Descanso Gardens
By Pasadena Independent
Published: Thursday, March 26th, 2009
Fall flowers may not be as exciting or abundant as those of spring, but they are still beautiful and worth appreciating. And one of the best places to see them is at Descanso Gardens in La Canada.
I dropped by the 80-acre botanical paradise recently for afternoon tea and a stroll through a lush camellia forest and a giant rose garden.
The Descanso Garden Camellia Forest was started in the 1930s by newspaper publisher E. Manchester Boddy, while building his estate called Rancho del Descanso. At the time the property was covered with oak trees and Boddy thought it would be a good idea to plant thousands of camellias in the shade of the oaks to provide blossoms for the cut-flower industry.
Today, the camellias continue to thrive and now Descanso Gardens is home to North America’s largest camellia collection—more than 34,000 plants growing on 20 acres. Many of these camellias stand more than 20 feet tall.
During my late October visit the camellias were just beginning to open and erupt in shades of white and dark red. The flowers bloom from November through early spring.
From Camellia Forest I walked beneath a grove of oaks, past trickling streams and across rolling lawns to the International Rosarium, a five-acre garden flourishing with America’s most popular flower. As I approached the garden, the aroma grew until I stood amongst more than 3,000 roses. Representing centuries of horticultural history and dozens of regions around the world, the rosarium showcases old garden and modern roses arranged in theme gardens.
Another Descanso highlight is the Japanese Garden, a tranquil, zen-filled area with koi ponds and streams, arched bridge, and shaded paths teeming with Japanese maples, azaleas, bamboo, and other plants from Asia. The paths lead to the pagoda-styled Full Moon Tea House.
Inspired by Descanso’s Asian camellias, the Japanese Garden and Full Moon Tea House were constructed in 1966. The tea house, with its blue tile roof from Japan, sits across a Shinto bridge from a Japanese farmhouse-type structure, called the Minka. And near here is a dry-raked garden, modeled after a Shen garden in Kyoto.
While in the Japanese Gardens, a friend and I enjoyed a Japanese lunch, with a pot of tea, miso Soup, teriyaki chicken sandwich, roasted shitake mushroom & seaweed salad, and various sushi-styled rolls. The price was $19.50 per person. Sake and beer is also available.
In November the Japanese Garden hosts the Japanese Garden Festival, featuring bonsai and suiseki displays, taiko drumming and traditional Japanese dancers.
Other Descanso highlights include the Boddy House; the Enchanted Railroad, a 1/8th replica of a diesel train; a bird observatory; and an art gallery. There is also a tram circulating the gardens.
Descanso Gardens is located at 1418 Descanso Drive, La Cañada Flintridge, CA 91011. The gardens are open everyday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission: adults – $8; Senior/Students $6. Children (5 to 12 years) $3. Tram ride $4; Enchanted Railroad $3. For more info call (818) 949-4200 or visit www.descansogardens.org.
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