If you are a gardening aficionado looking to explore 14,000 kinds of plant varieties this weekend, the Huntington Gardens should be your first pick. Spanning 207 acres, the botanical gardens dot the expanse of the Huntington Library in over a dozen places, a beautiful testament to Henry E. Huntington’s original San Marino Ranch created in 1903.
What started out as nearly 600 acres of citrus groves, alfalfa crops, and even a small herd of cows is now 14 themed gardens scattered across the grounds of the Huntington Library. Henry Huntington, a business man who founded the non-profit institution in 1919, began his special interest in plants after purchasing the San Marino Ranch with then superintendent William Hertrich, who later had a profound impact on the foundation of the gardens.
Of the 207 acres that comprise the gardens, roughly 120 are open to the public to enjoy. The Library provides an assortment of tours for groups and schools, as well as some that are self-guided. Garden tours are held on select days of the week between 12 and 2pm but weekend tours are from 10:30am to 2:30pm, depending on how many volunteers are available. The Huntington also provides tea tours, where you can enjoy English tea in the Huntington Rose Garden tea room after a private morning tour.
Personally, my favorite garden is the cacti with so many varieties to study. I love walking around the grounds on a lazy afternoon, taking in all of the sweet plant smells and enjoying the peace and quiet. The Rose Garden is especially to die for, and with the beautiful sunny weekend coming up, the flowers will definitely be in bloom!
The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, CA 91108
(626)405-2100
References:
http://www.huntington.org/huntingtonlibrary.aspx?id=210&linkidentifier=id&itemid=210
