Sutro Heights in San Francisco City and County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)
The Carpet Beds
Formal Victorian Gardens
Photographed by Joseph Alvarado, November 14, 2022
1. The Carpet Beds Marker
Lands End
Carpet bed designs were created with flowers and carefully trimmed grasses, hedges, and moss. They were a standard feature in Victorian gardens. The elaborate plantings at Sutro Heights were mostly in place by 1885 when the grounds opened to the public. The parapet beds were arranged on either side of the main path, Palm Avenue, and required constant maintenance by a staff of ten gardeners.
Images:
Views of carpet beds at Sutro Gardens, 1894 to 1907.
Erected by National Park Service.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Horticulture & Forestry • Parks & Recreational Areas. A significant historical year for this entry is 1885.
Location. 37° 46.7′ N, 122° 30.671′ W. Marker is in San Francisco, California, in San Francisco City and County. It is in Sutro Heights. It can be reached from Point Lobos Avenue near Geary Street. The resin marker is mounted to a metal stand on the Sutro Heights Loop Trail, next to the well house. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 846 Point Lobos Avenue, San Francisco CA 94121, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is on California’s Coast Ranges. It is also on the American Pacific Coast. Globally, it is in North America, on the Ring of Fire, in the Pacific Rim, in the Western Hemisphere, in the Western World, and in the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain and also Mexicos Alta California.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: The Conservatory (within shouting distance of this marker); The Sutro Home
this page online
Also see . . . National Park Service: Vestiges of Sutro Heights.
"Adolph Sutro created Sutro Heights as a place where everyone could enjoy natures beauty in the form of ocean and shoreline vistas and an elaborately designed garden. Sutro Heights gardens included a maze, sculpted hedges, carpet and patterned flower beds, open lawns, and forests."(Submitted on November 18, 2022, by Joseph Alvarado of Livermore, California.)
Additional commentary.
1. Well House
"This small wooden structure at the top of Serpentine Drive, marked the entrance to the central garden area from the lower gate. It originally held a pair of drinking fountains fed by water pumped
Photographed by Joseph Alvarado, November 14, 2022
2. The Carpet Beds Marker
The ornate building featured carved wooden posts, iron grillwork doors on the north and south sides, decorative shingles, and a pointed finial on each end of the roof.
The well house has been partially restored and remains the only building commisioned by Adolph Sutro that still stands on the grounds of Sutro Heights." (NPS)
— Submitted November 18, 2022, by Joseph Alvarado of Livermore, California.
Photographed by Joseph Alvarado, November 14, 2022
3. View Of The Parapet From The Marker
Photographed by Joseph Alvarado, November 14, 2022
4. Garden Statuary
Credits. This page was last revised on December 27, 2024. It was originally submitted on November 18, 2022, by Joseph Alvarado of Livermore, California. This page has been viewed 293 times since then and 6 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on November 18, 2022, by Joseph Alvarado of Livermore, California.
