Visit to the Marin Art & Garden Center

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I was visiting Marin during the holidays and learned of the Marin Art & Garden Center located in Ross that happened to be en route. Unfortunately, I chose the wrong time of year to visit and the attached pictures reflect that (i.e., most of the plants are dormant for the winter). However, it is easy to see how beautiful these gardens will look, come spring, at which time, I plan to re-visit.

The gardens include notable trees (including a historic giant sequoia tree, a large English oak tree, a magnolia tree dating back to 1870), a butterfly habitat garden, a memory garden, a native basketry garden, a rose garden, an herb and medicinal garden, and a succulent and native plants garden. The National Wildlife Federation has designated the gardens, which are a pesticide-free zone, as a Habitat Sanctuary, which means that the property was/is planted such that it provides food, water, cover, and places for wildlife (birds, bees, beneficial insects, etc.) to hide and raise their young. As part of its integrated pest management and rodent control practices, the gardens participate in the Hungry Owl Project (HOP) and place owl boxes throughout the garden where barn owls can nest.

Sculpture is also integrated in the garden. My favorite of these includes a whimsical unicyclist toting a bottle of wine on his bike (see attached picture).

Although the Marin Art & Garden Center features themes similar to other gardens I have written about in this blog, it is very different in that the gardens share space with the local school district's offices, an antique store, various historical buildings, a theater, and a reference library which houses the Ross Historical Society. There is also a very unique, hobbit-like structure at the site called the Bottle House. There was not a plaque describing this building's purpose or history. I can only assume this structure was dubbed the "Bottle House" because some of the "windows" are made out of the bottoms of colored glass bottles. The gardens are maintained by volunteers, including the Marin County Master Gardeners. It is a lovely space worthy of a visit when all is in bloom. Admission is free and it is open daily from dawn to dusk. For further information, please see http://www.magc.org.

Riparian Habitat with Bottle House in the Background. (photos by Betty Homer)