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Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens, 47 acres of botanical bliss fronting the Pacific Ocean

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Media Kit – Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens

Press inquiry contact
Roxanne Perkins
Director of Communications
707-964-4352 ext. 115
marketing@gardenbythesea.org

 

Requests for press passes
We greatly appreciate your help promoting this nonprofit botanical wonder. We welcome media inquiries, whether from freelance journalists, travel writers, home and garden writers, or top social media content creators. Writing about our nonprofit garden also helps promote our mission to "engage and enrich lives."

A limited number of media passes are available for daily visitation and our major fundraiser events. Requests must be submitted a minimum of 72 hours in advance of your visit. Please email our Director of Communications a request, including credentials, complete contact information, and a proposal for your piece, including the target audience and how the piece will be disseminated (online, social media, print, etc.). We ask that you provide a follow-up by emailing links or sending a print copy. 

 

Photo/video requests
Please email our Director of Communications for high-resolution images and additional information about the Gardens. 

 

Filming/Photography Guidelines
We welcome amateur and professional videographers/photographers to visually document our 47-acre garden by the sea. Regular admission and entry procedures apply for non-commercial filming/photography that is intended for private use as long as the session does not impact the grounds or visitors. Examples include, but are not limited to garden/nature photography, weddings and other private events, engagements, and proms. Please read Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens' Film & Photography Guidelines prior to planning your session.

General Policies

  • Sessions including 10 or more people and all commercial sessions must be scheduled at least two weeks in advance
  • Commercial sessions must Email our Director of Communications at least two weeks in advance
  • Location credit must be published: “Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens”
  • Do not block paths, stairs, or access to garden areas
  • Do not stand in garden beds or noted sensitive areas
  • Stay on the paths or use the grassy lawn areas
  • Do not pick flowers, break branches, or damage the plants in any way
  • Do not lean on, climb on or push garden sculptures

Commercial filming/photography includes amateur or professional images that will be sold or used in promotional material. Commercial sessions must be scheduled in advance, and a representative must read and sign the MCBG Commercial Film/Photography Agreement (available upon request). Email our Director of Communications for details.

 

 

OUR MISSION

As a nonprofit botanical garden, our mission is to engage and enrich lives by displaying and conserving plants in harmony with our Northern California coastal ecosystems and to preserve public access to the coast. 

 

OUR STORY

The Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens (MCBG) showcases remarkable natural beauty that draws nearly 100,000 visitors to Mendocino County from around the world. This special place has a long history of talented individuals who have contributed their creativity and skills to make the Gardens a memorable place. Gardens’ founders, Ernest and Betty Schoefer broke ground in 1961 and through the years, gifted staff, board members, and volunteers have together created this remarkable place.

Today, the Gardens serve as a living museum with a mission to engage and enrich lives by displaying and conserving plants in harmony with our Northern California coastal ecosystems and to preserve public access to the coast. 

Map of the Gardens

 

 

SOCIAL MEDIA PROFILES

 

2025 MAJOR EVENTS

Rhododendron Show – May 3 and 4

Art in the Gardens – August 2 and 3

Festival of Lights – November 28 through December 21 (Fri, Sat, Sun)

 

COLLECTIONS & HIGHLIGHTS

Rhododendrons: The MCBG Rhododendron Collection includes over 124 species of rhododendrons and 315 taxa, many of them developed by the region's rhododendron growers. More than 1,000 rhododendrons can be seen blooming throughout the Gardens during peak bloom in April and May. Each year, the Noyo Chapter of the American Rhododendron Society partners with the Gardens to host California's largest Rhododendron Show.

Dahlias: The Dahlia Garden is one of the favored locations at Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens. The Gardens' collection of dahlias consists of more than 400 individual plants representing 150 varieties. The riotous blooms of mid to late-summer provide an exquisite palette for artists and a glorious backdrop for weddings. 

Conifers: Our collection contains nearly 200 different varieties of conifers and has been designated an American Conifer Society Reference Garden because of the breadth of our collection. 

