Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens is a rare jewel, the only public garden in the continental United States fronting directly on the ocean. The Gardens offers everything from colorful displays to thunderous waves. The mild maritime climate makes it a garden for all seasons, attracting gardeners and nature lovers alike. Manicured formal gardens, a dense coastal pine forest, fern-covered canyons, diverse plant collections, and flower-filled coastal bluffs overlooking the blue Pacific Ocean are among the many attractions. Whale fanciers can take shelter in the Cliff House to watch winter and spring migrations, bird watchers will delight in the over 100 species of birds that live in or visit the Gardens annually.
The bulb collection at the Gardens contains bulbs from Mediterranean climate regions of California, Chile, Southeast Europe, Western Australia, and the Cape province of South Africa. This is a chance to see native Californian alliums, dichelostemmas, and Calochortus blooming alongside South African babianas and lachenalias, Chilean herbertias, and Mediterranean species tulips. The collection was donated by Mary Sue Ittner, garden member from Gualala, and potted up by volunteers. We started the collection with 30 genera and 83 species in September 2000, and now have over 200 species of bulbs in the database. While originally intended as a winter/spring display in our Mae Lauer Display House (which is home to our fuchsia and begonia display from late spring to early fall), we found that the light was not sufficient for optimum growth and blooms. One season they tried a rotating display in pots in the Perennial Garden. Many are now planted in the ground, but in pots to protect from gophers.
Below are some images of the bulb collection in bloom taken by MCBG Plant Recorder, Kristina Van Wert in 2003:
Allium species illustrated:
Allium amplectens, Allium haematochiton, Allium hyalinum, Allium serra, and Allium unifolium
Babiana species illustrated:
Babiana angustifolia, Babiana rubrocyanea , and Babiana villosa
Calochortus species illustrated:
Calochortus amoenus and Calochortus uniflorus
Cardamine species illustrated:
Cardamine californica var. californica (with aphids)
Delphinium species illustrated:
Delphinium hesperium ssp. pallescens
Dichelostemma species illustrated:
Dichelostemma capitatum, Dichelostemma congestum, and Dichelostemma multiflorum
Freesia species illustrated:
Freesia alba is probably what both of the first two pictures represent even though one was received as Freesia leichtlinii. The last two are Freesia sparrmannii and Freesia viridis
Geissorhiza species illustrated:
Geissorhiza inaequalis
Gladiolus species illustrated:
Gladiolus carneus, Gladiolus huttonii hybrids (Although received as Gladiolus huttonii these attractive flowers are probably hybrids), Gladiolus orchidiflorus
Hesperantha species illustrated:
Hesperantha erecta
Hyacinthus species illustrated:
Hyacinthus orientalis
Iris species illustrated:
Iris tuberosa (syn. Hermodactylus tuberosus)
Ixia species illustrated:
Ixia dubia (syn. Ixia frederickii), Ixia hybrid, and Ixia viridiflora
Lachenalia species illustrated:
Lachenalia aloides var. quadricolor, Lachenalia carnosa , Lachenalia contaminata , Lachenalia liliflora
Lachenalia reflexa , Lachenalia rosea , and Lachenalia unicolor
Moraea species illustrated:
Moraea aristata and Moraea atropunctata
Oxalis species illustrated:
Oxalis luteola, four forms of Oxalis obtusa, and Oxalis purpurea 'Garnet'
Romulea species illustrated:
Romulea hirta
Scilla peruviana
Sparaxis species illustrated:
Sparaxis elegans and Sparaxis grandiflora ssp. violacea
Tristagma species illustrated:
Tristagma uniflorum There are two different color forms of this species.
Triteleia species illustrated:
Triteleia hendersonii , two forms of Triteleia hyacinthina, two forms Triteleia ixioides, and Triteleia montana
Tritonia species illustrated:
Tritonia crocata
Tropaeolum species illustrated:
Tropaeolum tricolor
Tulipa species illustrated:
Tulipa bakeri and Tulipa batalinii
Veltheimia species illustrated:
Veltheimia bracteata
Be sure to check out what else is blooming at the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens at http://www.gardenbythesea.org
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