Descanso Gardens
Encyclopedia
Descanso Gardens, located in La Cañada Flintridge
, Los Angeles County, California
, is a 150 acres (60.7 ha) botanical garden
.
At one time, this property belonged to newspaper magnate E. Manchester Boddy
, who owned the Los Angeles Daily News
. He ran a commercial camellia garden at the location, supplying prom
boutonnières, for example, until he ceded the site to Los Angeles County
in 1953.
The county has developed the property to include a rosarium, as well as a Japanese tea house, lilac
garden, bird sanctuary, xeriscape, and a gift shop. They also regularly host professional camellia shows, chamber music, and weddings. They are busiest however on the Easter
weekend, when the tulip
s are in bloom and eggs are hidden on the central lawn of 1 acres (4,046.9 m²).
The park also features the Descanso Gardens Enchanted Railroad, an eighth scale replica of a diesel train, that takes visitors around a section of the park.
In 2007, Boddy House was rehabilitated for the 43rd annual Pasadena
Showcase House of Design, and decorated in a contemporary re-interpretation of its original Hollywood Regency style. Subsequently, a major grant from the Ahmanson Foundation enabled the addition of a museum-quality Heritage Exhibit, with exhibits about the gardens, Manchester Boddy's life and times, and important donors and volunteers for the Descanso Gardens.
The house is open for docent-led tours on Saturdays and Sundays at noon. The house is available for rental.
In 2005, David R. Brown
, former president of the nearby Art Center College of Design
, was appointed executive director of Descanso Gardens.
The gardens were featured as a game map in the Sci-Fi Channel
reality game show
Cha$e
.
The 1991 remake of the television series Land of the Lost
was filmed on location in the Gardens.
La Cañada Flintridge, California
La Cañada Flintridge is a small and affluent city in Los Angeles County, California, United States whose population at the 2010 census was 20,246, down from 20,318 at the 2000 census. According to Forbes, as of 2010, La Cañada Flintridge ranks as the 143rd most expensive U.S...
, Los Angeles County, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, is a 150 acres (60.7 ha) botanical garden
Botanical garden
A botanical garden The terms botanic and botanical, and garden or gardens are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word botanic is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens. is a well-tended area displaying a wide range of plants labelled with their botanical names...
.
At one time, this property belonged to newspaper magnate E. Manchester Boddy
E. Manchester Boddy
Elias Manchester Boddy rose from poverty to became the publisher of a major California newspaper and a candidate for Congress. His estate, Descanso Gardens, was bequeathed to the County of Los Angeles as a floral park.-Birth and education:...
, who owned the Los Angeles Daily News
Los Angeles Daily News
The Los Angeles Daily News is the second-largest circulating daily newspaper of Los Angeles, California. It is the flagship of the Los Angeles Newspaper Group, a branch of Colorado-based MediaNews Group....
. He ran a commercial camellia garden at the location, supplying prom
Prom
In the United States and Canada, a prom, short for promenade, is a formal dance, or gathering of high school students. It is typically held near the end of the senior year. It figures greatly in popular culture and is a major event among high school students...
boutonnières, for example, until he ceded the site to Los Angeles County
Los Angeles County, California
Los Angeles County is a county in the U.S. state of California. As of 2010 U.S. Census, the county had a population of 9,818,605, making it the most populous county in the United States. Los Angeles County alone is more populous than 42 individual U.S. states...
in 1953.
The county has developed the property to include a rosarium, as well as a Japanese tea house, lilac
Lilac
Syringa is a genus of about 20–25 species of flowering woody plants in the olive family , native to woodland and scrub from southeastern Europe to eastern Asia, and widely and commonly cultivated in temperate areas elsewhere....
garden, bird sanctuary, xeriscape, and a gift shop. They also regularly host professional camellia shows, chamber music, and weddings. They are busiest however on the Easter
Easter
Easter is the central feast in the Christian liturgical year. According to the Canonical gospels, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. His resurrection is celebrated on Easter Day or Easter Sunday...
weekend, when the tulip
Tulip
The tulip is a perennial, bulbous plant with showy flowers in the genus Tulipa, which comprises 109 species and belongs to the family Liliaceae. The genus's native range extends from as far west as Southern Europe, North Africa, Anatolia, and Iran to the Northwest of China. The tulip's centre of...
s are in bloom and eggs are hidden on the central lawn of 1 acres (4,046.9 m²).
The park also features the Descanso Gardens Enchanted Railroad, an eighth scale replica of a diesel train, that takes visitors around a section of the park.
Boddy House
Boddy House is the original 22-room house built by E. Manchester Boddy, which was designed by James E. Dolena in the Hollywood Regency style in 1937.In 2007, Boddy House was rehabilitated for the 43rd annual Pasadena
Pasadena, California
Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Although famous for hosting the annual Rose Bowl football game and Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena is the home to many scientific and cultural institutions, including the California Institute of Technology , the Jet...
Showcase House of Design, and decorated in a contemporary re-interpretation of its original Hollywood Regency style. Subsequently, a major grant from the Ahmanson Foundation enabled the addition of a museum-quality Heritage Exhibit, with exhibits about the gardens, Manchester Boddy's life and times, and important donors and volunteers for the Descanso Gardens.
The house is open for docent-led tours on Saturdays and Sundays at noon. The house is available for rental.
Other
The Carriage House Art Gallery hosts changing exhibits by local artists.In 2005, David R. Brown
David R. Brown (graphic designer)
David R. Brown is an American graphic designer and academic administrator. He is best known as the former president of the Art Center College of Design, and has served as the national president of AIGA, the professional association for design....
, former president of the nearby Art Center College of Design
Art Center College of Design
Art Center College of Design is a private college located in Pasadena, California, and was cited by BusinessWeek as one of the 60 best design schools in the world. The college’s industrial design program is consistently ranked number one by both DesignIntelligence and U.S...
, was appointed executive director of Descanso Gardens.
The gardens were featured as a game map in the Sci-Fi Channel
Syfy
Syfy , formerly known as the Sci-Fi Channel and SCI FI, is an American cable television channel featuring science fiction, supernatural, fantasy, reality, paranormal, wrestling, and horror programming. Launched on September 24, 1992, it is part of the entertainment conglomerate NBCUniversal, a...
reality game show
Game show
A game show is a type of radio or television program in which members of the public, television personalities or celebrities, sometimes as part of a team, play a game which involves answering questions or solving puzzles usually for money and/or prizes...
Cha$e
Cha$e
Cha$e is a reality television show aired on Syfy in the United States around the same time as Estate of Panic. It is based on the successful Japanese show "" which began airing on Fuji Television in June 2004...
.
The 1991 remake of the television series Land of the Lost
Land of the Lost (1991 TV series)
Land of the Lost is a half-hour Saturday-morning children's series that debuted on ABC in the fall of 1991. The series was very popular, ranking #1 on Saturday Mornings during its first season, and ran for an additional season. Re-runs were later picked up by Nickelodeon...
was filmed on location in the Gardens.