Silver Lake / Harland Hand


Harland Hand [1922-1998], inspired by the principles of fine art and rock formations in the High Sierra, designed this hillside garden with breathtaking views of San Francisco Bay.

Using concrete, curving lines and dramatic color combinations, Hand created an emotionally evocative space that houses an extraordinary plant collection.


Silver Lake in the High Sierra was the inspiration for Harland Hand's garden in El Cerrito, the "most thrilling, intimate, and puzzling space" he had ever experienced. By the lake were granite-floored 'rooms' with shelves, benches, and boulders from which sprung trees gnarled by the alpine winds. Shrubs and flowers crept between the granite slabs, forming natural rock gardens." - Harland Hand
Using concrete to simulate granite, Hand sculpted pavers, benches, and ponds.

Silver Lake

Cliff Wall