Descanso Gardens - Southern California

Flower & Garden Magazine, Oct, 2000 by Judith A. Stock

THE HISTORY AND WALKING TOUR

On a slightly overcast Sunday in April, I put on my hiking shoes, tossed my camera in the car, grabbed a water bottle and headed out the door for Descanso Gardens in La Canada-Flintridge. Hailed as one of the most spectacular locations in Southern California, this 160-acre oasis contains forests, streams, a lake, a bird sanctuary, tram tours, hiking trails, a 22-room home, a girl shop, cafe court gardens and a Japanese teahouse and koi pond.

Located in the midst of California chaparral, Descanso Gardens is the antithesis of frantic life lived in the city. An Angeleno for twenty-five years, I appreciated the opportunity to step away from life lived on the freeways and malls with assault on my senses and entered another world through the iron filigree garden gate. When you visit, do this: take a deep breath and drink in the rich sights and perfumed smells of this location. Open your pores to this tranquil and delicious environment--the well-manicured lawns, the colorful flower beds, the trickle of a brook over smooth stones, the solitude of the bird pond and koi gliding between rocks in the pool. Now, step inside.

At the ticket booth, the office staff told me about the wonders of the nature reserve and the wildlife, including deer, brush rabbits, raccoons, squirrels and possums. On any given day, these four-legged creatures have been spotted among the shelter of the old Oak Forest. A bargain at five dollars for admission, I was given a map of my environment, along with a brochure about the history of the Gardens.

In 1769, the King of Spain owned the current area known as Descanso Gardens claimed for him by the Spanish explorer, Gaspar De Portola. Years later, a governor deeded the 36,000-acre site to Corporal Jose Mafia Verdugo in 1784, as part of a vast rancho. Verdugo died in 1831, and his land was divided between his son and daughter; they retained ownership until 1869. Then came a period of years where the land was continually bought, sold and subdivided. Eventually, in 1937, E. Manchester Boddy, publisher of the Los Angeles Daily News, purchased the 160 acres now known as Descanso Gardens, and development began on this magnificent parcel of land.

One of the first things Mr. Boddy constructed on the site of this former Spanish rancho was a two-story, 22-room home he called "Rancho del Descanso." Today, this structure is used as a hospitality house for the Garden. The hilltop house overlooks 25 acres of live oak forest and is lined with mature camellias. At the time of the original sale and with an eye toward the future, the newspaper entrepreneur also purchased an additional 280 acres north of the property containing streams, which today supply the fresh spring water for the Gardens.

Seduced by the beauty of the camellia, Mr. Boddy soon employed an expert to cultivate different varieties of the plant. Before long, he had assembled a world-renowned collection. Together, they were able to bring back to popularity a flower that had passed from favor with the public and establish a camellia nursery and cut-flower business. The newspaperman had a love for a myriad of different flower species as well, and soon divided his interests between roses, irises, lilacs and native California plants.

In 1953 Boddy sold his magnificent home and property to the County of Los Angeles, and Descanso Gardens opened to the public. By 1957, the Gardens were in danger of being closed, until 25 area residents stepped forward to save the historic property and formed a non-profit organization to protect and promote the interests of the Gardens.

Bounded on the north by the San Gabriel Mountains and on the south by the San Rafael Hills, Descanso Gardens contains the largest outdoor planting of camellias in the world. More than 100,000 plants grace the winding paths of the California live oak forest that has become a laboratory for the research and development of new species of camellias. Four hundred plus varieties of camellias thrive amid the filtered shade, with its natural leaf mold on the forest floor. In this setting there are camellia specimens from China, Japan, England and the southern region of the United States. Under such ideal conditions, some camellias exceed 20 feet in height. Rays of sun cast shadows on the ground, underneath the camellias that towered overhead, as I savored in the beauty of their blossoms.

Situated within the Oak Forest and surrounded by the tranquil effects of water and dozens of colorful koi fish is the Japanese Teahouse. Giant pink azalea plants delicately surround the koi pond. The design of the Teahouse is authentic, including the imported blue tile roof. The red Shinto Bridge used to cross the stream in front of the Teahouse is called "The Smiling Bridge." Black, orange and white koi fish, known as living jewels, leisurely circle in the small pools that surround the Teahouse.

Halfway through the walking tour of the grounds I found myself trying to figure out how I could possibly stay undiscovered for a week or longer. Maybe the groundskeepers wouldn't find me for weeks. In any case, I had my camera to record the beauty of my trip.