Author: Kara McVey
Southern California may be largely made up of desert, but despite the aridity, L.A. residents can boast an impressive array of parks and gardens. From tiny neighborhood spots like Ozone to the colossal Griffith, Los Angeles has parks of every size and style. Here’s a sampling of a few that definitely deserve a visit.
The Huntington Library is home to one of the most extraordinary gardens in Southern California. Admission is pricey ($15 on weekdays, $20 on weekends and Monday holidays), but well worth it, and the first Thursday of every month is free with an online reservation. The library grounds consist of more than 200 acres and comprise 14 different themed gardens. Among these gardens is an ornate Japanese garden surrounding a brook, a children’s garden for learning about horticulture, a Shakespeare garden, a conservatory and one of the most extensive desert plant collections in the world.
In addition to these resplendent gardens, the library itself has gorgeous neoclassical architecture – part of the library was, in fact, designed by Myron Hunt, the architect who designed Oxy’s buildings. The library claims one of the United States’ most comprehensive collections of original and rare books, including one of the world’s 21 complete Gutenberg Bibles and an original copy of Shakespeare’s First Folio. The library art galleries are among the best exhibits in America. Whether it be for the art, the literature or the gardens, the Huntington Library is un-missable.
It’s a bit far, but Malibu Bluffs Park is a great place to visit if you’re spending the day at the beach in Malibu, Santa Monica or Topanga Canyon. Located just off the Pacific Coast Highway across from Pepperdine, the park is relatively small, but superlatively beautiful. The park grounds contain picnic tables, soccer and baseball fields, picnic areas and trails leading to the expansive Malibu bluffs.
People from all over the area come here to spend their afternoons playing Frisbee, whale-watching and enjoying the sun. It is also a favorite location for outdoor summer theater. The park looks out over the ocean with a breathtaking view of the Pacific, and is surrounded by mountains, sprawling lawns and hiking trails. It is undoubtedly one of the most picturesque parks in the Los Angeles area.
One of the closer locales is the magnificent Los Angeles Arboretum. Less than 12 miles from Oxy, the 127-acre grounds are home to thousands of species of flora and fauna. The Arboretum seeks to display the plant life and garden styles of several different areas, including separate gardens representing the Americas, Asia, Africa and Australia.
It also has several exquisite bodies of water, including Baldwin Lake, the Mayberg Waterfall and Tule Pond. Hundreds of species of birds, including peacocks, egrets and halcyons live at the Arboretum, making it a popular destination for ornithologists and bird-lovers alike. The garden is also a favorite California wedding spot, and on most weekends you can see bridal parties setting up near the rose garden. The Arboretum hosts the L.A. Garden Show every spring, and is open year-round to visitors.
Less than 10 miles away from campus in La Cañada, The Descanso Gardens provide a perfect opportunity for a great day-trip. Descanso has 150 acres of verdurous woodlands to traverse, as well as many different themed gardens to visit. Among these gardens is the “International Rosarium” a collection of 3,000 roses from all over the world, iris and lilac gardens and the largest camellia forest in North America. Recently the park managers added a new collection of edible plants (including common fruits and vegetables, such as berries, carrots, rhubarb and basil, among many more) from which everything harvested is donated to a local food bank.
The park also includes the beautiful Mulberry Pond, a bird observatory, and a miniature railroad which travels around a portion of the grounds. Now is a perfect time to visit, because the camellias and annuals are in bloom, so don’t miss the chance to visit this enchanting and abundant garden.
These parks represent some of the very best that Los Angeles has to offer. Though life in the heart of L.A. is sometimes rank with smog and pollution, hidden pockets of natural beauty abound. Sometimes you just have to get out and find them.
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