The Huntington Library, Museum and Gardens
San Marino, California
San Marino, California
The Huntington was founded in 1919 as a private, nonprofit institution. Henry Huntington had purchased the San Marino Ranch-originally covering almost 600 acres-that was eventually to become the Huntington Library and Gardens in 1903. At the time, the ranch held citrus groves, nut and fruit orchards, alfalfa fields, and a herd of cows.
Huntington and William Hertrich, his superintendent, worked to develop the grounds into a botanical garden of rare and unusual plants. They searched local nurseries and visited plant collectors to find mature and unique specimens for the project. Huntington also imported plants from around the world to determine if they were suitable for Southern California. They added heated lily ponds for the survival of the large tropical Amazon water lily during the cool winters and later worked on the Palm Garden, Desert Garden, and Japanese Garden, planned the North Vista, and landscaped around the mansion.
After Huntington died in 1927, many other gardens were added including ones for Australian plants, subtropicals, camellias and herbs. Today the property covers 207 acres, approximately 120 of which are available to the public and landscaped with more than 14,000 different kinds of plants in a dozen different garden areas.
The fuchsia collection is mostly to be found behind the Conservatory growing under the protection of a long arcade along the working greenhouses next to the Children's Garden. The parking lot, once the kitchen garden and test plot for exotic fruit trees, is planted with drought-tolerant species. While they're not especially drought tolerant and aren't used there, do park in one of the sections of the lot labeled Fuchsia.
Huntington and William Hertrich, his superintendent, worked to develop the grounds into a botanical garden of rare and unusual plants. They searched local nurseries and visited plant collectors to find mature and unique specimens for the project. Huntington also imported plants from around the world to determine if they were suitable for Southern California. They added heated lily ponds for the survival of the large tropical Amazon water lily during the cool winters and later worked on the Palm Garden, Desert Garden, and Japanese Garden, planned the North Vista, and landscaped around the mansion.
After Huntington died in 1927, many other gardens were added including ones for Australian plants, subtropicals, camellias and herbs. Today the property covers 207 acres, approximately 120 of which are available to the public and landscaped with more than 14,000 different kinds of plants in a dozen different garden areas.
The fuchsia collection is mostly to be found behind the Conservatory growing under the protection of a long arcade along the working greenhouses next to the Children's Garden. The parking lot, once the kitchen garden and test plot for exotic fruit trees, is planted with drought-tolerant species. While they're not especially drought tolerant and aren't used there, do park in one of the sections of the lot labeled Fuchsia.
