What to Know
- La Cañada Flintridge
- The 150-acre garden is open, but advance reservations are required
- The tulip bloom occurs around March each year; visitor capacity is limited and face coverings are a must
If nature has been a balm to your spirit and a place of chatter-quieting retreat in recent months, you're not alone: So many Southern Californians, a group of people already known for their outdoorsy proclivities, have headed into the sunshine to find peace and hope.
With that in mind, some of our largest, most spacious, and elbow-roomy public gardens have remained open during the pandemic, with limited visitor capacity and other safety considerations in place, like face coverings and timed tickets.
The numerous alterations to how the gardens operate may have prompted flower fans and tree lovers to wonder if the longstanding traditions they've come to love at these open-air treasures would continue for the foreseeable future, and how they'd continue if they did.
Some of those traditions, like the gardens' glittery holiday events, were reimagined as far smaller affairs in the face of the pandemic.
As for what's ahead in springtime, a blossom-bountiful time at our region's larger gardens?
Here's one tradition that's returning to Descanso Gardens: the tulip bloom.
"Bloom" hardly goes far enough, though, to describe how 30,000 tulips look in profusion, for that's how many bulbs are currently going in the ground, thanks to the hard work of garden staffers and volunteers, as we reach the middle of January 2021.
When to expect the peak bloom?
It's a March thing, though early flowers may begin to peek their heads out in February.
Visitor capacity has been limited at Descanso Gardens, and will continue to be capped to allow for social distancing. So if you'd like a breezy stroll by the tulips in a couple of months, keep in mind that you'll need to make an advance reservation (and don't forget your face covering).
For more on the annual bulb planting, including video that shows how the bulbs meet the ground, visit the Descanso Gardens Facebook page now.
