Welcome to
Ganna Walska Lotusland
Madame Ganna Walska, a well-known Polish opera singer and socialite, purchased the Montecito, California estate in 1941 and spent the next 43 years creating Lotusland, today recognized as one of the ten best gardens in the world. The spectacular collections of exotic plants on the 37-acre property are a personal expression of Walska’s penchant for the dramatic, the unexpected, and the whimsical. Lotusland is home to several extraordinary plant collections and around each corner there is a surprise of unique garden design and plant species. After her death in 1984, Lotusland became a nonprofit botanic garden and opened to the public in 1993. Our educational programs serve the Santa Barbara community and our innovative horticultural practices are shared with botanic gardens and garden-lovers around the world.
Environmental Education Resources is a webpage filled with lesson plans and projects for kids who are learning about pollination, photosynthesis, adaptations, ecosystems and other life science topics. These are great resources families currently engaged in at home learning. More content will be added regularly. There is also a Lotusland coloring book and other materials that will be added just for fun.
Vogue Australia Garden Issue with Lotusland featured “Sense of Drama.” Photography by Claire Takacs. View article here.
Visit our Gallery to see stunning garden imagery.
