The Huntington

In honor of St. Patrick's Day, here is a little greenery for you, courtesy the lushness of The Huntington Library. (Remember, I promised to share with you a handful of pics? Hm, well. There's a bit more than a handful...)

So what are you waiting for?  C'mon! Let's go on a stroll through the gardens... (click photo to see larger!)

Welcome to The Huntington.

Wide open spaces, grassy lawns and leafy trees.

Can you see the Monarch butterfly?

What about the hummingbird? They were dancing around these bushes.

A strong, feminine statue in a breezeway.

Inside the Conservatory-- home to a humid, dewy rain forest.

Pink orchids in the rain forest.

Being enveloped by the "fog" in the Conservatory's cloud forest.

Pretty potted succulents.

The gorgeous Chinese Garden, which features a glistening lake, complex of pavilions, a teahouse and tea shop, five stone bridges and cherry blossom trees. Love cherry blossom trees.

Chinese pavilions make a sweet spot to sit a spell.

The Temple of Love in the shade of a willow tree and the afternoon sunlight.

A drum bridge and its reflection in the stunning Japanese Garden.

All smiles in the Japanese Garden.

Walking through a bamboo forest.

Read closely. I have a plant!

Geese swimming along in a lily pond.

Sunset colors in the Desert Garden.

Watch out for thorns!

So, how did you like this mini tour? There is so much to see and this is just a glimpse. We were there for two and a half hours and we still didn't get to see everything!

We did stop into one gallery-- the Huntington Art Gallery, in fact, which is contained inside the Huntington's San Marino villa. We viewed the mansion's richly decorated rooms-- my favorites being the small and large libraries; I even spied some beautiful, old Jane Austen novels!-- and the French and British art and artifacts housed within.

Still, we spent most of our brief afternoon briskly walking through the botanical gardens and taking in the colorful sights. I absolutely adore the aesthetic of Chinese and Japanese gardens, so I was thrilled to see those. Unfortunately, the Rose Garden was nothing more than rows of spiky branches, so I'd love to go back to The Huntington once spring is in full swing to see all the buds in bloom.

And maybe even enjoy a pot of tea and a basket of scones in the Tea Room. What could be lovelier?

If you're in the area, I would definitely say The Huntington is worth a visit!



P.S. I totally didn't wear green today. I deserve to be pinched!