Public Gardens Listing: The Huntington (San Marino, CA)
While balcony container gardeners enjoy their small-space urban gardens, sometimes a few container plants on an apartment balcony above a busy street just isn’t peaceful enough. Balcony gardeners might not be able to have a peaceful, large garden, but there are public gardens and arboretums near every major city. Don’t just fawn over pictures of luxurious gardens, get out there and enjoy a day at a public garden! You may even bring some gardening inspiration home to your own balcony container garden.
If you live in or are visiting the Los Angeles County area, why not visit the Huntington Library?
- Henry E. Huntington founded The Huntington in 1919. Huntington amassed a large collection of rare books and art during his lifetime. When he purchased a ranch in San Marino in 1903, he and his superintendent William Hertrich began to amass a plant collection that is the foundation of The Huntington today.
- The botanical gardens at The Huntington cover 120 acres with more than 12 different gardens, including the Desert Garden, Children’s Garden, Conservatory, Rose Garden and its famous Japanese Garden.
- The botanical gardens contains more than 14,000 different varieties of plants and employs 40 gardeners and seven curators.
- Today the famous Huntington Library contains 6 million items, including a manuscript of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, a Gutenberg Bible, Audobon’s Birds of America and many Shakespeare items.
- The Huntington Art Gallery is displayed in Henry E. Huntington’s home. When it opened in 1928 a year after Huntington died, it housed the largest collection of 18th-century British art in the United States. The most famous pieces of art on display at The Huntington are Blue Boy (by Thomas Gainsborough) and Pinkie (by Thomas Laurence).
- There is a free Garden Talk and Plant Sale on the second Thursday of every month.
- Enjoy a free docent-led garden tour (check in at the entrance kiosk to check availability) or a free audio tour (you must have an MP3 player or smart phone to listen).
- Each month The Huntington has a “Free Day.” You must call and reserve tickets more than a month early. (Call 1-800-838-3006 for details.)
Huntington Library Quick Info
Hungtington.org
(626) 405-2100
1151 Oxford Road, San Marino, California 91108
Admission $20 on weekdays and $23 on weekends ($15 for seniors on weekdays and $18 on weekends, $12 for students on weekdays and $13 on weekends)
Open Wednesday through Monday 10:30am to 4:30pm
Closed Tuesdays, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Day and Independence Day
