California Dreamin'

Earlier this year, on a particularly hot day in February, my mom and I ventured up to the Huntington Library in San Marino, just outside of L.A., about an hour’s drive from where we live in Orange County. We’d always heard about it and wanted to visit, but for some reason never made it there, even with all our trips to our beloved Getty Museums.

And we were absolutely blown away. “Why didn’t we come here before?” we kept asking each other. We spent most of the day there and saw maybe half of what this amazing place has to offer. Their gardens seemed to go on forever and are a treasure trove of native plants and include nearly a dozen different themed gardens. For an amateur Shutter Sister who was just starting to really explore and devour nature photography, I couldn’t get enough of wandering through them! Especially the part that looked straight out of a Dr. Seuss book.

Talk about inspiration. There’s definitely something for everyone – art, architecture, gardens, water features and of course the library itself. For extra savings, the first Thursday of every month is free admission, as long as you reserve your tickets in advance. And parking is always free – that can be a rare thing in L.A.!

This is one of the main reasons I love Southern California – for all its traffic and crowds, there are tons of things to do within driving distance. The Huntington is something that we’ll be making a permanent part of our Staycation schedule as well as where we’ll be taking friends and family when they visit. I can’t wait to go back and explore some more!

Photography and words courtesy of So Cal sister Trude Ellingsen, Recovering Firecraker.

Feel free to share your favorite garden shot today from near of far. Blooms always welcome here.

Comments

[Marcie]

Here's one taken earlier this spring from one of my favorite neighborhood gardens:
http://www.marciescudderphotography.com/index.php?showimage=764

[Dani]

I jealous, Iwas just looking up California vacations last night.

Here are my favorite garden shots:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/36197392@N06/3515815787/in/set-72157616580721519/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/36197392@N06/3516624246/in/set-72157616580721519/

[CDScott]

I have never been into shooting flowers, etc. until recently they have captured my eye. The first is from beside the road in the Smoky Mountians.

http://courtneysablogger.blogspot.com/2009/07/good-morning.html

These are from my own garden.

http://courtneysablogger.blogspot.com/2009/06/i-have-new-toy.html

[jag]

Here are a few of my favourite shots from god's garden - some people call them "weeds"... :-)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jagspace/3710475274/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jagspace/3709611011/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jagspace/3709592475/

...and this one with the tiny face! Can you see it?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jagspace/3710368332/

xox

[mary]

I take a LOT of flower and garden shots. LOL Here is one I shot yesterday, from my container garden on the deck:

http://mary-simplethings.blogspot.com/2009/07/reaching.html

[Katy]

This is actually at a garden centre when we were buying plants to put in a surprise garden for my parents at the cottage. It's Scottish Moss and is very soft to touch with small white flowers. I like how this shot turned out.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/29536663@N04/3641766388/

[Kathleen O./ko2008]

Visited Long Hill, which is a Trustees of Reservations property here in Massachusetts. Vintage gardens were amazing...property is beautiful:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ko2008/3660733539/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ko2008/3660733973/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ko2008/3661534488/in/photostream/

[Puna]

I haven't spent much time in out west but everyone says that California is beautiful. I have it on my wish list.

Here's a triptech.

http://lifesignatures.org/wordpress/2009/07/july-13-a-lily-three/

Happy Tuesday!

[Toni | Daily Vignette]

My favorite things are flowers:

http://dailyvignette.com/2009/07/01/nature-maid/

http://dailyvignette.com/2009/06/27/oh-my/

[Vanessa]

i love it when you find a place like this! great post :)
as for me... it's the weeds that have been calling to me lately. and the lovely way the sun seems to catch them.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/vanessa_r/3710462037/in/set-72157607454224383/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/vanessa_r/3711232474/in/set-72157607454224383/

[busymomma66]

Here is a bloom I found on Block Island. I can't shoot my garden because the Weeds are holding it hostage! lol.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/busymomma66/3667349741/

[kosenrufu mama]

here a wild garden. Wonderful nature power!
http://esterdaphne.blogspot.com/2009/07/musica-e-famiglia.html

[Trude]

Woo this makes me feel so official! Thanks again for using my submission! :)

[lifeineden]

This library is on our list for staycation too! In fact, we may go this weekend! Friends of ours went and told us how much we'd love it.

I don't have time to dig up my botanical garden shots right now, but have recommendations! We lived in Buffalo, NY where there is a great little botanical garden. It is housed in an Olmstead park in a beautiful green house similar to others in NYC. Also, the best ever is Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, PA. It is world renown, built on the former DuPont estate. It offers so much to the community -- the gardens, classes, shows, you name it. Just my 2 cents!

[Jamie Lapeyrolerie]

I recently went there for the first time too. AMAZING! I wish I had more time, I only got to see a couple parts (a family shoot)

http://jamielynnephotography.blogspot.com/2009/05/happy-memorial-day.html - I heart their flowers :)
http://jamielynnephotography.blogspot.com/2009/05/jamie-lynnes.html - the family shoot

Definitely go there!

[Sharron D]

After enjoying Shutter Sisters for many, many months, I am posting photos for the 1st time!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sharrond/3720935978/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sharrond/3720126263/

[Jaana]

i love L.A.!!!! http://photographybyjaana.blogspot.com/2009/07/photo-walk-north-culver-city.html

[Thea]

Bloom where you are planted! :)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/37495794@N05/3649225802/in/set-72157620061713563/

[georgia]

this is a lovely garden—like nothing i've ever seen. we don't get wonderful cactus like that around here {in the midwest}.

here are a couple of shots i took of a garden near millennium park in chicago last saturday. i take so many flower pictures, i could have added any number of links. but i'll just keep it to one—my most recent one.

http://itsjusthowiseethings.blogspot.com/2009/07/friend.html

[Patty Reiser]

Too hot right now in the desert for many flowers. Here are a few blooming cacti I photographed back when the days were tolerable.

http://camerapatty.wordpress.com/2009/05/06/

[djbeat]

i have been enjoying our community gardens this summer:

http://365daysofdifferent.blogspot.com/2009/07/it-takes-community.html
http://www.flickr.com/photos/djbeat/3702907729/

[Steph Wiese]

Poppies were everywhere in Italy. I just loved that they were abundant among the ruins!

http://stephwiese.squarespace.com/shutter-sister-pictures/misc-shots/?SSScrollPosition=0

[gonzomama]

my happy flowers.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/59735955@N00/3723102407/in/photostream/

[Amanda Mae]

I love the Huntington. And I LOVE the LA Arboretum. Great places to go and have a picnic!

I also LOVE succulents - I think they are my favorite plants to photograph:
http://maebird.blogspot.com/2009/06/never-enough-of-these.html

[chocolate covered musings]

wow, i love those beautiful pink flowers!

i've got a small garden about a 2 minute walk from where i work... for me, slipping off my shoes and lying in the cool grass with the sun shining on me, hearing the leaves whisper their stories to me, is the perfect escape from an air-conditioned office.

i took this shot there just yesterday..
http://www.flickr.com/photos/leoniewise/3721145399/

[Kacey]

I love, love flower shots. I have a whole series I'm going to blow up large, mount on styrene and put on our wall

http://www.wineonthekeyboard.com/2009/06/27/1788/