GARDEN TOUR: Granite Gardens Open Day <– substitute for cancelled Ratto Ranch tour

Garden of Rebecca Lance and Steve Bickford

Wednesday, April 8th 

9:30am-1:00pm 

17993 Old Wards Ferry Rd, Sonora

209-743-4422

Located in Sonora, Granite Gardens is the garden of Rebecca Lance and Steve Bickford.  Started over 25 years ago as a mixed mediterranean landscape, the gardens have increasingly emphasized California native plants as they have matured. Close to 100 species of California natives are grown in this garden, which is designed with habitat in mind. Featured are a large number of diverse California shrubs including many of the common species such as Ceanothus, Redbud, Redberry, Toyon, Manzanita, as well as other lesser grown shrubs such as Garrya fremontii, Ribes malvaceum and more. Perennials include many forms of native Salvia, Heuchera, Diplacus, Monardella, grasses, and bulbs.  Rebecca especially loves Penstemon and Eriogonum, so there is an assortment of Penstemons throughout the garden, often growing in conjunction with dozens of species of Eriogonums. Some of the Eriogonums are serpentine endemics, and many are not often seen in cultivation. Because of the extremely warm weather, many of the plants are blooming way ahead of schedule this year.

The rock gardens contain a number of plants from Turkey, the Balkans and other Mediterranean areas, such as Globularias, Acantholimon and Veronicas.

The gardens will be open all morning and into early afternoon.  Participants are free to come and go as they like during that time. Rebecca will be on hand to answer questions about the plants.

If you RSVP, you will be sent a PDF plant list of most of the plants we have on site.

Carpooling is strongly encouraged as in previous tours we had to spend quite a bit of time managing parking issues.  We would much rather spend time talking about our plants than trying to figure out where to put the cars!

Directions

Granite Gardens

Rebecca Lance and Steve Bickford
17993 Old Wards Ferry Rd
Sonora CA 95370
209-743-4422

Our house is on Old Wards Ferry Rd between Jacob and Tinnin. Old Wards Ferry is the road that runs between Walmart and Lowes and the below directions are given from that point.

From the intersection of Mono Way and Greenley Rd:  turn South on Greenly, heading away from the hospital and towards Lowes and Walmart.  The road becomes Old Wards Ferry at this point. Stay on it and drive past Lowes/Walmart.

(If you are meeting carpoolers at Lowes, turn Right on Old Wards Ferry Rd from the Lowe’s parking lot. )

We are on Old Wards Ferry Rd, 2.4 mile from the Mono Way/Greenly Rd intersection, or 2.2 miles past Walmart.

Our house is on the left (East).  It is surrounded by an 8 foot tall fence. Our address sign 17993 is not that easy to see.  Our neighbors sign is much bigger, so look for a wood sign that says “18003 Bixler”.   Turn up that shared driveway.  The first gate on the right is ours.

There is a push button opener on the driver’s side of the driveway on a post.  Push it to open the gate if it is closed.

As you enter the property you will see a large shade house.  To the left of that is a metal shop.  Try to park in that area of the property.  Please do not park on the grass around or under any of the trees. There is some parking behind the shadehouse also.