Gardens

Gardens at Lake Merritt are open M-F 8:00 - 3:00;
Saturday and Sunday 8 - 4. Free entry.

Lake Merritt shoreline and Lakeside Park have many plants and trees of interest, but the highlight of plant life at the lake is in the gardens, which includes a superb Bonsai Garden, Community/Edible Garden, Japanese Garden, Mediterranean Garden, Lakeside Palmetum, Rhododendron Garden, Sensory Garden, Succulent Garden, Vireya Display Garden, Pollinator Garden, and Bay Friendly Demonstration Garden.

Volunteer Gardening
For info contact volunteer coordinator at this email address: volunteerfglm@gmail.com
Visit g ardensatlakemerritt.org
Detailed map of gardens

ASK A MASTER GARDENER in the Community/Trials Garden at Lakeside Park. The certified Master Gardener volunteers will be on-site to answer your gardening questions. Monday 9:30 - 11:30; Wednesday and Friday 11:00 - 1:00. For more Master Gardener and gardening information, visit this link --- Alameda County Master Gardeners. Info brochures available during Lakeside Park Garden hours. Fliers are in 'Help Yourself!' container. Self Guided Tour maps of the Trials Gardens are available on-site.

Lakeside Park Garden Center
built in 1959, has been a hot-house for the germination and cultivation of horticultural beauty in the Bay Area... The Garden Center hosts garden shows, public and private events. Garden Center is available for rental, contact (510) 238-2218.

Urban Edible Garden

--- Gardens & Guardians ---
video interview series, dedicated to public garden volunteers helping to create and maintain the wonder of nature

Gardens & Guardians at Lake Merritt
Photos, Music & Movie by John Kirkmire. 4 parts.
Part One
00:01 Intro: The Gardens at Lake Merritt
04:00 The Gate Project... Shawn Lovell
08:25 The Bonsai Garden... Gordon Deeg
12:26 Bonsai Master... Kathy Shaner
15:34 Suiseki Exhibit... Janet Roth
16:52 The Bonsai Collection... Gordon Deeg

Gardens & Guardians, Part Two
00:23 Lydia Swann, Oakland Park Supervisor
01:20 Carole Levenson and Dick Austin, volunteer organizations
05:03 Tricia Christopher, Landscape Architect
09:31 Bruce Cobbledick, the Gate Project
11:38 Carole Levenson, Fundraising
12:45 Autumn Lights Festival montage
14:18 Tora Rocha, Autumn Lights Festival & Pollinator Posse
18:50 Butterfly montage

Gardens & Guardians, Part Three
The Garden Classroom:
00:20 Insect Science Museum... Eddie Dunbar
04:10 Friends of Japanese Gardens... Dick Austin
05:20 Aesthetic Pruning & Rock Display... Bill Castellon
10:31 Master Gardener Program... Sam Fouchee
14:06 Edible Urban Gardening... Tom Branca, Merritt College Horticulture
16:56 OUSD Photo Teacher... Jessie Shapiro

Gardens & Guardians, Part Four
00:22 How to Volunteer... Lydia Swann, Oakland Park Supervisor
02:42 Dahlia Garden Volunteer... Curtis Maxwell
04:24 Palmetum Volunteer... Will Able
06:40 Gardens at Lake Merritt Birds montage
08:48 Tora Rocha Stories: Succulent Garden, Pokémon Go at GLM
12:20 Friend of the Garden Award... Dick Austin
13:26 GLM History Review / Credits

Gardens & Guardians series: Alpine Rock Garden in Gardens at Lake Merritt. Interview with John Tsutakawa, Alpine Garden planner and organizer.

Gardens & Guardians series: Oakland-Fukuoka Sister City Garden. Interview with Peter Bowyer, volunteer landscape architect.

The Gardens at Lake Merritt
are tended by

Aesthetic Pruners Association
American Rhododendron Society
Bay Area Bonsai Associates
Bay Area Carnivourous Plant Society
Bay Area Satsuki Aikikai
Berkeley Garden Club
Bonsai Garden at Lake Merritt
California Horticulture Society
California Native Plant Society
California Suiseki Society
Contra Costa Hills Club
East Bay Bonsai Society
East Bay Rose Society
Dahlia Society of San Leandro
Friends of Japanese Gardens
Golden Gate Cymbidium Society
Golden Gate Lily Society
Hillside Gardeners of Montclair
Lake Merritt Breakfast Club
Master Gardeners of Alameda County
Mediterranean Garden Society
Merritt College Landscape Horticulture
Montclair Women's Club
Oakland-Fukuoka Sister City Assn.
Orchid Society of California
Palm Society of Northern California
San Francisco Begonia Society
San Francisco Suiseki Kai
Sydney B. Mitchel Iris Society

Bonsai Garden

Tour Bonsai Garden with Director Gordon Deeg. 7:43
excerpt from Gardens & Guardians, Part One.
©2020 lakemerritt.org

Bonsai Garden, inside Gardens at Lake Merritt, home to some of the finest Bonsai on the West Coast. Built, staffed and maintained by volunteers. Open Tuesday - Friday 11 - 3; Saturday 10 - 3:30; Sunday Noon to 3:30. Call (510)763-8409 to arrange special group tours.