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Prickly Garden Traditional Geocache

This cache has been archived.

Krypton: As there's been no cache to find for months, I'm archiving it to keep it from continually showing up in search lists, and to prevent it from blocking other cache placements. If you wish to repair/replace the cache sometime in the future, just contact us (by email), and assuming it meets the guidelines, we'll be happy to unarchive it.

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Hidden : 5/5/2005
Difficulty:
1.5 out of 5
Terrain:
1.5 out of 5

Size: Size:   small (small)

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Geocache Description:


This little known cactus and succulent garden, formally named the Arizona Garden, was designed by Rudolph Ulrich (who also created a similar, now-vanished garden in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco) on behalf of Leland and Jane Stanford as part of the landscaping intended to surround the Stanford’s new house. Rare cacti and succulents were collected by Ulrich in the Sonoran Desert of Arizona, then transported by horse-drawn wagon and railway to California where they were planted between 1880 and 1883. Plans for the house were scrapped after the death of the Stanfords' only child, Leland Jr., but the garden remained and became part of the campus landscape when the university was opened in 1891. The garden was regularly maintained until the 1920s, whereafter it was largely neglected. Since 1998, a volunteer renovation project has been slowly bringing the garden back to life. The garden is divided generally into two sections: The Eastern Hemisphere section is planted with aloes, jade plants and other succulents found in Europe, Asia and Africa, and the Western Hemisphere section holds cacti native to the Americas. The boundaries aren't strict ones, since historic plants, which make up about 10 to 15 percent of the plantings, were left where they originally were planted.

The cache itself is a small tupperware container hidden on the periphery of the garden. There is absolutely no need to search within any part of the garden itself, or to disturb any plantlife. Contains small animal toys, logbook and pencil.

GPS reception can be sketchy. Parking is within 100 yards, but is campus restricted between 6 am and 4 pm on weekdays. Ideal to reach by bicycle.

Additional Hints (No hints available.)