The Gardens Surrounding Digging Dog Nursery and the Private Gardens of Deborah Whigham and Gary Ratway

Nestled among towering redwoods atop a rural ridge, Digging Dog Nursery and its elaborately planted grounds cover approximately two acres. A verdant backdrop of clipped evergreen and deciduous hedges sculpt distinctly separate spaces, thresholds, and views beckoning with anticipation. Inspired by old-style tradition and emphasizing year-round appeal, the garden offers dramatic perennial borders, some more than 150-feet-long, which are threaded together by pathways and tree-lined trails. This structured layout juxtaposes ebullient plantings, which feature a diverse collection of unusual plants and favored mainstays. Digging Dog Nursery is a mail-order and retail nursery featuring hard-to-find perennials, ornamental grasses, shrubs, trees, and vines that flourish in a variety of garden settings throughout the country. Plants will be available for sale.

Directions: From the south on Highway 1, turn right onto Albion Ridge Road; from the north on Highway 1, turn left. Go 4 miles east on Albion Ridge Road. Turn right onto Middle Ridge Road (right turn only; this is a three-way intersection). Go 0.3 mile on Middle Ridge Road. You will see a cluster of mailboxes on right and then directly ahead on left, our driveway and a tree with Digging Dog Nursery sign on it. Turn left into driveway, and shortly turn right into parking lot. A green sign on left read Nursery Parking. Once you pull into the parking lot you will see the farm gates and our welcome sign. Parking lot is small; additional parking along roadside. If you need additional directions, please call: (707) 937-1130.

Open Days 2018: June 23
Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Admission to this garden is $7 for members and nonmembers without tickets purchased in advance.

Buy discounted admission tickets in advance! They can be used at most Open Days to make garden visiting easier.
Nonmembers get 6 visits for the price of 5 with advanced ticket book purchase.  
Members get 50% off ONLY by purchasing ticket books in advance.

Digging Deeper programs at Digging Dog Nursery:
1 p.m.: Guided Garden Tours. Join renowned specialty growers and garden designers, Deborah Whigham and Gary Ratway, for a guided tour of their home garden. Featured in the Garden Conservancy’s book, Outstanding American Gardens, their private oasis is not regularly open to those visiting their adjacent Digging Dog Nursery and its fabled display gardens.

3 p.m.: Japanese Maple Container Garden Demonstration. Join Deborah Whigham, co-owner of Digging Dog Nursery, and Patricia Smyth, Japanese maple expert and owner of Essence of the Tree, for a demonstration on selecting the perfect Japanese maple and companion plants for a container that will look beautiful through the changing seasons, plus caring for your tree so it will last for decades. Digging Dog Nursery will be selling plants throughout the Open Day, and Essence of the Tree will start selling plants at noon. Learn more at www.diggingdog.com and www.essenceofthetree.com.

Garden admission is $7 per person and children 12 & under are free. There is no additional fee for these programs. Call 1(888) 842-2442 or email opendays@gardenconservancy.org with questions.

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