Most impressive Rhododendron park/garden in NCal

Hi all,

I'd like to visit the most impressive Rhododendron garden in my area, preferably one in a more natural setting.

The one that I came up by searching the web was Kruse and they say peak bloom is in May. Any other opinons?

http://www.parks.ca.gov/default.asp?page_id=448

Thanks

I think you might be disappointed in the Kruse Rhodo reserve.
It is a beautiful piece of natural redwood forested property but I don't find it very well taken care of in regards to being a rhodo. reserve.
Because the redwood canopy is so dense the rhodos are pretty wimpy, and lets face it, most R. occidentalis varieties are pretty wimpy and leggy to begin with.
I lived down the road from this reserve for about 6 years and found it to be a great hike for the natural beauty but never thought of it as a great rhodo reserve.

There are many wonderful public and private rhodo gardens to visit that are worth the time to travel to them .
3 of my favorites are :
1.Sonoma Horticultural Nusery and Gardens in Sebastopol. - simply breath taking !
2. Mendocino Botanical Gardens and Nursery in Fort Bragg. - the rhododendron dell incredible and if you continue the walk out of the dell you will eventually come to the Pacific Ocean. I never get tired of visiting this garden.
3. Is a private garden outside of Mendocino- Lauders Rhododendrons - and I don't know if the owner is still alive or if the garden is still open to visitors but a call to Mendo Bot garden will probably know the answer.

If you like vireyas, there's a display garden at Lakeside Garden Center in Oakland. That one doesn't meet your criteria of being a natural setting, but I figured I'd toss out the suggestion anyway since it's a bit shorter drive for you than some of the others.

You would be doing yourself a disservice if you do not visit Sonoma Horticultural Nursery

http://www.sonomahort.com/about_us.htm

I know Filoli has some but I always go later after they are done it seems.

I was going to say Sonoma Hort too, went last May, stunning gardens!

Sonoma Hort

Sonoma Hort!!!

Went last May with Zuzu as our guide, and even though they were on the way out it was perfectly majestic! The plant collection there is absolutely top-notch! I'm still salivating over a Magnolia macrophylla I saw there.

So April is peak?

Was going to wait a few weeks but perhaps I'll go within the next 2 weeks?

Mendicino Coast Botanical Gardens:

http://www.gardenbythesea.org/

I was there last month March 20 as I see alot of blooms

Golden Gate Park :
Rhododendron Island: The nearly 1-acre, sunken bowl next to Spreckels Lake was restored by a huge team of volunteers in 2004, and now forty cypresses and stone pines provide shade for 400 rhododendrons. They bloom once a year, with different varieties showing color between February and May.
and
San Francisco Botanical Garden at Strybing Arboretum: Begun in 1937 with WPA funds and charitable donations, this 70-acre horticultural extravaganza entices the senses with more than 6,000 plant species. The garden of fragrance -- with signs in Braille -- brings flowers alive with scent alone. The main entrance is on Ninth Avenue at Lincoln Way. Also accessible from the Japanese Tea Garden through the Friend's Gate. Free guided walks are given daily at 1:30 pm. The Gardens are open weekdays, 8 am-4:30 pm and weekends and holidays, 10 am-5 pm. Free. http://www.sfbotanicalgarden.org/