What to Know
- Advance reservations only; visitor capacity is limited
- La Cañada Flintridge
- Please wear a face covering and observe physical distancing
What's the beautiful bridge between the showy season of the camellia flower and the reign of the frilly blossoms that festoon a fruit tree?
Loosely, very loosely, you might deem Valentine's Day to be that bridge, depending on factors such as the weather, time, and the ever-amazing forces of nature.
For sure, there are still full-headed camellias to admire in late February, and there are cherry blossoms to wow over before the Holiday o' Hearts arrives.
And at Descanso Gardens, that petal-lovely place that is synonymous with both camellias and cherry blossoms?
Flower power is in full majesty on both fronts as we draw nearer to Valentine's Day.
But as camellias slowly make their annual bow and cherry blossoms begin to burst, keep in mind that you'll need to make an advance reservation before visiting the outdoor wonderland.
Visitor capacity is limited and face coverings? Important, so please remember to bring yours.
As for those famous tulips, which appear in the thousands at the La Cañada Flintridge-based bastion of bloomery?
They make a Marchtime showing, sometimes coinciding with when the fruit trees reach their blossom-heavy peaks.
The traditional cherry blossom festivals of February and March won't be happening around Southern California in 2021, but finding a few blooming trees to admire in one of our region's exquisite garden settings will be possible.
And, again: The middle of February is around the time when the fruit trees start rev up, so keep an eye on the end of the month, as well as the local blooming calendars found on pages belonging to The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens, LA Arboretum, South Coast Botanic Garden, or your favorite alfresco place to drink in fruity floral beauty.
You can always see what's opening-up, flower-wise, on the Descanso Gardens site, while social media has up-to-the-minute, or at least up-to-the-day-or-week, updates on what's happening around the lovely, rambling, fresh-of-air expanse.
