Spring has come, flowers will bloom, but where can you see such flowers in the bustling city? Look no further than one of Los Angeles’s largest gardens, the Descanso Garden. It’s the home of various flowers, trees, ferns, and wildlife.
Descanso Gardens’ current main attraction is based on the Greek myth between Apollo and Daphne. Apollo’s advances towards the Daphne causes the nymph to run far and wide, until eventually, with the aid of her father, is able to turn into a laurel tree. It is said that Daphne is one with nature, and thus her beauty and peace can be seen throughout Earth. Along with her tale, the exhibit displays clothing created solely with plants or any item found in nature.
There are also other activities, such as drawing an outfit based on your favorite flower, making flowers out of papier mache, and a small train ride.
Descanso Garden is enormous, it is sectioned by the species of the plants. For example, there is a Japanese garden with a traditional tea house overlooking a small pond of koi fish, surrounded by Japanese camellia flowers. Exiting the marlious garden exists an ancient forest, home to many ferds that were once a dinosaurs’ habitat and source of food. Just shy between the forest and Japanese garden lies a small lilac garden that blooms from April to June.
Descanso Garden is more notably known for its massive diversity of camellias, making up a large portion of the garden. Their colors can range from a warm pink to a bold orange. Beside the forest of camellias, there is a lake and pond, home to several turtles, two different species of duck, geese, and more. Although these animals are used to human interaction, remember to be mindful, as everyone is a guest and it is crucial to protect such a beautiful and thriving environment.
Next to the lake is the rose garden, where there are many places to sit down and enjoy the view of the garden. As of late March, tulips are in bloom in all colors; some are gold, some white, some tyrian purple, and some even multiple colors. Descanso Garden holds many plants native to the Golden State, like the California poppies, palo verde tree, and ceanothus; all of these should be ready to flourish during the summer.
There is a section of the garden titled The Oak Woodland, which holds oaks of all range and height, and their trees are centuries old. The woodland is there to represent the remains of the old forest before the Descanso Garden was built.
If you wish to visit the garden, it’s located at 1418 Descanso Dr, La Cañada Flintridge, CA 91011. Tickets are $15 for adults, $11 for seniors over 65, the same price for students (with ID), children between 5-12 are $5, and those younger than 4 are free. It’s better to buy tickets online than in person since the line gets long. As for parking, it’s free, but I advise going early before it fills up and the California heat melts you away.
This garden is really popular, so the ticket lines can take over an hour and parking is scarce. Since the garden is full of different kinds of life, there are rules to follow, as only water is allowed, but they do hold a picnic area outside of the garden. As for photos, any shots that need a lot of equipment will need a permit.
