Gardens of Lotusland
One of the most breathtaking public gardens in the world
Photo by Lisa Romerein.
Gardens
The Gardens
To visit Lotusland is to reimagine gardening and landscape design. Around every corner is a dramatic surprise that leaves visitors spellbound by the exuberance of exotic plants and breathtaking views.
Aloe Garden
Winter months find Lotusland’s Aloe Garden brimming with spectacular red, yellow, and orange flowers, accompanied by the buzzy songs of hummingbirds. In the center of the Aloe Garden rests one of Lotusland’s most treasured water features: the iconic Abalone Pond.
Learn MorePhoto by Lisa Romerein.
Australian Garden
In 1993, Landscape Architect Sydney Baumgartner designed the Australian Garden, incorporating masses of unusual plants to pay homage to Madame Ganna Walska’s distinctive landscaping style, aptly set within a mature eucalyptus grove.
Learn MorePhoto by Lisa Romerein.
Blue Garden
Originally, the Blue Garden was meant to become a silver garden. With the planting of blue Atlas cedars by Madame Ganna Walska, the space evolved into the Blue Garden as she added blue-foliaged plants to complement the monumental cedars.
Learn MorePhoto by Lisa Romerein.
Bromeliad Gardens
Lush bromeliads bloom under a thick canopy of oak trees and dripping Spanish moss. This botanical heaven is deeply cherished by all, due to its impressive range of plants and touching history. While exploring the Garden, rest on one of the many benches to enjoy the orchestra of birds.
Learn MorePhoto by Lisa Romerein.
CACTI & EUPHORBIAS
After purchasing Lotusland in 1941, Madame Ganna Walska, with the help of respected landscape architect Lockwood de Forest, added cactus, succulent, and euphorbia plantings to beds in front of her new residence. These plantings reflect both Madame Walska’s design style and her fascination with desert plants.
Learn MorePhoto by Lisa Romerein.
Cactus Garden
Prepare to have your breath taken away. No matter the time of the year, the Cactus Garden is brimming with life and extravagant blooms that redefine beauty. This significant collection of cacti was bequeathed to Lotusland in 1966 by Merritt Dunlap, a longtime friend of Madame Ganna Walska, then transported to Lotusland beginning in 1999.
Learn MorePhoto by Lisa Romerein.
Cycad Garden
Lotusland is home to some of the rarest plants on earth, many being cycads. Our newly remodeled paths lead visitors around a captivating collection of ancient plants. This group of unusual cone-bearing organisms was so common during the time of the dinosaurs that many refer to the Jurassic Period as the “Age of Cycads.”
Learn MorePhoto by Lisa Romerein.
Dracaena Circle
Wrapped around the Motor Court of the historic Main House grows a collection of dragon trees (Dracaena draco). First identified in 1402, sixty-two miles west of Morocco, Africa, these mysterious trees shed leaves that closely resemble the tongue of a dragon, and the tree bleeds a blood-red sap when punctured.
Learn MorePhoto by Lisa Romerein.
Fern Garden
Massive oak trees and towering redwoods provide dappled sunlight across a vast collection of ferns and begonias. The Fern Garden is home to many birds, including red-shouldered hawks and owls.
Learn MorePhoto by Lisa Romerein.
Insectary Garden
The Insectary Garden is considered by many to be the heart of Lotusland. Our talented team of gardeners believe nutritious, living soil is the footing for healthy plants, and predatory insects are the foundation for a balanced food chain. Lotusland was one of the first public gardens to become fully organic.
Learn MorePhoto by Lisa Romerein.
Japanese Garden
The crown jewel of Lotusland. Based on timeless traditions juxtaposed with avant-garde design and extravagant views. Tranquility, divided with the sounds of a waterfall and stream that empties into the reflecting pond. Relax, immerse yourself in all the beauty, and admire the art of traditional niwaki pruning.
Learn MorePhoto by Lisa Romerein.
Main House
Nestled in the Garden rests the longtime home of the late Madame Ganna Walska. Originally, the E.P. Gavit family of Albany, NY, purchased the property in 1915 and commissioned the legendary architect, Reginald Johnson, to design the Mediterranean mansion.
Learn MorePhoto by Lisa Romerein.
OLIVE ALLÉE
Rows of beautiful olive trees act as a guide ushering visitors into the next garden. The Olive Allée includes different types of olive trees originally planted as nursery stock by Kinton Stevens, the first owner of the estate.
Learn MorePhoto by Lisa Romerein.
Orchards
Madame Ganna Walska may have inherited an established orchard from the Gavit family when she purchased the estate, but in her style, she wanted one of everything, particularly exotic fruits such as papaya and cherimoya. Now, the orchards play a significant role in helping to promote the foundation of a balanced food chain.
Learn MorePhoto by Lisa Romerein.
PALMETUM
Palm trees are a feature in central and southern California, but only one species, the California fan palm (Washingtonia filifera), is native to the state. Lotusland is brimming with palms, including over forty Chilean wine palms (Jubaea chilensis).
Learn MorePhoto by Lisa Romerein.
PARTERRE
A parterre is a formal ornamental flower garden designed to form a pattern. The Gavit family commissioned the Parterre in the late 1920s, creating traditional planting beds, brick walkways, and two decorative water features.
Learn MoreSHADE PALM GARDEN
Of the approximately 100 species of Chamaedorea palms, Lotusland’s collection in the Shade Palm Garden holds about forty. These palms came from the collection of Don Hodel, palm expert and author of Chamaedorea Palms, The Species and Their Cultivation. These slender palms grow in the rain and cloud forests of Mexico and Central and South America.
Learn MorePhoto by Lisa Romerein.
SUCCULENT GARDEN
By the 1950s, Lotusland started attracting the attention of succulent enthusiasts, including Charles Glass, editor for the Cactus and Succulent Journal. Today, the Succulent Garden flourishes and is one of the most exquisite gardens.
Learn MorePhoto by Lisa Romerein.
Theatre Garden
Lotusland’s Theatre Garden stands as a reminder of Madame Ganna Walska’s passion for theater and the arts. Every season the Garden plays host to many musical performances and events.
Learn MorePhoto by Lisa Romerein.
Topiary Garden
Lively bears, an enormous giraffe, a dolphin balancing a ball on its rostrum, and many other topiary shapes all surround Lotusland’s world-renowned Horticultural Clock.
Learn MorePhoto by Lisa Romerein.
Tropical Garden
Lotusland’s Tropical Garden began in the late 1970s with Madame Ganna Walska’s collection of orchid cacti, or Epiphyllum. Now, the Tropical Garden is packed with stunning plants, unbelievable blooms, and a charming path that connects to the Cycad Garden.
Learn MorePhoto by Lisa Romerein.
Water Garden
June through September, Lotusland’s Water Garden is home to magnificent displays of its namesake flower, lotus (Nelumbo), tropical and hardy waterlilies (Nymphaea), and giant waterlilies (Victoria). One of the most beautiful features in Lotusland.
Learn MorePhoto by Lisa Romerein.
WATER STAIRS AND CYPRESS ALLÉE
In the 1920s, a long brick walkway lined with cypress trees began at the swimming pool, now Water Garden, and culminated at an ornamental carved limestone wellhead. At a right angle from the wishing well was a series of fourteen basins creating a water stairway feeding into a large pleasure pond, complete with a sailboat and an island.
Learn MoreMap
Spanning over 37 acres of lush gardens and winding pathways, Lotusland is an unforgettable experience. If you are new to our Garden, we suggest reviewing our map or downloading it for later.
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