NCalSBA ACTIVITIES

Exploring the Roses at the Berkeley Rose Garden

May 16, 2025 at 10:30 AM

The month of May can be an exceptional time to see roses blooming at the Berkeley Rose Garden. We invite members to explore and sketch some of the 1,500 rose bushes at this historic Berkeley garden. The Berkeley Rose Garden is considered by many to be the finest rose garden in Northern California. The garden offers over 250 varieties of roses along with breathtaking views of the San Francisco Bay and the Golden Gate Bridge. This is an opportunity to meet and share our passion for botanical art at a local site.

The plan is to meet at the benches near the Rose Garden sign on Euclid Ave. at 10:30 AM to check in. We will provide handouts focusing on sketching roses. At 12:00, we will gather together for a picnic lunch and share our explorations of the garden. After lunch, members can continue to sketch the garden. 

To Sign Up:

Please let us know you are attending by May 12, 2025. 

Contact Lynne Lyle: lynne.lyle@gmail.com or call (707) 322-2115

What to Bring:

Easy to carry supplies: sketchbooks, paints, color pencils, general drawing supplies, etc. 

Water, a sunhat.

Picnic lunch. 

You might also consider bringing a small folding seat to sit on while sketching and there are areas to sit in the rose garden to sketch. 

Members will need to keep the pathways clear for other visitors to pass. 

The garden includes terrain that has slopes and stairs, and the NCalSBA assumes no responsibility for injury. Check the Rose Garden website about accessibility.

Please read the ASBA Code of Ethics for Botanical Artists Working in the Field:

 CODE OF ETHICS https://asba-art.org/code-of-ethics

Hope to see you there

April 16, 2025 at 11:00 AM

Stanford Arizona Cactus Garden Tour with Christy Smith - Stanford University Campus

Tour will last about an hour and there is NO FEE.

Please contact Mimi Kearns, email Mimi Kearns to sign-up.

The Arizona garden, also known as the Cactus Garden, was designed for Jane and Leland Stanford by landscape architect Rudolf Ulrich between 1881 and 1883. There are many unusual cacti and aloe in the garden which is maintained by volunteers. 

We will get a 1 hour tour. If we’d like to stay and sketch, we are allowed to bring small stools and sit but need to stay on the paths. The garden is a short walk from the Cantor Center which has a cafe and we could go over there together for coffee and/or lunch.

There are no bathrooms in the garden; the closest ones are at the Cantor Center. You might want to bring water and sunblock.

Visitor is parking available. To park you need to download the ParkMobile app to your phone to pay for parking. Here's the information https://transportation.stanford.edu/parking-stanford/purchase-parking/visitor-parking.