The only public garden in the continental United States directly in front of an ocean... (stretching from highway 1 to the pacific coast)... this 47 acre garden oasis on the Califorian Coast is located at Fort Bragg in Northern California. MENDOCINO COAST BOTANICAL GARDENS... or more affectionately know as the 'Garden by the Sea' is a paradise of foliage, plant life and nature working in harmony with mankind... as well as a magnificent forest of pines, a nicely groomed easy 1/2 mile walk leads to the spectacular rocky coastline and craggy bluffs overlooking the rugged Pacific Coast. Along the edges of the bluff are plants adapted to poor, rocky soils and salt-laden winds. This rare botanical jewel offers everything from colourful floral displays to thunderous waves... the mild maritime climate makes it a garden for all seasons. The gardens are known for its rhododendrons, with peak season April through May. During my visit in August, and one of my favourite gardens... was the magnificent, in full bloom HEATHS AND HEATHER GARDEN. In 2008 the American Public Gardens Association awarded the collection as a 'Collection of National Significance'. These charming plants from white, lavender, rose, deep purple to sunburnt orange, grow in low mounding scrubs with colourful delicate flowers and foliage providing colour on mass... growing in gorgeous flowering expanses. Declared the national flower of Mexico, and originating from it's mountain ranges, the brightly coloured dahlia's in the DAHLIA GARDEN... containing over 120 different cultivars blooming in a wild profusion of color from summer to early fall. During August, this was indeed a glorious wonderland of colour.With manicured formal gardens and woodland setting, a dense coastal pine forest, native flora and habitats, fern-covered canyons, camellias, rhododendrons, magnolias and conifers, heaths and heathers, bulbs, flowers and grasses, cactus and succulents, flower-filled coastal bluffs overlooking the blue ocean, this garden is a 'jewel' on the Pacific Coast.