Lotusland

One of my favorite gardens in California is Lotusland, a short drive from Santa Barbara in Montecito.

Whenever I visit gardens I usually purchase a ticket upon arrival. However the whole set-up is a bit different at Lotusland. The garden is located in a quiet neighborhood in Montecito, so advanced reservations are required to control visitor numbers. If you arrive without a reservation, you will be turned away.

On the day I visited, I drove down the driveway to a gatehouse at the Lotusland estate, showed my ticket, then parked in the large lot. From here I caught a glimpse of the terracotta colored Visitor Center at Lotusland. I was delighted to discover it was full of beautiful plants and gifts. 

I was then met by a friendly docent who showed me around the garden. The tour was equal parts history and botany. Self guided tours are available, but I don't think I would have got as much out of the experience. 

The whole tour took 2-hours, and in that time I saw 23 gardens in the expansive 37-acre botanical garden. The walking was mostly flat with both paved and gravel sections.

History

I was fascinated to learn about the charismatic socialite, Madame Ganna Walska, who originally conceived these magnificent gardens. She lived a big life, and at one time pursued an opera career. Her roots ran deep in Europe and she even owned the Le Theater des Champs Elysees in Paris. I learned that she was born Hanna Puacz in Poland, but changed to her stage name, Ganna Walska. 

I was impressed by the focus and dedication that Madame Ganna poured into these gardens over a 40 year period. Imagine finding a great passion like gardening and creating something as breathtaking as Lotusland. She kicked it all off in 1941, and worked on the garden until her death in 1984. My docent mentioned that she considered herself head gardener, and would constantly stroll the gardens inspecting everyone's work.

What to see at Lotusland

My tour ran for 2 hours, and I covered a lot of ground. I'm pretty sure I saw all 23 gardens in that time!  I found something exciting around every corner. There was a dramatic flair to the entire garden, from the lush, jungle-like world of the Bromeliad Garden and Tropical Garden, to the otherwordly Cycad Garden with 3 extinct species. The formal gardens were just as impressive, like the menagerie of animals carved from the hedges at the Topiary Garden, and the perfect symmetry of the English style Parterre Garden.

I was intrigued by Madame Ganna's Colonial Revival style mansion, and longed to tour it. It was the perfect backdrop to these incredible gardens. However I was disappointed to learn that it's closed for tours, and the residence is used for administration offices. I hope one day they open it up to the public. I did a bit of research on the mansion and discovered it was originally built by in 1915 by the E.P.Gavit family, who were from Albany in NY.

10 best things to do at Lotusland

1. Lotusland Visitor Center.

I couldn't resist browsing the gift shop at the Visitor Center, before I started my tour of Lotusland. There were so many pretty things here, like plants, ceramics, and books on Madame Ganna. It was hard to tear myself away and start my tour.  I eventually met my docent just outside the Visitor Center, and started my 2 hour tour of the gardens.

The Lotusland Visitor Center is full of high quality gifts, and has the most gorgeous setting.

2. Topiary Garden.

The whimsical Topiary Garden was one of the highlights of my visit. It was like stepping into a surrealist world with life sized giraffes, dolphins and gorillas, fashioned from hedges, and gigantic chess pieces. My docent mentioned that Madame Ganna referred to this as her "horticultural zoo". I was also impressed by the dramatic, 25-foot wide flower clock that is over a hundred years old, planted here in 1955.

3. Tropical Garden.

I really enjoyed the diversity of scenery at Lotusland. One of the most immersive experiences was the lush Tropical Garden, similar to stepping inside a rainforest. There was a dense canopy of towering palms, and a thriving understory of exotic orchid cacti, elephant ears and swiss cheese plants. The garden was planted in the 1970s.

4. Parterre Garden.

I felt transported to a grand European estate while strolling the pathways along the Italian-style Parterre Garden at Lotusland.  The dazzling display of roses was framed by tidy hedges, and there were two enchanting water features.

I paid close attention to the decorative brickwork, artfully guiding visitors through the garden to the rear of the mansion.

All this formality was offset by the striking Moorish Star Fountain, that acted as a centerpiece for the garden. The tilework was exquisite.

I discovered more beautiful tile work at the Neptune Fountain, flanked by two Mermen.

5. Theater Garden.

I noticed that Lotusland was full of personal touches from Madame Ganna. None was more obvious than the Theater Garden, that was a nod to her earlier career as an opera singer. I wonder if she ever stood in this garden and sung her heart out! 

