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The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens

© Judith Stock

On 150 acres in the city of San Marino, twelve miles northeast of downtown Los Angeles sits an oasis of art and culture known as the Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens.

With a magnificent collection of rare and first edition books and manuscripts, 18th and 19th century British and French art, Renaissance paintings, breathtaking gardens, a rose garden tea room, a Japanese meditation garden, and a huge koi pond, it is not surprising this museum is so popular, hosting over 500,000 visitors annually.br>

Home to Henry and Arabella Huntington for many years, the estate, library, art collection and gardens were placed into a non-profit educational trust in 1919, which created the Huntington Library, Art Collection, and Botanical Gardens. A voracious collector of art and rare books, Huntington amassed a huge collection that has grown to be recognized as one of the grandest showcases for art in the country.

Began in 1903 by Huntington as a labor of love, the Botanical Gardens now include over 15,000 kinds of plants gathered from all over the world. Theme gardens abound and including:

 The Shakespeare Garden - an English garden including shrubs and perennials like pansies, violets, pinks, rosemary, daffodils, iris, roses, pomegranate, and orange. Many plants have a long history, being mentioned in the works of Shakespeare.

 The Rose Garden - is the story of roses spanning 1,000 years, historically arranged according to their place in history from Medieval and Renaissance times, to 19th century shrub roses. Rambling and climbing roses from all periods in history grow up arbors, arches, and pergolas.

 The Desert Garden - covers 12 acres including 4,000 species of desert plants.

 The Jungle Garden - were ferns, bromeliads and other tropical plants cascade around huge tree trunks and limbs.

 The Japanese Garden - walled from view, the entrance is guarded by two lion-dogs. Step through to the Zen garden and experience tranquillity of mind and spirit. Temple bells ring, walk over the moon bridge, and look down into the reflecting pond. Across the lake, stocked with koi, sits a Japanese house, a showcase of traditional Japanese life. A small courtyard contains bonsai, dwarfed trees and plants.

 The Palm Garden - contains 200 species of palms, some rare and endangered.

 The Camellia Garden - reminiscent of a formal European garden, with Italian baroque stone fountain and large expansive lawns, the garden includes over 30 species of camellias that bloom from December to early spring along the winding path.

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