A Loveletter to Lotusland

The allure of Santa Barbara is hard to miss when you’re weaving through the whimsical gardens at Lotusland and discovering over 3,000 native plants and flowers blooming there. Tucked away in the idyllic hillside of Montecito, Lotusland spans over 37 acres of lush gardens and exquisite architecture. The Garden is the former estate of opera singer and socialite, Madam Ganna Walska, who transformed the garden into thematic displays. As the Los Angeles Times describes, “Evidence of Walska’s art is everywhere—in surprising juxtapositions of form and playful shocks to our expectations. But Lotusland’s garden is not simply an eccentric fantasy, any more than Alice in Wonderland is just a children’s book. For Walska, plants were more than plants; they were colors to paint with, a family to nurture, characters to direct.”

You can experience Madame Ganna Walska’s vision firsthand as you tour Lotusland’s gardens, each one of them distinct in design while seamlessly transitioning to the next. Several of the gardens feature fanciful themes, an enormous array of plants, and historic architecture. You’ll spot ferns, aloes, lotuses, water lilies, bromeliads as well as several extraordinarily rare botanical collections, such as cycads, cacti, palms and euphorbias. Other must-sees include the classic topiary garden, horticultural clock and Neptune fountain, as well as the garden’s newest additions: a palmetum (palm collection) and insectary garden. Make a reservation in advance on their website: lotusland.org.