Castro Valley Center for the Arts Garden
19501 Redwood Road, Castro Valley
Gardening experience: Planting began in March of 2006.
Garden size: 22,000 square feet planted around all four sides of the building
Showcase feature: A diverse array of local native plants—more than half of them collected nearby from seeds and cuttings taken from remnant native plant populations—have been planted around the Center by Pete Veilleux of East Bay Wilds. A number of native plant habitats can be found here, including oak woodland, buckeye/western sycamore woodland, bay/hazelnut/madrone woodland, chaparral, and grassland. (The trees are small now, but growing!) In spring, this garden is exuberant with wildflowers, which provide visual interest and ecstasy for butterflies and native bees while the shrubs and trees mature. Check out the plants in the garden setting here; then go and purchase them at East Bay Wilds' nursery, which is also on the Tour.
Other garden attractions:
- You will delight in the sea of wildflowers found on this site, including tidy tips, lupines, farewell-to-spring, Chinese houses, meadow foam, gold fields, and many others.
- More than 20 species of native grasses—including nodding nasella, oat, hair, and purple needle—can be seen.
Gardening for wildlife: The Phacelia are magnets for native bees; birds are attracted to the variety of berries, including thimble-, elder-, huckle-, coffee-, and redberry, a beautiful, rare local native. Butterflies are drawn to the California lilacs, which abound on the site.
Plants sold or given away: East Bay Wilds (EBW) will be selling native plants found in this garden—and many others! EBW specializes in natives grown from genetically local seeds and cuttings. Ask Pete what plants will do well in your garden.
Directions:
From Livermore, take 580 West. Take the Castro Valley exit toward Castro Valley Blvd. and go 0.3 miles. Turn left on Castro Valley Blvd. and go 1.2 miles. Turn right on Redwood Rd and go 0.6 miles. The Center is on the left.
From the West, take 580 East. Take the Redwood Rd. exit toward Castro Valley and go 0.2 miles. Turn left on Redwood Rd. and go 1.0 mile. The Center is on the left.