Bette Wentzel Garden
Bette Wentzel Memorial Butterfly & Hummingbird Garden
Latest News from the Garden
Garden Info
The garden was created to commemorate the life of Bette Wentzel, former Ohlone Audubon board member. She loved the adventure of exploring the natural world. As president of Ohlone Audubon Society, she concentrated on conservation and education issues. Thus, the garden is dedicated to present and future residents of southern Alameda County, for aesthetic enjoyment and educational uses. The garden was officially dedicated on June 8, 2001.
Landscape Architect, Richard Matsutani volunteered the design and supervised much of the work that went into placing rocks for the dry stream bed and pipes for the watering system. Rod and Eva Ricciarelli and other Friends of Heirloom Flowers have devoted many hours to developing and protecting the gardens of Shinn Park, including the Wentzel Garden. Ohlone and the Friends have contracted to maintain the garden. All plants are selected for hummingbirds and/or butterflies.
The Garden Committee and volunteers have earned our gratitude for the success of this project, as have donors of materials and services who will be acknowledged in future articles.
Greetings all Garden Enthusiasts and Task Providers, Our Garden needs your Help!
The Bette Wentzel Memorial Butterfly and Hummingbird garden needs volunteers to help keep it weed-free and hummingbird and butterfly friendly. We meet each Tuesday morning with the Heirloom Garden Club at 9:30 a. m. to do maintenance work, followed by tea and cookies at noon.
Can you lend us a hand? Some of the tasks we identified include:
Repainting the gazebo
Refurbishing bender boards along the pathways
Removing non-natives (weeds!)
Setting out new plants (penstemons, ferns, milkweed, annuals)
Cleaning the planter boxes for butterfly larva
Send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. at membership AT ohloneaudubon.org if you are intersted in volunteering.
Below are downloadable PDF's that provide details about the garden:
Butterfly Larvae Host Plant List
Checklist of Butterfly and Hummingbird Garden Attracting Factors
History of Bette Wentzel Garden
Bette Wentzel Butterfly & Hummingbird Garden Gazebo
Shinn Historic Park and Arboretum,
Fremont City Park
1251 Peralta Blvd., Fremont, Alameda Co., Calif.