on location: west ❖
sue arko
Brett Shoaf/Artistic Visuals
Lushly landscaped Balboa Park, in the heart of San Diego, abounds with specialty gardens and cultural attractions.
54 April 2011
for the Mid-Winter Exhibition of 1894. On four acres densely packed with water features, groups experience an intense awakening of the senses with the sounds
©e Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens
T
he warm Mediterranean climate, lingering fog and maritime breezes are perfect for plant growth from all around the world. Tour groups searching for outdoor garden experiences, from native to creative, will find what they are looking for in California. Beginning in the northern part of the state, San Francisco is the home of Golden Gate Park, encompassing more than 1,000 acres. It is larger than New York City’s Central Park and borders the Pacific Ocean. Like Central Park, it is an expansive, approachable and welcome escape from the traffic and congestion of the city. Among park attractions, the Japanese Tea Garden, San Francisco Botanical Garden and Conservatory of Flowers are favorites of tour groups. The Japanese Tea Garden, the oldest public Japanese gardens in California, was created by Baron Makoto Hagiwara
In early spring, wisteria frames The Huntington’s Japanese Garden.
of an azalea-covered waterfall, sights of decorative lanterns and statues, and sweet smell of wisteria and other fragrant blooms. A kaleidoscope of colors and scents welcomes visitors to the San Francisco Botanical Garden (formerly known as Strybing Arboretum). Displaying more than 7,500 varieties of flora from around the world, the 55-acre garden is divided into four sections. The Conservatory of Flowers in Golden Gate Park is the oldest remaining municipal wooden conservatory in the United States. It features exoticlooking blooms, a tropical area, a water lily garden and a rotating collection of potted plants. The distinctive Victorian architecture and colorful history have earned the conservatory a place on the National Register of Historic Places. Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden, located in the LeisureGroupTravel.com