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| Photo: Mildred E. Mathias Botanical Garden |
310-825-1260
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Nestled within the UCLA campus in Westwood, the 7.5-acre Mildred E. Mathias Botanical Garden is a living museum that maintains one of the most important living botanical collections in the U.S. Over 3,000 types of plants grow in the garden and a wide range of environments are found within its borders, from the dry desert and Mediterranean sections on the eastern end to the shaded, lush interior. A stream and series of ponds run through the center of the garden, which is home to koi and turtles. As part of its public education program, the garden offers free docent-led tours for groups of eight or more.
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2) DESCANSO GARDENS
1418 Descanso Dr., La Canada Flintridge 91011818-949-4200
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Located in La Cañada Flintridge, the 160-acre Descanso Gardens was originally developed in 1936 by newspaper magnate Elias Manchester Boddy, whose numerous interests included horticulture and politics. Descanso Gardens offers numerous areas for exploring, including a bird sanctuary, five-acre rosarium, Japanese tea garden, water-wise garden, Oak Woodland, California garden, and the world’s largest collection of camellia flowers. Plants are blooming year-round at Descanso - check the What's In Bloom page for a list of monthly blooms. Descanso also hosts a wide range of events, from docent-guided walks to Shakespeare and the dazzling Enchanted: Forest of Light.
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3) JAPANESE GARDEN
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| SuihoEn (“Garden of Water and Fragrance”) Photo: Yuri Hasegawa |
818-756-8166
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Suiho En (“Garden of Water and Fragrance”) is a 6.5-acre authentic Japanese garden fashioned after “stroll gardens” constructed during the 18th and 19th centuries for Japanese Feudal lords. This San Fernando Valley gem was created by Dr. Koichi Kawana to provide beauty, relaxation, inspiration and a better understanding of Japanese culture using reclaimed water. Dr. Kawana designed more than one dozen major Japanese gardens in the United States, including the botanical gardens at LACMA. Admission is free and available by reservation only.
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4) GETTY VILLA
17985 Pacific Coast Highway, Pacific Palisades 90272310-440-7300
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Overlooking the Pacific Ocean from its hilltop location in the Pacific Palisades, the Getty Villa houses a collection of 44,000 Greek, Roman, and Etruscan antiquities that span 7,000 years of history, from the end of the Stone Age to the fall of the Roman Empire. The Villa is modeled after a first-century Roman country house, the Villa dei Papiri in Herculaneum, Italy. Among the masterpieces on view is one of the greatest statues of ancient Rome, the Lansdowne Herakles.
Just as they were in the ancient Roman home, gardens are integral to the Getty Villa. The Villa's four gardens feature designs inspired by ancient Roman models and planted with species known from the ancient Mediterranean. Explore the gardens and enjoy reflecting pools, bronze sculptures, fountains and spectacular views of the Pacific.
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5) SELF-REALIZATION FELLOWSHIP
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| The Golden Lotus Temple at the Self Realization Fellowship Lake Shrine | Photo: Yuri Hasegawa |
310-454-4114
Tucked away in the Pacific Palisades a few blocks from the Pacific Ocean, the Self-Realization Fellowship Lake Shrine is a lush, ten-acre site with gardens, a spring-fed lake, and a variety of flora and fauna. Founded by Paramahansa Yogananda in 1950, the Lake Shrine welcomes thousands of visitors each year to enjoy its scenic beauty and serenity. The Mahatma Gandhi World Peace Memorial is a "wall-less temple" that features a thousand-year-old stone sarcophagus from China, which holds a portion of Gandhi's ashes in a brass and silver coffer.
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*Source: Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board
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