Martial Cottle Park Demonstration Garden and Community Education Center

UCCE Master Gardener sign at Martial Cottle Park

Our four-acre parcel is located within Santa Clara County's 287-acre Martial Cottle Park, which showcases the agricultural heritage of Santa Clara Valley. Our gardens demonstrate many aspects of home gardening in this region, including native plants, vegetables, fruit trees, and more.

Address: Martial Cottle Park, 5283 Snell Ave, San Jose, CA 95136. Entry to the park is free. Parking is $6. The Master Gardener parcel is on the southern, central edge of the park, as shown in the County's park map.

Visiting hours: Our parcel is open to the public during our regular work hours: Wednesdays and Saturdays from 9–noon. We’re also on-site at other times and during scheduled events. If the gate is open, feel free to come on in.

Please do not come to the gardens if you are not feeling well.

View signage displayed in demo gardens

Event Name

Date

MCP Succulent Holiday Open House & Sale - San Jose

11/16/2024

Holiday Wreath-Making Workshop: Morning Session - San Jose

12/8/2024

Holiday Wreath-Making Workshop: Afternoon Session - San Jose

12/8/2024

Succulent & California Natives Holiday Open House & Sale - San Jose

12/21/2024

Spring Garden Fair - Martial Cottle Park - San Jose

4/26/2025

What to see and do

Our gardens demonstrate a variety of sustainable landscaping practices such as water conservation, green waste reduction, and encouraging a healthy ecosystem. Educational signage throughout gardens gives visitors a self-guided tour.

We offer a variety of talks and workshops throughout the year, as well as hosting our regular plant sales: Spring Garden Fair, Fall Garden Fair, and monthly succulent sales on the third Saturday of the month.

Mornings at Martial Cottle Park is a program offering field trips for kindergarten–4th graders to learn about gardens from UC Master Gardeners.

Plant collections in the garden

Within our parcel, we have many areas with different plant collections or themes, from California native plants to backyard fruit trees. Click on the map to see a larger version or view a list of garden collections with photos and descriptions.

Important: Please respect our gardens and do not pick or eat any parts of the plants without permission.

UCMG MCP MAP (May 2024) Monique Frappier

Our history

In the summer of 2015, Master Gardeners began working on a four-acre parcel covered in weeds. After a year of hard work, there was a thriving Native Garden, 51 raised beds for research and ornamental plants, a Farm Stand, a Barn with rain catchment, and pathways into the parcel.

By the end of 2016, we completed construction of a 72-foot Solar Light Greenhouse. The greenhouse is used to grow most of the plants for Master Gardener projects throughout Santa Clara County. Many of the vegetables, flowers, herbs and plant seedlings grown on-site are sold at our Spring and Fall Garden Fairs. Other plants are used for research and teaching purposes.

Operated in partnership with the Santa Clara County Parks & Recreation Department.