Strolling Through the Seasons at Descanso Gardens in La Canada, CA
In this delightful garden near Pasadena, all of your senses awaken as you stroll through forests of camellias; a lilac garden filled with a sweet grape-jelly fragrance; a circle of Iceland poppies mixed with daffodils; rows of tulip blossoms; trestles overflowing with wisteria; a zen-like Japanese Garden where tea is served amongst cherry blossoms; and a fern canyon shaded by twisting oak trees. But what really draws people to Descanso Gardens is the renowned five-acre rose and iris garden, where over 3,000 rose bushes display their beauty during late spring and into late summer. You'll want to spend all day smelling each of their perfume-scented petals. No wonder many weddings are performed in this botanical oasis each year.
My first stroll through the Descanso Gardens was therapeutic: the smell of roses, the blooming flowers, and the simple breathtaking beauty of nature surrounding me. This stroll started my passion in photography; I wanted to capture some of that beauty around me and I wanted to capture it "well." I also wanted to capture the gardens from a new perspective. A few months later, I returned with my camera, in the hopes the images I took could reflect a little of what I saw. Now that I am fully immersed in photography, I will continue to make the Descanso Gardens a part of my own, personal photography project.
The moment I enter Descanso Gardens, I veer right and head towards the Rose Garden. Between the array of colors coming from the variety of roses seen there, I take a seat on one of the many benches provided. I sit, and I watch, and I observe. Purple. Yellow. Red. Pink, and White are just some of the colors surrounding me. I watch closer, as a couple of birds fly overhead, and watch closer, barely moving, as they go on the hunt within the streams just a few feet ahead. Behind me, I hear the stream of the running water flowing from the water fountain. I stand up, bend over to smell the fragrant from the rose blooming in front of me. Across the path, I follow my ears to where the water is streaming, sit down on the closest bench and watch the tiny waterfall before my eyes. Descanso Gardens truly has it all.
Escape the smog and venture out to La Canada Flintridge for a day to relax and clear your mind. As you walk through the entrance of Descanso Gardens, you will immediately be overwhelmed with a fresh and colorful scent, putting you at ease to explore. Your curiosity will get the best of you as you choose which of the many dirt paths to take deeper into the trees and through multiple gardens including a Japanese garden, a rose garden, and an enormous oak forest. Listen for waterfalls and streams and take a seat on a bench under the tree of your choice. There you can sit quietly, relax, and find peace in an outdoor oasis not often found in L.A. Enjoy the calming effect in seeing so much green. Walk slowly, breathe deeply, and let your mind wander away.
Gardens are for natty-hatted Grandmas, weed-obsessed Aunt Nell's, and lightly perspiring Uncle Henry's. Doh! Not the Descanso Gardens nestled in the foothills of the sleepy bedroom-community of La Canada Flintridge, just north of Los Angeles and below the Angeles Forest. Here, even Homer would feel at home. This is technicolor animation for the couch-potato set. It's impossible not to be lured into the Gardens from the woodsy coolness at the entrance, to the trickling ponds, and bursts of azaleas in fiery fuschias, oranges, and pinks. One sniff of the Lilac Garden or Camellia Forest draws you deeper towards the Japanese Tea Pavilion and watch out---the children-sized Enchanted Railroad might cross your path at a squirrel's pace! Never fear, a trail of "chocolate chunk cookie crumbs" will help Homer find his way to the Joachim Splichal owned Patina-catered cafe anchoring the gardens for a fortifying snack or refreshing drink to soak it all in.
Lilacs aren't native to Southern California—they generally prefer a hard freeze to produce their exquisitely finicky blooms. But between March and April, the lilac grove in Descanso Gardens features approximately 500 varieties. Their colors range from ivory to inky indigo, and their perfumes go from the powdery and soapy-sweet to almost peppery. Most cherished: "Lavender Lady," developed here a half-century ago by the garden's own horticulturists. Hit this on the right day and you'll be dizzy and giddy—a floral olfactory contact-high.
In this delightful garden near Pasadena, all of your senses awaken as you stroll through forests of camellias; a lilac garden filled with a sweet grape-jelly fragrance; a circle of Iceland poppies mixed with daffodils; rows of tulip blossoms; trestles overflowing with wisteria; a zen-like Japanese Garden where tea is served amongst cherry blossoms; and a fern canyon shaded by twisting oak trees. But what really draws people to Descanso Gardens is the renowned five-acre rose and iris garden, where over 3,000 rose bushes display their beauty during late spring and into late summer. You'll want to spend all day smelling each of their perfume-scented petals. No wonder many weddings are performed in this botanical oasis each year.
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