Test PB Collection: FTE

Hello and welcome to the Lake Merritt Trials Garden, a project of the Master Gardeners of Alameda County. Master Gardeners are volunteers of the University of California Cooperative Extension and relay research-based garden advice and information to the public. Click the map below to begin the tour.

The plants in these three beds are on our Outstanding Plants for Alameda County list. They were selected for their a) adaptation to our growing environment, b) beauty, c) habitat value, and d) water-conserving characteristics.

This section was designed to support populations of the many native bee species found in Alameda County. This garden also attracts other pollinators such as hummingbirds and butterflies.

This 3-bin compost system is designed and is most appropriate for a garden generating large amounts of green and brown material. The signage on the bins describes the composting process. For many home gardeners, a smaller system may be more appropriate.

The various containers in this area provide examples of vegetables, fruits, and herbs that can be grown successfully in containers. We also demonstrate two different types of watering systems, which are crucial to having success in containers -- drip irrigation and a self-watering container.

These five beds are used to test varieties of vegetables to determine which do best in our marine-influenced local climate. Trials are performed annually on tomatoes and other common summer vegetables. In the winter, we test a few cool-season vegetables.

This area contains a variety of milkweeds, the food plant for the larvae/caterpillars of the Monarch butterfly. There are also a variety of flowers to attract adult monarchs in hopes they will lay their eggs on the milkweed.

Herbs from planting to harvest This bed contains common kitchen herbs, both perennial and annual, that can be grown in our area.

San Joaquin Valley Grape Symposium

2026 Grape Irrigation ET Reports04-09-26 Grape ET Report    2018 Grape and Nut Crop ET WorkshopSlides for 2018 Grape and Nut Crop ET Workshop:Grape ET WorkshopAlmonds and Pistachios