A visit to The Huntington Gardens (Part 1)

A close friend scored tickets to The Huntington Gardens and made an entrance reservation for our visit last Saturday.  We met at her house rather than traveling in separate vehicles as parking (which isn't reserved) is always a problem.  In addition, traveling to the Huntington from my house requires driving through the most congested area of downtown Los Angeles, which is never fun.  I did that every weekday for eight years for one job and periodically in connection with another job but I avoid it like the plague now.  By comparison, the trip from my friend's home was a relative breeze.

Once we'd checked in, we headed to the Conservatory.  I took a few photos there but the light inside was terrible and they're not worth sharing.  This post will focus on the Japanese and Chinese Gardens but here are a few photos I snapped between the Conservatory and the Japanese Garden.

At the Huntington, even the transitional areas between the themed gardens are wonderful

This arbor-covered pathway leads from the Rose Garden to the Japanese Garden

Although it's not nearly as colorful as areas like the Rose Garden, the Japanese Garden has always been one of my favorites.  In this case, the experience is more about the landscape architecture than individual plants.  In fact, I'm posting the following photos with very few descriptions for a change.

This is an panoramic shot from the upper entrance to the Japanese Garden

There are lots of winding paths and stairways to navigate the changes in elevation

The moon bridge

Elements of the Japanese House shown in the background were built in Japan and shipped to Pasadena in 1904.  The structure was acquired by Henry Huntington in 1911.

I took a few photos from the outskirts of the Japanese Garden too.

I've no idea what this tree-like shrub is but I loved its form and the way the leaves dangling from each branch caught the light

Paulownia kawakamii (aka sapphire dragon tree, left) and a low profile water feature (right)

We moved on the Chinese Garden next, officially known as Liu Fang Yuan or the Garden of Flowing Fragrance in English.  Like the Japanese Garden, the design and structure of the Chinese Garden is what stands out.  I haven't added a lot of commentary here either but much more information on the 15-acre garden, which opened to the public in 2008, is available here.

This is the Lake of Reflected Fragrance

The garden's design is modeled after principles established in the 16th and 17th centuries for gardens in Suzhou, a city near Shanghai

This waterfall was tucked into one edge of the garden.  Much of the limestone rock used throughout the garden was quarried from locations inside of China.

Left to right: bonsai display; a peony, one of the few shots of color in the garden at the time of our visit; and an example of one of the rocks said to be invested with energy

Huge orchid, Cymbidium Pauwelsii 'Kessander', with its own story

View of the exterior wall of the Chinese Garden

All material © 2012-2024 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party