San Francisco Botanical Garden

8/18/24 DAHLIA show today .
I couldn't believe our LUCK!! A spectacular show today at the San Francisco botanical garden!!

We only had a few minutes to spare before we head back home so we hurriedly drove here after having lunch at Boudin. Hubby got a free AND close by parking spot and quickly joined me to check out the plant sale ongoing. To our surprise there was a Dahlia show today as well!

We took advantage and just visited tables upon tables of dahlias being showcased. Oh so amazing! I also checked out whatever plants I could at the entrance.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, please see all that I have captured/posted and let them speak for themselves. If I could've spent the whole day wandering these grounds.....

The last time we visited this botanical garden was before we were married, that's more than 20 years ago! Next time we visit the bay area, we will spend more time to explore, again. This is a photographer's paradise and for people who simply appreciate nature & the outdoors. Weather was perfect. Today is truly a gift. It was a nice & peaceful excursion.

Come visit this wonderful nature's paradise & see, feel, experience its beauty.

Beautiful place, divided by regions... some feel open and dry with succulents and cactus, others lush and green.
At the entrance get a map, inside the garden paths are usually paved or cement, but you can "off-road"too. Wear comfortable shoes, dress in layers, it's usually pleasant but can also be warm or foggy.
We use the SEEK app to help define the plant names but many are tagged with their common names.
Great place to explore. Free to SF residents and IF you go early Free to all from 7:30- 9am (use main entrance).
Suggestion: come in each season- it changes so much from spring to summer.

The gardens of Golden Gate Park encompass 55 acres of landscaped gardens. The Conservatory of Flowers, The Japanese Tea Garden and the Botanical Garden. The gardens sit where the original peoples of the San Francisco Bay Area, the Ohlones settled. The Botanical Garden displays plants from all over the world.

The Botanical Garden is open daily at 7:30am. The second Tuesday of the month admission is free. Parking is available in the Music Concourse Garage. Limited street parking is also available.

Beautiful and vast. A plant lovers dream.

I loved how walking through the different areas truly felt like you were entering different ecosystems. We walked through a bunch of redwoods only to find ourselves among cacti a few minutes later.

Definitely bring your walking shoes and wear layers.

The Botanical Garden is a 55-acre garden with more than 8,000 different kinds of plants from around the world. It provides a close escape from the city's hustle and bustle. The variety of themed gardens include the Ancient Gardens, the Redwood Grove and Mediterranean Garden. It's an easy stroll! Beautiful!

Golden Gate Park has lots of separate parks and stuff inside. It kind of is like many parks all together it seems. San Francisco Botanical Garden is one of these. Often you have to pay for the admission. Those who get here early enough can get in free for mornings.

A lot of plants that are from everywhere. It's better in the summer when it's in full bloom and you can see all the flowers and plants. This is still nice any time of the year. A lot of these are from Asia. There's also plenty from South America including tropical. Has stuff from in California of course. There's an actual redwood forest here. Man these trees are big. The Moon Viewing Garden is cool because of the lily pads.

Bad thing about it is paying admission. It's possible to avoid this by going early. This is free in mornings so get up and get your ass here to look at these cool plants and stuff.

I explored the San Francisco Botanical Garden on a Saturday afternoon, and it was a delightful experience! Surprisingly, despite it being a weekend, the garden wasn't crowded, allowing for a peaceful stroll amidst nature's beauty.

The garden boasts numerous sections, each offering a unique botanical experience. It took us roughly 1.5 hours to explore the entire garden thoroughly.

Among the highlights were the succulent garden and the South Africa section. I was particularly impressed by the dedication to maintaining the plants' health and vibrancy. The care and attention were evident in every corner, making it a truly enriching visit.

San Francisco Botanical Garden can be a hidden gem that most people don't know about. It's free for residents of San Francisco so it can be the perfect family outing on the weekend without spending any money. Even if one has to pay, the visit is well worth it. (Please considering donating if you can to help the Garden!)

The Garden is huge at 55 acres of with a variety of different plants, tree, and plants from around the world. My family loves to stroll the grounds so the kids can spend time with grandma and get some exercise in for everyone.

There is a children's garden area, a water lily pond that bloom the prettiest lilies, regular redwood trees and even a rare albino redwood. Koi's swim in ponds and magnolias, rhododendrons, and camellias abound. I have probably been to the garden at least 10 times in the past year and have barely scratch the surface of seeing everything available. I love going in springs for all blooms but anytime of the year is a good time to go.

Beautiful botanical gardens. The grounds always look excellent. We visited the last time on a weekday and it wasn't busy at all!

Lovely botanical garden. Worth a visit. Large, not too crowded, lots of interesting plants to look at. A good place to bring parents, grandparents and kids for an easy stroll.

Our favorite part was the Dwarf Conifer Pond, where we saw a great blue heron and four hooded mergansers. We also saw a Stellar's Jay near the Moon Viewing Garden and a snowy egret, coot and one more hooded merganser in the Waterfowl Pond. Honestly, I was a bit disappointed that we didn't see more waterfowl in that pond. Maybe next time.

One of our favorite trees was the New Zealand Christmas Tree. It really is a site to behold.

Picnicking is encouraged and it's a great and beautiful place to have a picnic.

There is a free tour daily at 1:30pm leaving from the Main Gate.

There are lots of ways to visit this garden for free. All San Francisco City & County residents, veterans, and anyone who receives SNAP or MediCal benefits receives free admissions, and admissions for three additional guests. The garden is also free every day as long as you enter before 9am. Additionally, it's free all day on the second Tuesday of every month, Thanksgiving, Christmas Day & New Year's Day.