Westwood Park, 900 Barkley St, Davis, CA 95616, US

Situated next to Borders Books at the eastern end of the Davis Commons mall, this garden, a green oasis in downtown Davis, features fountains, a waterfall and a pleasant variety of native California plants. Plants have a tough time growing in Davis, here in the heart of the Central Valley. Windy days, hot, dry summers, a short rainy season, clay soil and alkaline water can make gardening here a challenge, especially for new Davis residents from more benevolent geographical areas. Ss staff and volunteers from the UC Davis Arboretum created this "demonstration garden" to show what's possible here. On beautiful display are dozens of thriving plants like western redbud, columbine, yarrow and deer grass. Novice gardeners can find hardy plants here that are easy to tend and grow. There are also unusual choices to try growing as well. Rather than simply put the plants on display, as in the main Arboretum south of campus, the staff have designed the Arboretum Terrace with, said a spokesperson, "the visitor's learning in mind."