Sonoma’s public gardens and nurseries come alive in early summer, with a bounty of blossoms both rare and recognized. Make a day of it with your loved ones — for Mother’s or Father’s Day, a special graduation or just because.
Check out some of our favorite local public gardens below, as well as a preview of the vibrant blooms in store in the gallery above.
For rare Asian plants
Sonoma Botanical Garden
Glen Ellen
Founded in 1987 from wild seeds collected on plant expeditions all over Asia, the gardens here showcase an expansive collection of species, including many native plants from California in addition to the Asian collections. A focus on conservation has long been a part of Sonoma Botanical Garden’s ethos. Through August, the Ribbit Exhibit is a whimsical and family friendly show of largescale copper frog sculptures scattered throughout the gardens, and there’s a new native plant demonstration garden, too.
12841 Hwy. 12, Glen Ellen. sonomabg.org
For secret pathways
Hidden Forest Nursery
Sebastopol
With 2 miles of trails that wind through the 7.5-acre reserve, Hidden Forest Nursery feels like a magical secret garden—and a top nursery where gardeners can purchase rare varieties of rhododendrons, azaleas, camellias, and Japanese maples. Guided docent tours are available the first and third Saturday morning of each month.
3970 Azalea Lane, Sebastopol. 707-8236832, hiddenforestnursery.com
To wander a labyrinth
Bees N Blooms
Santa Rosa
It’s a lavender wonderland at this sunny garden on the Santa Rosa plains. Bring a picnic, watch the baby geese, and wander a labyrinth planted with different varieties of lavender timed to bloom in the early, middle, and late season. The farm’s annual Lavender Daze visits, which require an advance ticket, start May 18. New this year, the farm stays open certain evenings for sunset lavender-viewing.
3883 Petaluma Hill Rd., Santa Rosa. 707293-8293, beesblooms.com
The dreamiest lavender
Monte-Bellaria di California
Sebastopol
There is nothing quite like the purple of a lavender field in prime bloom. Monte-Bellaria considers the time through mid-June as their “green season,” and they’re open Saturdays and Sundays, usually without an advance ticket. Starting in mid-June, the “high bloom” season, you need to purchase advance-timed tickets online. It’s worth it, though—the sweeping hillside gardens are extraordinary, and there are olive groves and beehives to learn about as well.
3518 Bloomfield Rd., Sebastopol. monte-bellaria.com
For Mother’s Day
Garden Valley Ranch
Petaluma
Other than snagging an invitation to a wedding (the 5-acre ranch hosts some of the prettiest events in the county), our favorite way to experience these gardens is visiting for Mother’s Day, when the ranch opens to families for flower foraging and BYO picnics at tables set with linen cloths and surrounded by blooms. There’s also a cottage that can be booked for overnights.
498 Pepper Rd., Petaluma. 707-7950919, gardenvalley.com
For community and art
Western Hills Garden
Occidental
In 2022, Hadley Dynak and Kent Strader purchased this 3-acre historic garden, first planted over 60 years ago. The couple, their friends, and local volunteers are gently remaking the spaces and bringing in new ways to gather. In May, the owners will host a series of classes on cyanotype printmaking, and earlier this spring, they paired up with Occidental foodie favorite Morihouse to offer an equinox meal of rice, green tea, tofu, and foraged herbs.
16250 Coleman Valley Rd., Occidental. westernhillsgarden.com