Harland Hand Memorial Garden facts for kids
The Harland Hand Memorial Garden is a special garden in El Cerrito, California. It's about half an acre big, which is like half a football field! This beautiful garden is built on a hillside in the El Cerrito Hills. People love it for its amazing mix of colors and the fantastic views it offers of the San Francisco Bay. You can learn more about the garden and Harland Hand on their website: harlandhandgarden.com.
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What Makes the Garden Special?
The Harland Hand Memorial Garden is a private garden. However, it opens its doors a few times a year for groups who arrange a visit beforehand.
A Unique Design Inspired by Nature
This garden is very unique because it uses concrete in a special way. The concrete is shaped into many different levels. It's designed to look like the gray granite rocks found in the High Sierra mountains, especially near a place called Silver Lake. Imagine a mountain stream with smooth, gray rocks – that's the feeling the garden tries to create!
Plants and Animals You Might See
The garden has many different kinds of plants. You'll find succulents, which are plants that store water in their leaves, like cacti. There are also other plants that prefer milder weather, along with various trees and shrubs. The garden is also home to a group of tiny, green Pacific tree frogs. These little frogs love to live among the plants.
Who Was Harland Hand?
Harland Hand was the person who created this wonderful garden. He was a school teacher, but he also had a huge passion for plants and garden design.
Harland Hand's Love for Plants
Harland Hand was a very important person in the world of plants. He was the president of the California Horticultural Society. This group helps people learn about and grow plants in California. He also helped start a magazine called Pacific Horticulture. This magazine shares ideas about gardening. Harland Hand was also on the board of the University of California Botanical Garden. This shows how much he knew and cared about plants!