Heaths and Heathers: In 1982, the first trial plantings of heather cultivars were added to our garden. In 2010, the American Public Gardens Association recognized the Heath and Heather Collection at Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens as a Collection of National Significance. It includes 143 taxa of Calluna, Daboecia, and Erica. 

Camellias: MCBG's Camellia Collection includes approximately 49 taxa, 11 cultivars, and 38 species. In fact, Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens has the largest species collection on the West Coast! Our collection is a part of the American Camellia Society's American Camellia Trial Gardens.

Native Upland and Riparian Areas:– More than half of the Gardens 47 acres is managed to protect native ecosystems. These areas consist of closed-cone pine forests, fern canyons, and coastal bluffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

Other Attractions: Magnolias, Roses, Begonias, Fuchsias, Succulents, Perennial Garden, Staghorn Fern, Wild Mushrooms, and an organic demonstration Vegetable Garden. 

 

 

NOTABLE MEDIA COVERAGE

SAVEUR magazine: Crab Cake Cook-Off, Betsy Andrews

NBC Los Angeles: Alight among the lights of an ocean-close garden in magical Mendocino County, Alysia Gray Painter

Los Angeles Times: Why are people in L.A. flocking to Mendocino? Two words: Mushroom season, Rachel Schnalzer

Forbes magazine: Ten Ultra-Romantic Road Trips By Car Or Recreation Vehicle—Safe, Scenic, Sensual, Lea Lane

Los Angeles Times: Where to see the best holiday lights in the West, April Orcutt

Forbes: Mushrooms Are Having A Moment In Mendocino County, Leslie Kelly

The American Gardener: RAP Gardens in Focus: Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens, Viveka Neveln

Better Homes & Gardens: 8 Most Instagram-Worthy Botanical Gardens in the U.S., Emily VanSchmus

NBC Bay Area News "Worth the Trip": Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens to Gorgeously Glimmer, Alysia Gray Painter

Pacific Horticulture Society: Giant Staghorn Fern Finds New Home at Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens, Roxanne Perkins

Via Magazine: Best Pet Destinations

San Francisco Chronicle: The 10 best things to do in Mendocino County, Robert Earle Howells 

 

 

QUICK FACTS

History: Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens was founded in 1961 by Ernest and Betty Schoefer. The Grand Opening of the Gardens was in 1966. By 1992, the Gardens' property had been purchased with grants from the California Coastal Conservancy and transferred to the Mendocino Coast Recreation and Park District (MCRPD). The property and the botanical gardens have since been under the care of Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens Preservation Corporation, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) membership organization.

Setting: Located on 47 acres running from California Highway 1 to the Pacific Ocean, this magnificent site includes manicured gardens, canyons, coastal bluffs, wetlands, and a closed-cone pine forest. Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens is one of only a few public gardens with direct ocean frontage. Our mild maritime climate allows us to grow a wide range of species that cannot survive the cold or heat of more northern, southern, or inland locations. MCBG is located approximately 4 hours north of the San Francisco Bay Area and 3.5 to 4 hours northwest of the Sacramento region. Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens is located on the west side of State Highway One at 18220 North Highway 1 near Fort Bragg, California.

Governance: Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens is governed by an eleven-member Board of Directors that is elected annually by its members. 

Staff: The Gardens has 14 full-time employees, 10 part-time or seasonal employees, a 9-member board, and 150 active volunteers. 

Botanical Significance: The proximity of the Pacific Ocean provides a temperate climate where frosts rarely occur. Combined with a lack of summer heat, this produces a unique climate, enabling the Gardens to grow a wide variety of species from around the world. The Gardens also contain several native plant communities and various rare species, including the Mendocino Paintbrush, Castilleja mendocinensis. We are an American Conifer Society Reference Garden, and our Heath & Heather Garden is an  American Public Gardens Association Collection of National Significance. 

Regional Significance: Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens is the most visited cultural institution on the North Coast. With more than 100,000 visitors per year, the Gardens has a significant and positive economic impact on the region. 

Cultural-Historical Significance: The Gardens contain a Native American shell mound, a pioneer graveyard dating to the turn of the 20th century, and a historic farmhouse associated with early agricultural use of the coastal bluffs. 

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