lakeside park and garden center

This is a lovely garden with seasonal displays and is a part of the overall Lake Merritt locale. See Lake Merritt review to learn more of the area.

This is a lovely corner of Lake Merritt which has sections devoted to bonsai, native plants, aromatic gardens and a host of plants. Visitors to Oakland are well advised to "walk the lake" like we natives do and be sure to stop at the gardens.

I just stumbled upon this little gem. I wondered through the flower gardens in awe , and my heart rate and blood pressure instantly felt like it dropped! Beautiful sunshine filtered through a variety of greenery, very few people around and you hardly notice the ones there. You feel like you have the place to yourself! I sat on a Chinese garden bench and listened to the water in the fountain and enjoyed the warm breeze and rustle of leaves. I walked a bit more and started sketching some flowers that inspired me for some dress designs. My sister took my photo and the strangest thing! A rainbow looked as of it was shooting out from my heart although it had not rained and we were not close to the water! How wonderful! A very pleasant walk/ read/ place to sit and meditate or work on a laptop!

The grand stand has great music from time to time and being in the location is peaceful for picnics and almost no need to bring but something to snack on and breath.. views here are great if into flowers especially roses the gardens are great to and what a quiet place in the middle of the city to visit..

The Bonsai Garden at Lake Merritt BGLM Celebrates its 15th Anniversary this year. Thanks to all those volunteers and contributors who make it possible to operate the garden and continue to make it thrive!The GSBF Bonsai Garden at Lake Merritt is the home to some of the finest Bonsai on the west coast. The BGLM, located at Oakland’s Lakeside Park, is the only major all-volunteer bonsai garden in the country and houses some of the most important bonsai in the US. It was built, is staffed and maintained by volunteers from throughout the greater Bay Area and is supported entirely by donations from our visitors and the bonsai community.

It is worth the time to get here.. Its the best collection I have ever seen. There is always someone in the garden who knows all about them. I think they are all volunteers.This is a treasure for Oakland. bring your friends from out of town If they are into plants this is the collections to see. Tuesday-Friday 11-3pmSaturday 10-4pmSunday noon-4pm

One of the top bonsai gardens in the USA is tucked away in this park. So convenient and quiet in the center of the city. Bart station is only a 15 minute walk away.

Some amazing trees are on display at the bonsai collection in this park near Lake Merritt. Park free on side street and walk over. Very interesting. The park was cool on a very warm day. Walked through different collections. Community gardens are cared for by specific groups.

It is easy to walk by this place and not know it is there. I would second everything Diane 640 wrote. My daughter gardens a lot and she loves this place. It is not huge like Descanso gardens in BC, but it is very well laid out and full of outdoor rooms created by the plantings.

Just a few steps off busy Grand Ave. past the elaborate and now-defunct fountain, Lakeside Park and Garden Center offers lunchtime solitude or a late afternoon lesiurely beauty stroll. Filled with specimen trees and lovely, varied garden collections, for plant and flower lovers, it's a must. If you are a collector, the Garden Center features iris, orchid and other sales throughout the year. For bonsai lovers, there's that too.

The gardens are amazing - you wouldn't know they were there. As you wander around every corner you come on some new surprise - the banzai building, the palm tree grove, etc.

garden center is very, very nice. didn´t see Fairyland though.

You can't go wrong here. You really feel the spirit of Oakland by traveling through its park and gardens.