Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens – A Video Vision of Paradise
If ever I have seen a vision of paradise, this is it. If I were immortal, this is where I would wish to wander for eternity.
The Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens spreads out over 47 acres between the California coastal villages of Mendocino and Ft. Bragg. Its climate of alternate sun and fog makes it a happy home for flora from all over the world: hillsides of heather, roses, dahlias, poppies and, in the spring, thousands of camellias and rhododendrons. I hiked from the gardens to the coast past succulents, through a forest of ferns and a rushing stream, past conifers and grasslands, as the roar of the ocean becomes louder.
Until last week, I hadn’t walked these paths in 25 years. Back then I filmed them for the Redwood Empire Association. Ansel Adams was one of their earlier photographers. My fuzzy old 90s technology video did not do justice to these colors and textures. Now, the gardens show their full, proud plumage in 4K video.
During COVID-19 restrictions, the gardens are open but advance reservations are required. But it is well worth planning ahead to experience this vision of paradise.
