of each garden, learn about environmental stewardship, water conservation, historic museums, works of art,

libraries, special events, programs and much more!

Special thanks to Lynn Adrianna Freedman and her beautiful daughter, Ocean, for appearing in our

promotional materials.

LYNN ADRIANNA AND OCEAN FREEDMAN Grow captures the splendor of our four gardens with an

image that displays the wonderment of a child as her

mother looks on with loving endearment, clearly

emphasizing what families enjoy and what “Parks Make

Life Better!” is all about. At our four magnificent gardens,

visitors can gain insight and knowledge about the origins

Here is more information on the Department’s

four beautiful arboreta and botanic gardens.

Please help us promote our gardens during May

and share this information:

Parks Make Life Better! Campaign

LAUNCHED IN MAY 2016

May is grow showcasing our 4 gardens

County of Los Angeles Department of Parks and Recreation

horticultural shows and plant sales, concerts, and other

special events; and operates the guest services center, gift

shop, and private event rentals. The Department operates

facility maintenance, horticulture, gardening, grounds

maintenance, and volunteer programs.

Descanso Gardens is managed by the Descanso Gardens

Guild Inc., which operates in a public-private partnership with

the Department of Parks and Recreation. Since the 1990s,

the Guild has been responsible for the complete management

and financial health of the Gardens, including day-to-day

operations, maintenance, development, and capital projects.

Virginia Robinson Gardens is operated by the Department

of Parks and Recreation in collaboration with the Friends of

Robinson Gardens. The Friends group supports the County

garden and house museum by raising money for public

programs for adults and children, and for restoration of

artifacts and gardens.

The Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic

Garden is governed though a private-public

partnership between the Los Angeles Arboretum

Foundation and the Department of Parks and

Recreation. The Foundation plays a key role in

offering classes and workshops, construction of

new gardens and educational facilities, and creation

of a dedicated growing membership that provides

essential annual support for the Arboretum.

The South Coast Botanic Garden Foundation is a

non-profit organization whose staff works closely

with the Department to operate the Garden. The

Foundation sponsors education programs,

DESCANSO GARDENS 1418 Descanso Drive

La Canada Flintridge, CA 91011

www.descansogardens.org

Descanso Gardens is a unique Southern

California landscape distinguished by its

specialized botanic collections, historical

significance and rare natural beauty. Its identity

exists in the eye of the beholder: For many, this

is a beloved landscape, rugged and refined, a

place to share with family and friends. Some seek out the rare plant collections – an internationally lauded

camellia collection, a native plant garden designed and planted by a legendary horticulturist, a rose garden

with singular specimens from around the world. For still others, it is a community resource offering a rich

variety of experiences, including art exhibits in the Sturt Haaga Gallery, weekend family festivals, and lifestyle

and gardening classes. But at its root, Descanso Gardens is a cultural institution with a mission to educate

and inspire by providing visitors experiences close to nature. Descanso Gardens is a member-supported

garden accredited by the American Alliance of Museums as a museum of living collections.

the world. Enjoy historical landmarks that feature Native American, Rancho Period and late 19th century

treasures, like the famous Queen Anne Cottage seen in numerous television shows and movies, the Santa

Anita Train Depot and other exhibits throughout. Also explore peaceful and unique paths or sit and relax by

the Mayberg waterfall, fountains, ponds or themed gardens either on foot or by tram. The Los Angeles

County Arboretum & Botanic Garden offers other activities, including concerts, nature and gardening classes,

and a horticultural library that continues to attract visitors year after year; making the Arboretum one of the

nation’s top tourist destinations!

LOS ANGELES COUNTY ARBORETUM AND BOTANIC GARDEN 301 North Baldwin Avenue

Arcadia, CA 91006

www.arboretum.org

Discover the internationally famous Los Angeles

County Arboretum & Botanic Garden, a 127 acre

natural and historic wonder with plant collections

including rare and endangered species from all over

As one of the world’s first botanical gardens to be developed over a sanitary landfill, South Coast Botanic

Garden is a masterpiece of creative land reclamation and environmental improvement. The Garden is a

beautiful and restorative urban oasis among the hustle and bustle of the major mega-metropolitan area of

nearby Los Angeles, California. Located in one of the most favored growing areas in the world, the Garden

site covers an area equivalent of 87 acres. Plantings within the Garden encompass 140 plant families, about

700 genera and over 2,500 diverse species of plants from around the world. About 100 trees, shrubs, and

plants are rare specimens infrequently seen elsewhere and include plants from as far away as Australia, the

Mediterranean and southern Africa.

 

Robinson department store, is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Operated by the County

of Los Angeles Department of Parks and Recreation, the estate is open by appointment to the public for

docent guided tours. Walking tours of the beautiful six-acre property includes breathtaking display gardens

and Italian Revival architecture. A favorite destination for both local and international visitors, the property

attracts a varied audience, from those interested in the history of Los Angeles and Beverly Hills to people who

appreciate beautiful gardens and classical architecture. In addition, it is a dynamic location for photo shoots

with dramatic settings, such as the awe-inspiring Australian King Palm Forest, the bucolic Rose Garden and

the tranquil Italian Terrace Garden.

VIRGINIA ROBINSON GARDENS 1008 Elden Way

Beverly Hills, CA 90210

www.robinsongardens.org

The Virginia Robinson Gardens and house

museum is a cultural jewel that transports the

visitor back to the birthplace of Beverly Hills. Built

in 1911, it was once the legendary gathering

place for the rich and famous. The residence of

Virginia and Harry Robinson, heirs to the

SOUTH COAST BOTANIC GARDEN

26300 Crenshaw Boulevard

Palos Verdes Peninsula, CA 90274

www.southcoastbotanicgarden.org

South Coast Botanic Garden in Palos Verdes

Peninsula was created in 1960 on top of an open

pit diatomaceous earth mine and subsequent san-

itary landfill. The Garden is jointly administered by

the Department of Parks and Recreation and the

South Coast Botanic Garden Foundation.

