It’s likely that you don’t think of Los Angeles, California as a city full of gardens. And yet, the greater Los Angeles area is the home to some of the most beautiful gardens in the country. I live in Los Angeles, and the Huntington Library and Gardens, the Los Angeles Arboretum and the Descanso Gardens are my favorite places to take visitors from out of town. Each of these three Los Angeles gardens are large and beautiful enough to merit a half or whole day excursion. I adore plants, but you don’t need to know a marigold from a pine tree to have a great time at these Los Angeles green areas. Whether you’re a tourist or a local on a date (see “Romantic Dates in Pasadena” for another recommendation to the Huntington Gardens), these three gardens will certainly dazzle you.
The Huntington Library and Gardens
Tucked in the middle of the residential town of San Marino, the world-famous Huntington Gardens are a stone throw from Pasadena, and a mere twenty-minute drive from Hollywood (if you time it right, of course). These gardens encompass a 120 acres of the most beautiful botanical collection you can imagine. These gardens were created in 1919 by railroad magnate and real estate developer Henry Edwards Huntington. The gardens opened to the public in 1928.
There is a lot to see in here: Huntington’s old mansion has been converted into a museum and his library remains a library with a permanent collection, as well as other exhibits. Some of the most famous artifacts of the collection are Ellesmere manuscript of Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales (c.1410), a Gutenberg Bible (c.1455), Thomas Gainsborough’s masterpiece The Blue Boy (c. 1770), Sir Thomas Lawrence’s Pinkie (1794), Edward Hopper’s The Long Leg, and Rogier van der Weyden’s Madonna and Child (15th century).
But the most impressive thing of all are the gardens. The grounds include a Japanese garden so incredibly faithful to real Japanese landscaping that one is transported to Japan for a few moments (A funny thing that happened to me, having known the Huntington Gardens before going to Japan, is that the gardens of Japan actually brought back fond memories of the Huntington!).
There is also a 12-acre, breathtaking desert garden. Other highlights include a camellia garden, a rose garden, a tropical garden, an Australian garden and a not-yet-finished Chinese garden. A children’s garden has been opened for the last two years and it’s very whimsical and fun, even for adults, with many water installations and other wonderful things.
As if all of this was not enough, you can also have afternoon tea at the Rose Garden Tea Room, located in front of the rose garden. You get a big pot of tea and scones with jam, as well as a choice of finger sandwiches, salads and fresh fruit from a buffet. You can choose between two different kinds of tea (often a black tea and a flavored option). The afternoon buffet at the
Huntington costs $19.95 per person plus tax, and worth every penny. Reservations are required, and it tends to fill up weeks in advance on weekends. ForTea Room Reservations, call (626) 683-8131.
The Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden
This is wonderful garden, with many beautiful features. The Arboretum has a beautiful lake and lots of peacocks roaming around the grounds. There are many areas to this garden, including a meadow with Australian flora, two tropical greenhouses with orchids, ferns and other species, a citrus orchard and vegetable display gardens. A four-acre natural lake in the heart of the Arboretum provides a beautiful setting for walking and picture-taking. The Los Angeles Arboretum is a great place for bird watchers: in addition to the peacocks mentioned earlier, 232 bird species have been spotted in this Los Angeles botanic preserve.
Descanso Gardens
A peaceful 160-acre oasis, the Descanso Gardens are a wonderful place to spend the day. The gardens are divided into several themed areas, such as the camellia forest, the international rosarium, the California garden and the Iris garden. You can walk all around the garden, or take a tram instead. The Descanso gardens also offer great classes, lectures and festivals, check their website for seasonal information. At the entrance of the garden, there’s a small café (just a window, really, no table service) by Wolfgang Puck that offers salads, sandwiches, drinks and some snacks. Try the dark chocolate brownie with a cup of coffee – it’s really delicious.
The Huntington Library and Gardens
1151 Oxford Road, CA 91108
(626) 405-2100
Tuesday-Friday, noon to 4:30 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Admission: $15 adults, $10 students, $12 seniors, $6 children (6-10), children under 5 are admitted free. Free parking.
The Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden
301 North Baldwin Avenue, Arcadia, CA,
91007
626-821-3222.
9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., grounds close at 5:00p.m.
The Arboretum opens at 8:00 am for members Admission: $7 adults, $5 students, $5 seniors, $2.50 children (6-12), children under 5 are admitted free. Free parking.
Descanso Gardens
1418 Descanso Drive
La Cañada Flintridge, CA 91011
The Gardens are open every day of the year except Christmas, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (although visitors are encouraged to arrive by 4:30 p.m.) Free Parking. General $7. Senior/Students $5. Children (5 to 12 years) $2.
Guild members and Children under 5 free.
