Strange Art Is Abloom at Descanso Gardens

Gardens?

They can be elegant, yes, and lovely, of course, and full of fancy details, the sort of pretty and serene sights that can prompt a person to pull out a parasol, and perhaps a hand fan, all to encourage the thinking of gentle thoughts.

But greener pastures also, by their very nature, are nature, meaning they boast a riotous side, and a splash of chaos, and finding a strange collection of quirky objects where one might not expect them is to heed one of nature's biggest messages: The unexpected should, of course, be very much expected.

Descanso Gardens has become famous for its fanciful, picture-ready, deep-idea'd exhibitions, with seasonal treats like "Carved" and "Enchanted Forest of Light" boasting a host of peculiar and appealing pieces, works cleverly placed among the trees and shrubs found around the 150-acre La Cañada Flintridge property.

Now artist Adam Schwerner's "Your (Un)natural Garden" is furthering these fanciful notions, that a wilder space can be the ideal home for whimsy, especially whimsy with a surreal and slightly unruly streak.

The exhibition can be found in and around the landmark's Boddy House, as well as the rambling dappled path up to the destination's original home.

"Your (Un)natural Garden" pops with saturated color, sweet cheekiness, memories of family dinners, ethereal flights of fancy, and fun from April 16, 2022 through Jan. 8, 2023. Your admission to the show is included in your Descanso Gardens entry.

And one unusual message from this unusual experience? Visitors are most definitely invited to "touch the art," the artist's own weird and welcome call to offbeat action.