The Cottage Garden

In 2005, The Garden Conservancy acquired an easement on a vacant lot adjacent to the Greenwich Street pedestrian stairway in the Telegraph Hill Historic District. Historically important as open space, the lot was once a garden started in the 1930s by Valetta Heslet, who also planted gardens in an adjacent public right-of-way. After preparing a landscape plan in consultation with The Garden Conservancy, the owners rebuilt a garden for the public to view and enjoy from the pedestrian stairway. The Garden Lot entrance is off the Greenwich Steps between Sansome and Montgomery streets. It is a steep lot with seven sets of wooden retaining walls. The entrance is at the lowest elevation and serves as a way to access 237 Greenwich, 60-64 Darrell Place, and another cottage. Three brick steps from the Greenwich Steps serve as the entrance to the Garden Lot. A brick path turns east and runs along the eastern edge of the Garden Lot to access two cottages and is separated from the main garden by a simple wooden fence and from the eastern boundary by a wooden balustrade that matches the Garden Lot's stair balustrade. Entrance to the main garden is through a simple wooden gate. A level lower garden area is planted with trees and shrubs at the edges. Eleven stone steps with a landing and a wooden balustrade connect the lower garden to the terraces. There are two wooden retaining walls between the bottom and the top of the stairs: one located at the stair landing and one at the top of the stairs. At the top of the stairs, five more terraces step up the hill, with five sets of wooden retaining walls. The bottom retaining wall at the top of the stair includes a built-in wooden bench and a narrow wooden garden workbench and storage area. The terraces above this point are extensively planted. A set of three wooden stairs exits this terrace to the west to connect to the deck of 60-64 Darrell Place and 241 Greenwich.

Open Days 2024:  Saturday, May 18
Hours: Three Sessions: 10–12, 12–2, 2–4