W E L C O M E

Madame Ganna Walska, a well-known Polish opera singer 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.