Cultivating L.A.

Yesterday was glorious! Rhoda and I went on the Cultivating L.A. Tour, co-sponsored by the Los Angeles Conservancy. It was a marvelous, self-guided tour of many Japanese gardens in Los Angeles, Pasadena and San Gabriel. We received historical info, botanical info and cultural info.

We started out at the docent location closest to my house. The residential gardens of Norton Avenue in Leimert Park are very beautiful and meticulously maintained. Anyone can just drive thru the area to see the sights. Second stop, Roosevelt High School in Boyle Heights. The Garden of Peace is historic and demonstrates the pride that students have in their school. The James Irvine Japanese Garden in Little Tokyo, designed by acclaimed landscape architect Takeo Uesugi, is being renovated. It was interesting to see the process. The private Storrier-Stearns Garden in Pasadena, designed by master Japanese landscape designer Kinzuchi Fujii was the showpiece of the day. This is an extremely large garden which includes a lake, many bridges and a teahouse. Our last stop was the San Gabriel Nursery and Florist, a third-generation Japanese American business specializing in rare plants, many of which are used in Japanese-style gardens throughout the area. This was a most inviting stop. In addition to knowledgeable docents, we each received a welcome cold soft drink and a gift certificate for a gift shop discount! The nursery is gigantic. I will be returning with Mr. Larry to this spot!