Display Gardens at Descanso

Posted by
Barbara M. Martin
Mar 4, 2008

You might still catch the tail end of camellia season in March; with over 30,000 camellias Descanso’s Camellia Forest is a national treasure. Yes, you walk under and through the camellias planted among huge old native live oaks.

And worth a look (and sniff), is the lilac collection, yes actual Syringa lilacs, blooming in March. To be honest, I don’t think the look of the planting rivals those “back east” or in the mid-west but the fragrance is the real deal so you can close your eyes and breathe deeply and be swept back to the land of Anne of Green Gables or whatever.

Pretty soon, there will be roses blooming like crazy -- the International Rosarium covers five acres.

And, don’t miss the Edible Estates Demonstration Garden (now through fall 2008). The demonstration garden is pretty spectacular in that it is literally split in half by a little walkway. On one side, lawn. On the other side, edible plants. Fritz Haeg, a Los Angeles artist, architect and gardener, wants folks to compare and contrast the typical suburban lawn with a productive garden of vegetables, fruits, herbs and other edibles. Um, maybe not your taste in landscaping but pretty interesting to consider.

Descanso Gardens, a public garden near Los Angeles, is worth visiting. Check out my own Descanso Gardens Visitor Guide for more information. Notice the lilac photo at the bottom of the article if you just don’t believe lilacs can be grown in southern California! Descanso offers details on the Edible Estates Demo.