Pasadena Rose Parade Floats
New Year’s Day and Pasadena are synonymous, which results in crowds camping overnight, lining the streets, and preparing to see the granddaddy of parades. The Rose Parade, like much of Pasadena, is
Descanso Gardens in the Spring
Spring always starts me longing for a garden, and Descanso Gardens is freeway close. Could there be a better solution? I grabbed my
The Flower Fields – Carlsbad, CA
When I was a kid in Michigan, the springtime flowers were tulips and daffodils. Now that I live in southern California, I’m
New Zealand, Part 1: Rotorua
This is a story about Rotorua. Yes, I know I’ve been writing about my immediate neighborhood, Southern California, for some time but now I’m
Descanso Gardens, Portal to the Past
I made the short drive to Descanso Gardens in hope of seeing some tulips or daffodils. I hadn’t given up on finding these flowers that I associate with spring. The weather was warm, pushing into the 80 degree mark and the sky was hazy and brown. As I drove along I began to doubt the wisdom of the trip. Perhaps I was already too late. Had I missed spring?
Descanso is located in La Canada Flintridge, just to the northwest of Pasadena. The garden isn’t the well-manicured type like The Huntington. My destination garden has a relaxed feel. You won’t find pristine lawns and 18th century statues here. What I did find was
Hunting for Flowers at the LA Arboretum
After my recent garden experience with native California plants, I felt the need for some flowers so I headed over to the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden in Arcadia. I wasn’t there to see the famous peacocks. I was there
Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden
Gardens in Southern California are very different from those I remember from the Midwest. In spring I think of daffodils and tulips, but that isn’t