 

Parks Make Life Better! and this campaign will help us

show our many facilities and programs that each of you

work so hard to make available for all to enjoy every day!

 

EVENTS

Our gardens offer many interesting and exciting events

and activities throughout the year for visitors of all ages.

Here is a sample of some events at our gardens:

EVENT VENUES The Arboretum, Descanso, and South Coast

Botanic Garden have beautiful venues for

weddings and other events. Venues fill up quickly,

as you can imagine, so contact your favorite

garden as early as possible.

LOS ANGELES COUNTY ARBORETUM AND BOTANIC GARDEN

Epiphyllum Show and Sale: May 14-15, 2016

Santa Anita Bonsai Show: May 28-30, 2016

SOUTH COAST BOTANIC GARDEN

Nature Connects Exhibit: SCBG just completed a very successful exhibit, Nature Connects, featuring large sculptures made from building blocks.

Here is a photo of the 8-foot hummingbird:

DESCANSO GARDENS

Rose Festival: May 14-15, 2016

Summer Music & Extended Hours: Tuesdays-Thursdays, June 7-July 28, 2016

VIRGINIA ROBINSON GARDENS

Meditative Walks and Hatha Yoga: Mondays, 9:30 AM-11:00 AM

Daily Guided Tours of Gardens and House Museum: Monday-Saturday with advanced reservation

 

 

R ICHARD SCHULHOF

Executive Officer of the Arboretum and Botanic Garden

The Los Angeles Arboretum Foundation leads a broad

community of members, volunteers and donors. The Los

Voluntarios is made up of 300 men and women, active and

sustaining members, who contribute over 30,000 hours of

service to the Arboretum annually. The Arboretum serves

over 350,000 visitors a year and enjoys the support of over

10,000 member households.

 

TANYA FINNEY

Superintendent of South Coast Botanic Garden

ADRIENNE L. NAKASHIMA

Chief Executive Officer of South Coast Botanic Garden Foundation

A dedicated team of 12 Department employees and 17 Foundation staff along with

over 190 volunteers proudly maintain and operate South Coast Botanic Garden for

all to enjoy!

DAVID BROWN

Executive Director of Descanso Gardens

Descanso Gardens is managed by a dedicated team of 50 employees and more

than 170 volunteers who contribute thousands of hours of service per year. The

volunteer Guild Board of Trustees is comprised of 22 men and women who

represent the public interest and are active in fund raising and friend raising.

TIM LINDSAY

Superintendent of Virginia Robinson Gardens

JOAN SELWYN

Founder, Friends of Robinson Gardens

The non-profit group, Friends of Robinson Gardens, with a dedicated team of 150

volunteers regularly donate over 9,000 hours per year to support the County

garden and house museum. Tim and his team of 8 employees collaborate with the

Friends of Robinson Gardens to maintain the beautiful gardens and house

museum, and offer programs and special events to the public.

MEET OUR GARDEN TEAM

 

 

FUN FACTS  

VRG—The most common compliment is when visitors

say, “It appears the Robinson’s are due home at any

minute.” It’s preserved so perfectly.

VRG—1,200 children visit the gardens and are often

greeted by mascot, Harry the cat.

Arboretum—The Queen Anne Cottage is listed in the

National Register of Historic Places, and was used for

the filming of Fantasy Island.

Arboretum—The pink trumpet tree was introduced by

the Arboretum.

SCBG—A rare California sighting of a Mississippi Kite

has brought birders flocking to the garden on two oc-

casions in the last 10 years.

SCBG—Banyan Grove is home to over 20 Moreton

Bay Figs, creating a magical space where tree roots

hang from huge overhead branches and temperatures

are regularly 10 degrees cooler than other parts of the

garden.

Descanso—The garden’s camellia collection and rose

collection both have roots in enterprises established by

Descanso Gardens founder E. Manchester Boddy.

With over 26,000 accessioned camellias in the shade

of 1,200 coast live oak trees, this is one of the largest

collections in the world.

Descanso—The native plant collection was curated by

noted plant expert Theodore Payne and includes spec-

imens from his own collection.

LEARN GARDEN LINGO Want to learn some garden lingo?

a succulent is a plant with thick, heavy leaves or stems that

store water

a perennial is a plant that lives for over 2 years

an annual is a plant that lives for 1 year

to leach means to drain materials away from soil by filtering

liquid, especially rainwater

compost is a mixture of decayed organic matter (such

as leaves and grass) that is used to improve the soil

full sun means a plant needs direct, unfiltered sunlight

for at least 6 hours a day

partial sun/partial shade means a plant should get 3-6

hours of sun each day, however partial sun places a

greater emphasis on receiving minimal sun requirements

and partial shade means a plant needs some relief from

intense afternoon sun

pinching means to remove part of the plant by

squeezing between the thumb and finger, usually to induce

branching

cutting back means to remove old flowers or leaves or

to trim tall and gangly stems to encourage plants to

become stockier

deadheading means to remove old, dying flowers to

encourage repeat blooming

a rootbound plant is a potted plant that has roots so

densely matted allowing little or no space for further growth

variegated describes the presence of 2 or more colors

in the leaves, petals, or other parts of plants

Please encourage your park visitors to follow the Department on Twitter at @lacountyparks and on Facebook at

facebook.com/parks.lacounty.gov.

http://instagram.com/lacountyparks http://twitter.com/lacountyparks http://facebook.com/parks.lacounty.gov