If the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden didn't deliver the landscaped beauty and lush tropical flowering gardens you expected,
Lotusland will fulfill those expectations and more.
The tour of the gardens once owned by Madame Ganna Walska showcases her diverse and spectacular collections of plants.The topiary garden contains dozens of huge animals formed from living shrubbery, and a boxwood maze. The cacti garden contains more than 300 types in sculptural forms nested among diorite boulders and basalt columns and formations. The Japanese garden is splendid in its form, interplay of color, and tranquility. The butterfly garden entices not only butterflies but many beneficial species and is a lesson in using insects to benefit the garden, rather than pesticides. The bromeliad garden is also home to ephphytes and some impressive trees, including huge ponytail palms. The cycad garden puts visitors in mind of walking into dinosaur territory, and is probably the most extensive collection in America. Altogether there are 17 different gardens to enjoy.
If you would like to visit, you will need reservations, as the tours and visitors are limited. But this experience is well worth the effort and expense for anyone who enjoys gardens, being outdoors, or beautiful spaces. Again, be sure to bring a camera. There will be plenty to see and photograph!
0 comments:
Post a Comment