Spring garden tours and events in Southern California
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With spring officially less than a week away, we present our annual list of spring garden events. Be sure to check websites for more information and updates, because some events do sell out. Additions to the list and suggestions are welcome via reader comments.
April 2-3: The Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden’s spring plant sale will include orchids, berries, fruit trees, vegetables, succulents and a variety of annuals and perennials. The arboretum library will sell used garden and plant books and cookbooks. 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Included in regular admission of $3 to $8. 301 N. Baldwin Ave., Arcadia. (626) 821-3222.
April 2: The South Coast chapter of the California Native Plant Society presents its 17th annual spring garden tour. 9:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. $20 to $25. Reservations: (310) 629-0500.
April 3: Prisk Native Garden, on the grounds of Prisk Elementary School in Long Beach, hosts its annual open house. 1 to 4 p.m. Free. 2375 Fanwood Ave., Long Beach. Info: letteriello@charter.net.
April 9-10: The Riverside Flower Show and Garden Tour will highlight six private gardens. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Elks Lodge, 6166 Brockton Drive, Riverside. $10. (951) 643-8890; www.riversideflowershow.org.
April 9-10: More than 30 native plants gardens will be featured in eighth annual self-guided garden tour organized by the Theodore Payne Foundation for Wildflowers and Native Plants. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days. $20. (818) 768-1802.
April 10: Fullerton Beautiful Open Gardens, a self-guided tour of six gardens in Fullerton, runs from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. $10. (714) 871-4156.
April 16: As part of California Native Plant Week, the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden hosts a self-guided tour of private gardens featuring California native plants, from Goleta to Thousand Oaks. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. $15 to $25. Registration: www.sbbg.org under “classes.”
April 16-17: The Floral Park neighborhood in north Santa Ana will host its 19th annual home and garden tour. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Advance tickets online $25. (714) 648-0904.
April 16-17: The California Poppy Festival celebrates spring blooms in the Antelope Valley. 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. $5 to $8. Lancaster City Park, 43011 N. 10th St. West, Lancaster. (661) 723-6077.
April 17: The Pacific Palisades Garden Club tour will highlight four gardens in Pacific Palisades and two in Santa Monica. The event also will include a plant market. Noon to 4 p.m., rain or shine. $25 in advance, $30 day of tour. 13545 D’Este, Pacific Palisades. (310) 459-4084; (310) 472-3374.
April 17: The sixth annual Windsor Square-Hancock Park Historical Society Garden Party and Tour will feature the gardens of Getty House, the official residence of the mayor of Los Angeles, and six private gardens of varying styles. Noon to 6 p.m. $55. (213) 243-8182.
April 28-May 1: The 21st annual Southern California Spring Garden Show will feature more than 75 vendors and garden displays. Free. South Coast Plaza, Crate & Barrel/Macy’s Home Store wing, 3333 Bear St., Costa Mesa. (800) 782-8888.
April 30: The self-guided Mar Vista Green Garden Showcase will feature nearly 80 drought-resistant landscapes including the home of urban gardener Wen-Chia Tsai Parker, above right. 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Free. See website for locations.
April 30-May 1: The Mary Lou Heard Memorial Garden Tour features more than 30 gardens from San Juan Capistrano to Long Beach. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Donations accepted. (714) 566-4800.
May 1: The Garden Conservancy’s Open Daystour of private gardens in Pasadena 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission to each garden is $5. (888) 842-2442.
May 1: The 52nd annual garden tourof the Santa Monica Bay Auxiliary, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles will feature six Westside gardens. 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., rain or shine. Refreshments , vendors, boutique and plant sale. $40. (310) 395-3713.
May 1: The Westlake Village Garden Club hosts its 38th Annual Garden and Patio Tour of five gardens in Westlake Village and Thousand Oaks. 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. $20. (805) 437-6606.
May 3: The Sherman Library and Gardens Volunteer Assn. presents its 15th annual garden tour from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at private homes in Corona del Mar and Newport Beach. Refreshments included. $40 in advance, $50 day of tour. Sherman Library and Gardens, 2647 E. Pacific Coast Highway, Corona del Mar. (949) 673-2261.
May 6: This year’s self-guided Gate and Garden Tour in Laguna Beach will highlight eight private gardens, including the one shown above right. 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. $35. Advance tickets only: www.lagunabeachgardenclub.org.
Keep reading for more tour listings ...
May 7: The annual self-guided Venice Garden and Home Tour will feature 30 gardens, including the garden pictured at the top of this post. Featured designers include architects Barbara Bestor, Tom Carson, Michael Sant and Robert Thibodeau and landscape designers Jay Griffith, Bent Grass and Diana Zok. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. $60 in advance, $70 day of event. Tour starts at 804 Broadway Ave., Venice. (310) 821-1857. May 15: The Garden Conservancy’s Open Days tour of Los Angeles. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission to each garden is $5. (888) 842-2442.
May 13: Friends of Robinson Gardens will present the 23rd annual “... Into the Garden” benefit tour showcasing five private gardens. Event also includes a spring festival at the Robinson estate. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. $200. Virginia Robinson estate, 1008 Elden Way, Beverly Hills. (310) 550-2068.
May 15: The Huntington Botanical Gardens 36th annual spring plant sale will include thousands of rare varieties of succulents, perennials, roses, camellias, tropicals, herbs, groundcovers, heirloom vegetables and fruits. Experts provide tips on selection, cultivation, and care. 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Members can shop early at a preview sale. Free. 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino. (626) 405-2100.
June 4: The San Clemente Garden Club presents a self-guided tour of private coastal gardens. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. $25 in advance, $30 at the door. (949) 498-2818.
-- Lisa Boone
Photos, from top: Eric Staudenmaier; Mar Vista Green Garden Tour; Laguna Beach Garden Club
