Descanso Gardens, La Cañada Flintridge

Hailed as one of the most spectacular locations in Southern California, this 160-acre oasis is highlighted by 80 acres of colorful flowers including camellias, lilacs, roses and contains forests, streams, a lake, a bird sanctuary, tram tours, mini train rides, hiking trails, a 22-room home, a gift shop, café court gardens, and a serene Japanese garden complete with Tea house, Cherry trees, Japanese maples and a Koi pond.

This is the perfect place to spend a lazy afternoon, walking in the woods or just to sit back relax and take a guided tram tour around the garden.

A little history, In 1769,the King of Spain owned the current area known as Descanso Gardens claimed for him by the Spanish explorer Gaspar De Portola. Years later, a Governor deeded the 36,000-acre site to Corporal Jose Maria Verdugo in 1784, as part of a vast rancho. Verdugo died in 1831 and his land was divided between his son and daughter, who retained ownership until 1869.Then came a period of years where the land was continually bought, sold, and subdivided. In 1937 the newspaper magnate, publisher of the Los Angeles Daily News E. Manchester Boddy purchased the 160 acre property. He developed this magnificent parcel of land and called it "Rancho del Descanso", for "ranch where I rest."


In 1953 he ceded the site to Los Angeles County which further developed the property to include a world-class rosarium and all other facilities and attractions which we see today. The County hosts professional camellia shows, chamber music, and weddings. Nearly 300,000 people visit Descanso Gardens each year.The busiest time of the year is the Easter weekend.



We decided to visit this place after reading about it here.
I wanted to spend a part of my birthday at someplace away from the concrete jungle and what better way than to choose 160 acres of wilderness which also has a garden?
After dodging the terrific sunday traffic on 405N,10E and 5N for almost an hour we reached there in the afternoon. Parking was free but the lot was almost full.




We reached right on time to catch the Tram Tour at 2pm. This 45miniute guided tram ride around the garden is considered the best way to view the site if you are visiting for the first time.

Taking this tour saves time and one can decide which area of the garden to explore based on their interest once the tram tour ends. Our tour guide was quite experienced and jovial too which made the trip interesting.






I was totally lost during the tram ride trying to take in everything my eyes could see that i hardly heard the tour guide talking. All the time i was thinking why it took us such a long time to discover this place. I regretted it even more thinking I wish i knew about this place when my In-Laws visited us as i am sure they would have certainly enjoyed it.

They were quite excited to visit new places during their stay with us and I know how much Amma love flowers and how they enjoyed visiting the "Lake Shrine" gardens.
Even Iyaps was awfully quiet during the tram ride and i realized maybe he had the same thought and he was missing his parents.







To add to it, i was disappointed when i reached for the cam in my bag i realized that i had forgot to pack my trusted Olympus and i was left with my point and shoot Nikon S200.
As the saying goes "Something is better than nothing", thanks to my P & S cam i was able to capture some images to remember our first visit to this place.
The image you see on the right side is "Descanso Garden's Enchanted Railroad". An eighth scale replica of a diesel train runs on the tracks which takes young and all young-at-heart visitors around a small section of the park.
This is the second most preferred activity by the visitors after the Tram Tour.





A trip to Descanso Gardens will be an unforgettable experience for anyone who loves well maintained landscapes and wilderness. Any time of the year is suitable to visit this place and most of the weekends are busy with events. Descanso Gardens has the largest Camellia collection in North America.

We couldn't spend much time there due to time constraints but we hope to head back there to explore the 'Rosarium' and the 'Japanese garden' during our next visit.





The following information is collected from Internet which lists the names of flowers and their blooming month at Descanso Gardens. It may be interesting to find out your favorite flowers from the list and plan the trip accordingly.

Also check Descanso Gardens Visitor Guide:
Where to See Roses Camellias and Lilacs in Southern California




Whats in Bloom?

JANUARY: Camellias, cherry trees and winter annuals.
FEBRUARY: Camellias, magnolias, cherry trees and daffodils.
MARCH: Camellias, iris, lilacs, cherry trees and daffodils.
APRIL: Azaleas, camellias, iris, lilacs, native plants and wildflowers, tulips, clivia, and wisteria.
MAY: Azaleas, camellias, roses, iris, wildflowers and California Natives.
JUNE: Modern and heritage roses and summer annuals.
JULY, AUGUST & SEPTEMBER: Roses, summer annuals and perennials, crape myrtle and cassia.
OCTOBER: Sasanqua camellias, roses and Fall foliage.
NOVEMBER: Camellias, toyon berries, annuals, gingko and Fall foliage.
DECEMBER: Camellias, toyon berries, annuals and gingko.

Website: http://www.descansogardens.org

DESCANSO GARDENS
1418 Descanso Drive
La Cañada Flintridge, CA 91011

(818) 949-4206
Open daily, 9 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., except Christmas


To view more pics visit the "Descanso Gardens Set" in my flickr page.

(All images posted here and in Flickr are copyright protected. All rights reserved. Send an email to "voice4music [at] gmail [dot] com" if you wish to use any of the images.
Information source on Descanso Gardens : Internet)