I have been to just about every nursery in the San Francisco Bay Area and have found few as special as Yerba Buena Nursery, located in the Santa Cruz mountains above Woodside. This nursery has specialized almost exclusively in California native plant species and ferns since 1960. Although most of the commonly available plant species can not be found here, many of the more rare native species can be. The Gerda Isenberg Native Plant Garden has been constructed to display many of the species found in the nursery. The surrounding landscape also exhibits distinctive garden sculpture which is created by local artists and may be purchased.

Yerba Buena Nursery is for garden enthusiasts who enjoy nurseries. It may seem a bit remote, but the drive is very scenic and well worth the trip. Once at the nursery, there is no need to rush. Besides the nursery and demonstration garden, visitors may also enjoy the tea terrace and gift shop. Incidentally, the  tea room was very popular with my mother and my niece, Sarah when I took them there in August. Yerba Buena Nursery is certainly much more than just a place to find plants for the garden.