Santa Rosa, California
June 2008
This 1.5-acre garden is the site where Luther Burbank, one of America’s foremost horticulturists, lived and worked for most of his career. It was left to the city of Santa Rosa by his widow in 1977, and is today a city park. The garden is a tribute to Burbank's work and features many of the plants he hybridized or selected.
As you enter the grounds, on your left is a lovely small rose garden featuring roses hybridized by Burbank, and other hybrids from the era.
There's a beautiful pink rose called 'Burbank' that is one of Luther Burbank's hybrids.
On the right is the home where Burbank lived for many years. After his death, his widow made numerous improvements.
Straight ahead is the carriage house which has been renovated as a small museum and gift shop.
There's a lovely old greenhouse that was designed and built by Burbank in 1889. Today it houses exhibits, and a recreation of Burbank's office.
Behind the carriage house is a lovely backyard planted with a wide variety of the kinds of plants Burbank worked with. There are beds of vegetables, beds of flowering plants, fruit trees and raspberry vines. Many have an interpretive label telling of Burbank's work with and interest in that particular group of plants. Some might find the signs too 'wordy', but I found them fascinating.
Luther Burbank’s most famous achievement is the Shasta Daisy. Burbank spent 17 years developing this, by hybridizing four species of daisy.
Burbank is also famous for introducing and promoting the ‘spineless prickly pear’. He selected varieties for both fruit and edible pads.
Burbank worked with many different types of plants over his long career and examples of most are planted and interpreted here. The garden has done an excellent job of labeling the plants and I was impressed by the depth and amount of interpretive material in the garden. The signs are low-tech and not very flashy but they are full of interesting information about Burbank and his plants. Although the garden is very small there was enough to keep us fascinated for a couple of hours.
To see more photos of the Luther Burbank Garden, click here.
Click here to visit the official website of the Luther Burbank Garden. http://www.gardentourist.org/Luther_Burbank_Gardens/luther_burbank_gardens.html
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