Madame Ganna assembled an audience of stone figures on the terraces. They were constructed based on drawings from a French 17th century artist. These dwarf like creatures were known as "Grotesques" and added to the whimsical scene. I could almost imagine them springing to life on a moonlight night, and performing their own theater! Instead they stood there, with animated facial expressions, but forever frozen in time. 

6. Bromeliad Garden.

I half expected to see a dinosaur or some other prehistoric creature wandering through the Bromeliad Garden at Lotusland. The walls of moss added an air of mystery. However, the star of the show were the bright Bromeliads in shades of yellow, red and orange. They were the perfect flourishes to decorate the Rooster Grotto, complete with an iron cast rooster perched on a rock.

11. Lemon Arbor.

I was fascinated by the Lemon Arbor, because I'd never seen fruit draped over an arbor before. What a creative, fun idea! The incredible fragrance of the lemons still lingers in my memory, as I strolled beneath the arbor. I also spied apricot and plum bushes in the surrounding orchard, but resisted the temptation to eat one. Summer is really an amazing time to visit this garden and inhale its intoxicating scents.

12. Fern Garden.

The only place I've seen ferns as large as the ones in the Fern Garden at Lotusland, was in the South Island of New Zealand. These giants at Lotusland are actually Australian Tree Ferns, and towered over the lush understory of irises, lillies and begonia.

I followed the path to a pool completed in 1972, and intended for use by Madame Ganna's niece. Madame Ganna thoughtfully added a beach on the edge of the pool for her niece, complete with large clam shells. She really thought of everything!

13. Succulent Garden.

The sharp, sword-like shape of the succulents at Lotusland, always creates a sense of foreboding. It's inadvisable to brush against these plants or touch them.

I discovered another of Madame Ganna's personal touches in this garden, with chunks of blue slag lining the pathways, salvaged from the Arrowhead Water Company.

My eyes were also diverted upwards, to the majestic Madagascar Palms rising 20 feet high!

14. Japanese Garden.

My favorite Japanese Garden is in Portland Oregon, and I've never been to another garden that comes close. However, I enjoyed the Japanese Garden at Lotusland, planted in the 1960s. The entire design of the garden was intended to draw the eye inwards to the reflection pond. I crossed viewing platforms and bridges that overlooked the pond, and admired the elegant weeping willow.

Water is always an important element of a Japanese Garden, and this detail was incorporated with a rock waterfall that flows into a stream and down into the pond. 

15. Palmeton Garden.

This striking grove of Date Palm Trees is the latest addition to Lotusland. The Palmeton Garden was created in 2017, and is the newest garden.

16. Aloe Garden.

I could see Madame Ganna's handywork again in the fun Aloe Garden, where she took a wading pool and transformed it into a shallow pond surrounded by clams. However the real highlight was the two fountains with cascading fountains made from clam shells. 

With all the attention focused on the pool, it was easy to overlook the impressive collection of 160 aloe plants in this garden. I was surprised just how many varieties of aloe there are.

17. Main House.

My curiosity was piqued by Madame Ganna's Main House. I was disappointed that it wasn't open to the public and would love to have toured it!  Our docent told us it was being used for administrative offices. 

The house was built in 1915 by the wealthy E.P.Gavit Family, who named it Cuesta Linda and painted it white!  They added other features like the pool, pool house, decorative pathways and perimeter wall. Madame Ganna kept all these features when she purchased the property in 1941, but re-named the estate Lotusland. Lotusland has more of a mythical, fairytale quality to it. 

I really enjoyed all the extra insights from my docent about the history of Lotusland. She told me that Madame Ganna actually moved from the Main House to the Pavilion directly adjacent to it, after Santa Barbara's 1925 earthquake.  Apparently Madame Ganna felt strongly that she would be safer in a 1-story structure like the Pavilion (below), rather than the 2-story Main House.

18. Olive Allee.

Lotusland seems to have every type of garden imaginable, and even a charming olive alley! I walked along a row of olive trees in Olive Allee, imported from Spain and France in the 1880s. The pathway led to an ornate fountain, that depicts a mythological sea creature. I could even see some of the orchard trees, visible to the right.

A photo of Madame Ganna.

As I was touring the garden, one of the gardeners introduced himself, and revealed that he had once worked for Madame Ganna. Imagine my surprise when he showed me a photo he had taken of an elderly Madame Ganna wandering around the gardens on her daily walk. 

Here's a map of Lotusland: