenced-in family compound protects from deer and creatively solves conundrums about paths and elevations, entrances and exits, growing food and hanging clothes and basking in the beauty of the surroundings. Thanks again to Tim and Lisa Goodman,Goodman Landscape Design.

From the Estate of Duncan McDuffie
In counterpoint to the formal lay-out of this lovely 1920's Mediterranean-style house and garden, peek behind the guest cottage and there's a wee vegetable farm with an equally lovely full-functioning composting station. A gardener's wormy delight.

Tropical Re-mix
Contractor Mario Trejo and landscaper David Feix re-team to remodel a Berkeley home into an indoor/outdoor retreat from the humdrum of daily life. The details are exquisite. Bring your checkbook: the open house is for sale!

Flashy Flowers and Bold Foliage
From front to back and top to bottom, this residential garden calls out in a vibrant equatorial accent, Welcome to the jungle. An alluring tropical offering of plant combos in pots and palms in the ground from designer David Feix.

Japanese Meditation Courtyard
Carved gates. Acer japonicum. Ophiopogon japonicus. Moving water. Shy koi, or nishikigoi.....living jewels. Sit and watch. A study with the doors open. Listen. Relax. Breathe deeply. Landscaper Bill Castellon takes you there.

An Historic Green Oasis in Oakland
The enormous grandmother tree seems to call, Come climb on me. She captures the heart, past and future, of this two acre garden formerly home to retired women and soon to ring with the laughter of lucky school children.

Official Website: http://66.117.159.164/secretgardens/index.html