It's been a "must do" visit for at least a decade, and I finally made it there! We arrived at 10 am opening, it was already quite warm. I'll apologize for the photos now, full sun you know. Just through the entrance, the beds were nice BUT I could see the desert garden was mere steps away. We made a beeline to it.
The alluaudia procera were in bloom, and so wonderfully green and tall.
Sophia & Ivan for scale.
I have to share a closeup, I l💚ve the way those little round leaves stack up along the branch.
It's difficult to pick photos, the sun has blasted them. In real life, I was overwhelmed. It was fantastical.
A perfect Pachypodium geayi.
So many tree aloes.
James and Olivia for scale.
This was needing support. And off to the left here, looked like a continuation of the desert garden that they were working on?
Love the stout trunk.
Gorgeous, no label but looks like Aloe sabae?
Some kind of bottle tree, the trunk was spiky. Perhaps Ceiba insignis.
Hubba hubba.
It was desert insanity.
And then there were golden barrels.
On and on. It was just a dream. *Photo by Ivan later in the day, I loved this mass of barrels & mammillaria.
I I'm trying to narrow down photos, but it's difficult. I love fluffy Yucca blooms.
Ooh, I bet this was open the next day!
A field of Puya.
A field of
aloes dyckia ;)
Thanks Gerhard!I thought the Puya venusta was the most striking. I have one from Annie's maybe 5 years old now, hasn't bloomed yet. These had hundreds of blooms.
It's hard to leave the desert, but we moved on to the Australian garden. Grevillea 'moonlight' I'm guessing.
Cool seed pod, eucalyptus?
There were various Eucalyptus blooming!
I LOVED this tree, Kennedia nigricans, Black Kennedia. Smothered in puff ball yellow blooms. I will say the Australian garden felt like a work in progress, UNDERSTANDABLE! It's massive, I did see one Banksia blechnifolia but I sure didn't spot as many varieties as I would've thought. I've no doubt it will change over the next decade.
I was going to plough through the whole day, but no one has that kind of time. I'll stop here with a gorgeous Bismarckia nobilis and Vincent catching some shade.
We did see every part of the garden, at the end Ivan and I took a second quick trot through Australia - we felt like we had maybe missed some (we had!). I'll do a second post of the jungle and conservatory - that's when my phone battery gave up. Something I should've planned for, but I don't typically have my phone in my hand all day. Sophia and I (and my spray tan hahaha) under Platycerium superbum (pronounced superb-um, not "superbum"). :)
I hope your Memorial Day weekend is a good one, thank you to any of you or your family members that served. My Dad served in the Navy in the early 60's.
Sophia & Ivan for scale.
I have to share a closeup, I l💚ve the way those little round leaves stack up along the branch.
It's difficult to pick photos, the sun has blasted them. In real life, I was overwhelmed. It was fantastical.
A perfect Pachypodium geayi.
You really capture and showcase the beauty of beautiful desert vegetation that I think most of us didn't realize existed, at least to the extent that it does.
ReplyDeleteThank you Anvil, I was in awe. I would love to be there at daybreak or sunset - the photo opportunities would be even greater!
DeleteI'm so glad you finally got to visit! The Desert Garden is off the charts, isn't it? BTW, your field of "aloes" is actually dyckias :-)
ReplyDeleteThe Australian Garden definitely feels like a step child that doesn't get much attention. But there's so much else to see that's world class so I forgive them.
Haha, silly mistake - I actually have a similar dyckia blooming right now, so I know better! I'll fix it :). It looked like they had recently planted A LOT of Eremophila -like every possible bloom color, so it did feel like they were adding new plants. They need to spend a couple days with Troy for inspiration!
Delete"Desert insanity"... exactly! For all the years I've been going to the Huntington the Australian garden has always felt under construction and neglected. I've given up on it ever getting any love. It will be interesting to see our visits back to back, my November walk through the desert garden will be up on the blog next Wed and Fri. I couldn't cut the pictures down to just one post, there are too many beautiful things.
ReplyDeleteI look forward to it, I'm betting on your photos being much improved to mine - the lighting in November wouldn't be as harsh AND you're a better photographer! I was planning on the day being one post, but it was getting long. I can't wait to visit it again someday.
DeleteI skipped the Australian garden entirely earlier this month. Took my garden helper for his 40th birthday since he’d never been. But they were making us enter towards the children’s garden - away from the desert garden. So we ended up viewing the rose, Japanese and Chinese gardens in the morning which left the afternoon for the desert garden…it was a bit warm.
DeleteIt was quite warm when we were there, I can only imagine visiting in the scorching summer months! I think they were trying to feed people to the entrance you are referring to. Gerhard had told me "head to the desert garden and then continue with everything else until you drop dead". That was a nice birthday present for your helper!
DeleteThis is on my "to see" list. I will get there one day!
ReplyDeleteThe Desert Garden outshines any other I've seen (although admittedly I haven't visited the Ruth Bancroft Garden). My neighbor up the street just showed me the Alluaudia procera she planted in her garden yesterday - she said she was aware it gets big but I don't know if she realizes how "big" is BIG. I think that dragon tree is new - the Huntington has been working on that garden extension forever...The "fields" of Puyas and Dyckia are almost overwhelming.
ReplyDeleteIt's truly magnificent. I'd love to visit throughout the year to see the changes. I can't complain about going in May though! Hmm, ok I didn't realize that extension was an ongoing thing. I peeked over there and I think they should open it up hahaha - since my opinion should be taken into consideration. I hope her Alluaudia procera takes off, they are so cool!
DeleteThe phrase "kid in a candy store" comes to mind... Looks like you had a wonderful time. I hope you didn't get sunburned.
ReplyDeleteYes, you nailed it! No sunburn for me, the kids kept covered up - they had a slight sunburn from the overcast day prior.
DeleteA fine photo of the Eucalyptus blooming. Also Ivan's "mass of barrels & mammillaria" is stunning. I hope in no time at all your own, currently more dense area of golden barrels, will look similar to it.
ReplyDeleteChavli
I hope so, I'll have to live a very long life! I can't help but try "slow growing" plants-it was amazing to see the established plants.
DeleteYour photos are amazing--full sun or not. What a fun place to visit. Love the succulents and the flowers...and the cool seed pod! Thanks to your papa; mine served in the Air Force in the late 50s. <3
ReplyDeleteThank you to your papa, too! :)
DeleteThe plants look amazing and SO healthy. Some of them are huge!
ReplyDeleteThe size of some, I kept wondering "when did they plant that"? Then again, I guess they have the backing to plant established specimens.
DeleteIt was a little shocking to see what Allaudia flowers look like. Not at all what I would have expected had I paused long enough to wonder beforehand. The Ceiba had a super bum - Who knew tree tushies were a thing? Wow - a whole day! That's commitment from the entire family!
ReplyDeleteMine has never bloomed, so it was a first for me! Ha hahahaha, you couldn't miss that tree bum.
DeleteLove that last photo.
ReplyDeleteThank you to your dad.
xx oo
Carla
Thank you Carla!
DeleteWow. I am loving this. Magnificent vegetation all around. I am not familiar with this garden and need to look it up. Huntington is a family name. Amelia
ReplyDeleteIt was incredible, I'll definitely visit again!
DeleteGreat article! I really enjoyed learning about indoor plants and their positive energy. The Brazilian Lucky Wood Plant is a perfect example of nature’s beauty and good luck.
ReplyDeleteThank you Rimshafatima
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