Blackie's Garden Plaque
In the morning on November 17 I had the good fortune to be a part of a tour of Blackie’s Garden hosted by Blackie’s Brigade Captain Harvey Rogers. Harvey, a Belvedere Master Gardener, has been coordinating over 30 volunteers since 1995 to keep this garden beautiful.
From humble beginnings – three large mounds of construction land fill and hearty native plants – the garden now has over 100 cubic yards of topsoil and a drip irrigation system, and is producing incredible results. The pesticide-free, full-sun, public garden features approximately 3,000 drought-resistant native plants, not only from California, but Mediterranean areas of South Africa, Mexico, and Australia, which gives a greater result for color, longer lasting bloom periods, and size of plants. Over 150 plant markers have been created in Latin and English for easy identification, and are updated regularly to help educate visitors to this easy-access garden.
Annually, the Belvedere and Tiburon Foundations, the City of Belvedere, and Town of Tiburon support the planting and maintenance of the garden at the entrance to Blackie’s Pasture. Harvey and his volunteers do all the work.
Each year, Harvey conducts a walking tour identifying the many varieties of plants, planting techniques, and gardening skills involved in keeping the garden successful. The tours are wonderful, enlightening, and very educational.
Visit the Garden today to learn more about it. There is an educational display at the entrance to the Garden to help you as you look around and contact information is available – perhaps you can get a personal tour from Harvey as well!
