Traversing 40 Years of Landscapes - Talk & Tour

Blake Garden Reflecting Pool. Photo by J. Gracyk

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Blake Garden, the Berkeley Rose Garden, Rose Walk and Greenwood Common

Join us for a day exploring four landscapes that span forty years of Bay Area design.

We'll start at Blake Garden in the town of Kensington, near Berkeley. Operated by UC Berkeley’s College of Environmental Design since 1957, the garden was designed in 1922; it retains historic elements as well as new features. The garden is not usually open to the public at weekends, making this a great opportunity. 

After an introduction to the history of the site and information about current management of the landscape, guests will have time to explore the various gardens on this hilly 10.5 acre site. Parts of the garden are easily accessed and parts require traversing the hillside. 

Bring your own picnic lunch to enjoy at Blake Garden after touring the garden. Afterwards, guests have the option to extend the day to visit three more landscapes.

The lovely Berkeley Rose Garden dates to the 1930s. It covers 3.64 acres and contains around 1,500 rose bushes in an amphitheater setting. The entire garden may be viewed from Euclid Avenue; the garden itself is accessed via stairways. Rose Walk, nearby, is a pedestrian pathway designed by Bernard Maybeck in 1913.

Farther uphill is Greenwood Common. Architect William Wurster conceived of the innovative small development and it features eight homes by prominent Modernist architects. In 1955, Lawrence Halprin designed the central shared landscape. This is a private community and we have been invited to visit the site and linger at one of the homeowner's private patios around 2pm.

View our Cancellation Policy.

We encourage carpools and transit options where possible. Contact us at info@cglhs.org if you need assistance arranging a ride and we'll try to help.