HEATHER! It’s a common low evergreen shrub grown in many varieties and colors on California’s North Coast. Here in Humboldt County we have the headquarters for H.E.R.E…the Heather Enthusiasts of the Redwood Empire. One of their goals which has been achieved is the establishment of a public heather garden in the city of Fortuna, California. H.E.R.E. collaborated with the Fortuna Garden Club and an army of volunteers to create this awesome garden on the grounds of Fortuna’s beautiful River Lodge Conference Center.

HEATHER! It has long stems of little tiny flowers and each flower has about 30 seeds in it, so one plant can easily produce 150,000 seeds per season! Heather is the perfect plant to grow in redwood country because of the acidic soil which the heathers prefer. Deer like to nibble on the tips of the heather, but not to worry, the plant can withstand grazing. The sheep of Scotland have been grazing on it for centuries and yet heather is a permanent fixture in the Scottish landscape.

HEATHER! You’re invited to Fortuna’s Heather Garden at the River Lodge Conference Center on the shore of the Eel River. You’ll marvel at about 4 thousand plantings of heather and conifer with more than 400 different varieties of heather! There are heathers in many colors -- and some that bloom in the winter (though most are summer bloomers). Take River Walk Drive to the Fortuna Heather Garden. Bring your camera, because you’ll want plenty of pictures of this spectacular garden, and many of Fortuna’s lodging places offer broadband access so you can share your photos right away!