The Huntington Part II

After enjoying the succulent garden at the Huntington, we headed over to the children's garden. Definitely a departure from the typical brightly colored, veggie-based children's gardens that always seem to include a bean tepee and straw bales, the Huntington children's garden was edgier with a minimal color palate and high-end hardscape. One of the coolest structures was the nail and pebble music maker. By dropping small pebbles through a maze of nails set in concrete, kids could make a surprisingly lovely tinkly sound. Another favorite was the magnetic metal shavings. Kids could form the shavings into an arch and of course, smash it apart.

The plantings were simple and tough, but very lovely.

Other features included steam, mist and hiding places.

All in all, a really fun and cool looking children's garden. The only lame part was when twice I saw workers telling kids to quit splashing water from out of the water features. Kind of uptight for a children's garden, no?

We also had a great time exploring the plantings around the main lawn area. The unpruned cedars created such an amazing space.

And who can resist a giant grove of bamboo?

There are a lot of neoclassical and romantic parts of the garden too.

The mansion is impressively luxurious - crisp, white and formal contrasting with its tropical setting.

The Conservatory was quite an eyeful too. There were lots of educational exhibits that were engaging for kids and adults alike.

I love this Polygonum(?). I wonder if it can grow outside here?

With so many excellent features, the Huntington definitely has something to thrill everyone. There were many parts of the I didn't get a chance to see, I'm definitely going to have to go back.

The Huntington Succulent Garden - Finally!

I've been trying to get to the Huntington Botanical Garden in L.A. for years and finally managed to get there last week while we were on a trip for my son's spring break. We all had a fantastic time. I was overjoyed to have the visit coincide with the perfect photography weather. I made a bee line for the succulent section, and it is definitely the best succulent garden I've ever seen. Amazing specimens, amazing combinations, amazing, amazing, amazing!

I've tried to distill my photos down as much as I could. There are a lot so I'll get started.

I was disappointed they didn't have plants for sale. I was really hoping to take home something nifty. I was impressed with my self-restraint though, by keeping my hands to myself and not "liberating" any cuttings. There were a few trailers that no one would have noticed a piece missing...but I was good. :)

Stay tuned for my next posts about the other parts of the Huntington, including the awesome kids' garden.