| Your guide to
the art of gardening in a hot dry climate |
The Gardens of Balboa Park
(For other online garden tours, see the
listing at the bottom of this page.)
 |
The gardens surrounding the
historic buildings in Balboa Park in San Diego are more
enhancements to the buildings still standing from the
1915 and 1935 Expositions than strictly botanical
gardens. |
Even the lath house, called the
"Botanical Building" and shown above, is primarily a visual
showcase, rather than an educational garden. The real
center of focus are the many museums in Balboa Park.
Inside the spectacular Botanical Building, however,
you will find thousands of tropical plants. Unlike glass
greenhouses in colder climates, this lath house in the heart
of Balboa Park is open to the air, but the laths shade the
carefully tended plants inside.
Happily most of the gardens are
within easy walking distance of the Botanical Building. You
can enjoy seeing them as you move from museum to museum
along El Prado drive.
 |
These Angels' Trumpets
(Brugmansia) are at the edge of a large parterre
garden called the Alcazar garden. The flowers within
the parterre squares change seasonally. |
The desert garden and rose
garden, reached by walking across an overpass, are okay. We have seen much better examples of both types
of gardens elsewhere.
 |
The collection of buildings
housing the museums are amazing architecturally.
This one is home to the San Diego Junior Ballet. |
Just steps away are the Timken
Museum of Art, the San Diego Museum of Art, the San Diego
Museum of Man, the Museum of Photographic Arts, the San
Diego Museum of Natural History and many others.
 |
Outside the Mingei
International Museum, just across the street from
the Botanical Building, is this whimsical dragon
sculpture. |
For more information about the
Gardens and Museums of Balboa Park, visit
this website.
Take these Hot Gardens
online preview tours, too:
|
Los Angeles Arboretum and Botanic Garden -
near Pasadena |
|
Huntington Gardens Desert Garden - near
Pasadena |
|
Descanso Gardens - near Pasadena |
|
Arlington Garden - in Pasadena |
|
Getty Villa
Gardens - Malibu |
|
South Coast Botanic Garden
- southwest Los
Angeles |
|
Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden - Claremont,
California |
|
Santa
Barbara Gardens - Santa Barbara, California |
|
Santa Barbara Botanic Garden - Santa
Barbara, California |
|
Tucson
Public Gardens - Tucson, Arizona |
|
Phoenix Desert Botanical Garden - Phoenix,
Arizona |
| Balboa
Park Gardens, San Diego, California |
|
Tropical Garden in the Dominican Republic |
|
Shore Acres Gardens - Coos Bay Oregon |
|
San
Luis Obispo Creek Park - San Luis Obispo,
California |
|
Japanese Garden
- Van Nuys, Los Angeles,
California |
|
Japanese Garden - Long Beach,
California |
|
|
Our 8 Most Popular Hot Gardens Newsletters:
1. Flowering plants that reliably bloom in scorching mid-summer heat.
2. Australian plants and trees that grow well in hot, dry climates.
3. Weather-proofing palms for winter; cold weather palm trees.
4.
A white garden for night time
viewing.
5.
Topiary can be easy to create
and add charm to your garden.
6. Techniques to combat death by heat exhaustion of plants in pots.
7.
Cactus as security barriers
for your property.
8.
South African aloes for
brilliant late winter color in your garden.
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2003-2011 Carol Lightwood All Rights Reserved.
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