The Garden Conservancy was developed in 1989 as a national not-for-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of America’s exceptional private gardens and facilitation of transition from private to independent, not-for-profit ownership. The Open Days program has been established to continue this tradition as well as to display the gardens which benefit from the work of The Garden Conservancy.

Every spring many other elaborate landscapes and home gardens in the Bay Area are also accessible during The Garden Conservancy’s Open Days. The first two Open Days are the San Mateo County Garden Tour on May 12 and two Marin County Garden Tours on May 12 (Bolinas and Stinson Beach) and May 19 (Kentfield and Greenbrae). Additional Open Days feature gardens of Contra Costa, San Francisco and Alameda counties.

The Garden Conservancy Open Days national directory is available at most book stores for $15.95. For an additional $4.50 shipping and handling charge, the directory may be ordered with VISA or MasterCard by telephoning (888)842-2442 from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. EST or by sending a check to post office box 219, Cold Spring, New York 10516. (If ordering directly, Garden Conservancy members need only pay $10.95 with $4.50 for shipping and handling.) Additional directories may be ordered for $1.50 each.

Participants select the gardens they want to visit from the directory and pay the $5 admission at arrival. No reservations are required. Tickets may be purchased in advance (at the telephone number above) in books of six for $25; including one free garden visit. (Garden Conservancy members receive six tickets for $20; including two free garden visits.) The Open Days Directory describes each garden with corresponding travel directions as well as the dates and times each garden is open. Many public garden within each area are also listed.

Those who would like only to visit local gardens may obtain a local directory free of charge at a specified address within each of the Bay Area tours.

These addresses are: San Mateo County, Bergstrom Garden, 149 Hawthorne Drive, Atherton; Marin County, Sally Robertson’s Garden, 284 Cherry, Bolinas; Marin County, Geraniaceae Gardens, 122 Hillcrest Avenue, Kentfield; Contra Costa County, Annie’s Annuals Nursery, 2717 Goodrick Avenue, Richmond; San Francisco County, Harmony Hill, 1629 Taylor Street, San Francisco; Alameda County, Our Own Stuff Gallery Garden, 3017 Wheeler Street, Berkeley. More information may be obtained by telephoning (415)453-2427.