Valetta Heslet, who lived in the maze of connected cottages on the Greenwich Steps known as The Compound, was the daughter of Grace Marchant. While Grace worked on her Filbert Steps garden, Valetta began an identical project on the steep, barren slope on the north side of the Greenwich Steps. Today, the two parallel staircases form a corridor of gardens that stretch from the bottom of Telegraph Hill to the top.

To improve and maintain Valetta’s garden, the Telegraph Hill Dwellers (aka THD) initiated a project to restore the beauty of the garden and its open spaces. To help fund the project, the Conservancy agreed to act as THD’s fiscal sponsor so that donations would be tax deductible. The project has attracted private donations as well as grants from San Francisco Beautiful and the Levi Foundation. Volunteers provide labor, with expenses for plant materials, major pruning, and irrigation improvements paid for from funds raised by the Conservancy from grants and donations.

Today, the Valetta Heslet / Greenwich Steps Garden is well known as the location for the book and documentary film The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill.