My Day Trip to Descanso Gardens in California

Where is Descanso Gardens located?

Descanso Gardens is a 20-minute drive from downtown Los Angeles, near the intersection of Highway 210 and Highway 2. Luckily it’s not too far from my house.

different gardens

We spent a day exploring the various unique gardens. There are nine different themed gardens, including the Ancient Forest, Japanese Garden, Rose Garden, Oak Forest, and Camellia Collection. I didn’t have time to see them all, but here are some of my favourites!

rose garden

Over 1,600 roses represent hundreds of years of horticultural history. The rose-themed garden has a significant collection of species featuring old and modern roses. Beautiful companion plants are planted among the roses, so they bloom in every season.who doesn’t love fresh roses?

Japanese garden

Visitors to Descanso Gardens flock to the Japanese garden. This lush green space is like your own universe.A Japanese garden quietly nestled in the shadow of the coast live oakContains a variety of plants native to Asia such as , camellia, black pine, mond grass and flowering Cherry tree, and Acer palmatum. The tranquility of the garden is broken by the chirping of birds, the murmur of brook water and the rustle of leaves rustling in the breeze. I always feel like I’ve been teleported to Japan. If only it were that easy!

Gardens incorporate elements found in many other forms of Japanese gardens, such as kaiyushiki gardens, stream and pond gardens, tea gardens, and dry landscape gardens, often mistakenly called Zen. park.

oak forest

The coastal raw oak is one of the giants of the Descanso landscape. These centuries-old trees are the last remnants of a forest that once covered the entire region. In California, he has 19 species of serrata. Coast live oak is a type of evergreen oak tree. Its natural range extends from California’s Mendocino County south to northern Baja California.

Coastal oak is a “keystone species”, meaning it is necessary for the survival of hundreds of other species, including mammals, birds, insects, fungi, plants, and even reptiles and amphibians.

camellia collection

Frances Miyosaku Uematsu, known in the horticultural world as the “King of Camellia,” was a Japanese-American nursery teacher in Los Angeles. A nurseryman is someone who owns or works in a plant nursery. Uematsu immigrated to the United States in 1904, where he founded and maintained a profitable seedling company called Nursery for over 30 years.he did some development and implementation camellia As well as cultivars, many other specialty plants were imported from Japan.

Camellia flowers bloom from December to March.

Fun Fact: The Camellia Flower in Fashion

Last Monday was the Met Gala, the biggest fashion night of the year. The theme for 2023 was a tribute to Karl Lagerfeld. Karl was the designer and creative director of his house of luxury fashion such as Chanel, Fendi and Chloe. The camellia flower was one of his biggest inspirations while designing for Chanel. Camellia flower. Rihanna’s outfit is one of my favorite examples!

ancient forest

The ancient forests of Descanso Gardens are filled with prehistoric plants from the time when dinosaurs roamed the earth. In fact, many of the plants in this area predate the emergence of flowers. (Flowering plants are relatively recent in the plant world, first appearing in the Jurassic period about 175 million years ago.)

What flowers bloom in May and June?

Roses, azaleas, irises, wildflowers and other native California plants are in full bloom in May. In June, modern and heritage roses and summer annuals are in full bloom. Plan your visit here!

Writing this blog has inspired me to add some new flowers to my courtyard.

FYI… Chirpyest is currently fast growing treeThey have a wide selection of exotic and local trees. Purchase plants that are native to your area. It’s such a cool company to buy outdoor plants from.

Which flowers do you think would look good in my garden? I need your advice and tips!

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