Botanical bonbons at the Descanso Gardens

July 28, 2010

Photo courtesy of joymichelle on Flickr Creative Commons

LA CAÑADA FLINTRIDGE, USA – Who didn’t love playing the game “Candy Land” when they were kids? Remember the Candy Cane Forest and the Lollipop Woods? It was such a thrill to imagine wending a path through whole worlds made of colorful confections.

Spending the day at Descanso Gardens–a 150 acre botanical garden nestled in the foothills of Los Angeles’ San Gabriel Mountains–is a bit like paying a visit to an adult Candy Land of sorts. No, gumdrops don’t grow on trees here, but walking through the fanciful sections like the Camellia Forest, the International Rosarium, and the Lilac Garden feels just as sweet.

I visited with my mom on a recent sunny June Sunday, and it’s definitely the perfect destination for a girls’ day out. Bring a good floppy hat and sunscreen, especially if you come in the spring or summer, because temperatures can be 10-20 degrees hotter here than in downtown LA, which is just 20 minutes away.

A well-paved path snakes through the sweeping gardens, and a map of the place looks not unlike a Candy Land board. You can take a guided tour (check the website for schedules), but it’s just as easy to strike out on your own. Heading right through the gates, you’ll first encounter the rose garden, which was in full bloom the day of my visit (different areas of the gardens, obviously, bloom at different times of the year, so pay attention if you’re interested in seeing something particular). Every possible color and variety of rose was represented, and the perfume–as you might imagine–was heady. Shady benches and leafy arbors were interspersed throughout the garden for picturesque breaks from the sun.

Next up was the California Garden, featuring native California plants, where we spotted the absolute coolest flowers I’ve ever seen: Matilija poppies. With bright yellow centers and wide white petals, these babies look like giant fried eggs swaying in the wind! It’s a sight to behold. (If it were a section of a board game, this would definitely be the Fried Egg Forest.)

Sadly, the Camellia Forest was not in bloom on my visit. Descanso Gardens is home to North America’s largest camellia collection—more than 34,000 plants. The frilly flowers in shades from red to pink to white are at their most dazzling in winter, from January through February. Definitely something to come back for!

We worked our way through the remaining sections, including the incredibly tranquil Oak Forest and Japanese Garden. There’s even an “Edible Garden” planted with seasonal herbs, vegetables, and flowers. One area is referred to as the “pie garden” because it contains pumpkins, rhubarb, blueberries, and other potential pie fillings, which is just about as close as you’ll get to a bumper crop of lollipops!

Descanso Gardens
1418 Descanso Dr.
La Cañada Flintridge, CA
(1) 818-949-4200
Website
Map