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| Bonsai garden, the Gardens at Lake Merritt, Oakland, CA. |
I first became aware of the Gardens at Lake Merritt after reading Caroline Hatton’s post about her visit to the bonsai garden in June 2025. This past summer, while I was in Oakland, I went there for the first time. While I had walked around Lake Merritt many times, I had somehow bypassed the gardens, which are tucked behind Fairyland, the historic playpark that inspired Walt Disney’s Disneyland. (Fairyland continues to be popular for families with young children.) The Gardens at Lake Merritt are in Lakeside Park at the end of the peninsula and above the boat house.
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| My family at the garden gate. |
An ornate iron gate marks the main entrance to the Gardens at Lake Merritt. Inside the gate are a network of paths leading through the seven acres of themed gardens—a succulent and cactus garden, sundial garden, pollinator garden, rhododendron garden, to name just a few. MAP
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| Succulent. |
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| A pair of monarch butterflies. |
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| Poppies gone to seed. |
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| Agapanthus and acanthus in bloom. |
We wandered the garden paths through sunshine and shade, eventually circling back to the bonsai garden near the entrance.
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| Bonsai Garden. |
Inside the bonsai enclosure, tiny trees are artfully displayed, each with an explanatory label. The garden is maintained by volunteers. We talked with several who explained how the trees are cared for and about the art of creating bonsai.
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| Daimyo Oak, quercus dentata. Donated by Dr. Robert Gotcher. |
One of the most impressive tree is the oldest in the garden--the Daimyo Oak. "Historically, this is one of the most important bonsai and the longest in cultivation in the United States. In 1863, during Lincoln’s presidency, Anson Burlingame was envoy to China. This tree was a gift to him as he passed through Japan on his return to the United States. The peninsular city of Burlingame was named after Mr. Burlingame."
For more about the Bonsai Garden go to Caroline Hatton's post BONSAI AND SUISEKI AT THE GARDENS OF LAKE MERRITT at this blog on June 8, 2026.
We visited the Gardens at Lake Merritt on a sunny Saturday morning in early July. The weather was pleasant, warm but not hot, and the garden was not crowded with people. It was the perfect day for a family outing. Afterwards we ate a delicious lunch at an Ethiopian restaurant on nearby Grand Avenue.
The Gardens at Lake Merritt are open Monday through Friday, 7:30 am to 3:00 pm and on Weekends 8:00 am to 4:00 pm. Entry is free.
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| Stone sculpture in the cactus garden. |
