I managed to score tickets to The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens on their first Thursday free day so my third-cousin came up from Orange County to hang out. After a quick dim sum at Elite Restaurant - Monterey Park, we dashed over to the Huntington Library to get in before our time slot was up.
My cousin veered off into this secluded little area beside all those Greek statues.
According to the plaque below the tree, this camellia japonica "Pink Perfection" was growing here on the Shorb Ranch in 1903 when Henry Huntington bought the grounds and home to build his estate. At the time, the camellia was 15 years old, making it one of the oldest in Southern California.
So vivid! Apparently, the unusual color of this jade vine flower makes it easily visible at dusk to attract bats who drink its nectar and spread its pollen.
Look at the long cluster of blooms.
Have you ever seen a "sensitive" mimosa?
Or a double coconut? Umm, I hesitate to point out the obvious.
According to Wikipedia, the coco de mer from the Seychelles is the largest single seed in the world and can weigh up to 66 pounds. I wanted to put my hand up for comparison, but gosh, there really wasn't a good place to put it anywhere on this thing.
We then left the greenhouse and made our way to the Chinese Garden, followed by the Japanese Garden.
Other garden pictures may be found in Gardening Updates and other things to do in Explore SoCal. More pictures in my previous visit to the Huntington Gardens in 2008.
The Huntington: Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens
1151 Oxford Rd.
San Marino, CA 91108
626-405-2100
Monday, and Wednesday to Friday noon to 4:30 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Closed Tuesdays
Admission:
Children under 5, free
Youths aged 5 to 11, $6
Students with ID, $10
Seniors, $12/weekday and $15 weekends
Adults, $15/weekdays and $20/weekends
Free Day:
First Thursday of each month. Reservations must be made one month in advance. Reserve online or call 1-800-838-3006 and choose an arrival time of 10:30 a.m. to noon or 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. No admission without a ticket. No regular admission tickets are sold on Free Day.
*****
1 year ago today, Meyer lemon shortbread squares.
2 years ago today, homemade potstickers with ground pork and turkey, bamboo shoots, and cabbage.
1.75
We used to have a mimosa plant in the garden in the Philippines. (Except we didn't know that was its English name. The Filipino name, if it's the real one, is something about the plant being "shy".)
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, countless minutes were spent touching the leaves to see them fold up! =)
TS,
ReplyDeleteThe mimosa's name in Vietnamese also translates to "shy." Kinda cool coincidence.
"Quick dim sum." Is that possible? :-)
ReplyDeleteDon't think I've ever seen that jade flower before. Very cool.
Nikki,
ReplyDeleteIt is. Despite my cousin's insistence that Elite is her favorite restaurant, she drove past it again and again and again so by the time she showed up, we had to eat fast or we'd miss our ticket time.
I recently got some free day tickets for the afternoon. But after reading all the reviews, I may want to go earlier. Did you notice if they were particularly strict or were checking the tickets carefully for the times? Also did they check bags for food? I don't plan to bring a large picnic or anything, but maybe a drink or snacks.
ReplyDeleteAmanda,
ReplyDeleteThe tickets are different colors for the different time slots. It's crowded, but not that bad since there's a limited number of tickets they hand out on free days.
They do sell drinks and snacks at the entrance so I'd limit my eating to that area.