Petal Paradise

Visit the Beautiful Descanso Gardens in Los Angeles

A woman stands amid an array of yellow and purple flowers at Descanso Gardens in Los Angeles

Tulips, lilacs, and daffodils—flower power is in full bloom at Descanso Gardens in La Cañada Flintridge. Sprawling across 150 acres surrounded by mountains, the gardens are putting on their best show right now.

A woman walks by a blooming cherry blossom tree at Descanso Gardens in Los Angeles

A woman is admiring the cherry blossom trees at Descanso Gardens in Los Angeles

If you’re seeking that quintessential spring bloom experience, stroll through the Lilac Garden, where 400 lilac trees fill the air with their delicate scent.

A woman is walking a pathway at Descanso Gardens in Los Angeles

A red rounded bridge at Descanso Gardens in Los Angeles

Walk among the charming rows of colorful tulips that take over the Promenade; every step feels like stepping into a postcard from the Netherlands.

In the Japanese Garden, cherry blossoms bloom each spring, inspiring a feeling of tranquility by the Tea House and its babbling pond.

Be sure to also wander through one of North America’s largest camelia collections, where shades of pink, red, and white paint a truly enchanting landscape. 

While Descanso Gardens is worth a visit year-round, there’s something truly special about this season—when mild days and blossoming blooms add a little extra spring to your step. Don’t miss it!

From downtown Los Angeles, take the CA-2 N/Glendale Freeway towards Glendale. Stay in the right lane to continue towards CA-2 N, then take Exit 21A towards Verdugo Blvd./Montrose. Turn right on Verdugo Blvd., then another right on Descanso Dr. After about 0.2 mile, you’ll find the garden entrance on your right.

Descanso Gardens is open daily from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., except on Christmas Day. General admission is $15. Be sure to check out their website and Instagram page for peak bloom updates.

Story and photos by Yvonne Pasquini, @yvonne_pasquini

Trending Stories NorCal

View all Stories
  1. Field of Light at Sensorio in Paso Robles

    Light This Way

    Hidden in the bucolic hills of Paso Robles lies one of the greatest light shows on earth. The lighted art exhibition, Sensorio, is as if the rainbow magic of the aurora borealis was plucked from the sky and planted in the fields.

    View
  2. Bikers and walkers on the Bay Area Ridge Trail with the Golden Gate Bridge behind them

    National Park City Walk

    See San Francisco the way locals do by hiking the Presidio, a national park right in the city! Wooded trails, secluded beaches, and epic views of the Golden Gate Bridge feature on this 5.5-mile out-and-back on the Bay Area Ridge Trail. It’s a lovely slice of the City by the Bay.

    View
  3. Bucks Up!

    Come on in, the water is beautiful. Whether you like swimming, kayaking, stand-up paddling, or heading out on a bigger boat, Bucks Lake is a high mountain haven that’s easy to access, blissfully uncrowded, and surrounded by sandy beaches, picnic areas, pines, and aspens.

    View
  4. Surfboards and tents for shade are set up on the beach at Cull Canyon Regional Recreation Area in the Swim Lagoon Area

    Switchbacks and Swimming Holes

    Hike hard, play hard! This 7-mile out-and-back in Cull Canyon Regional Recreation Area is a great workout with payoff vistas and a relaxing post-hike picnic and dip in the water.

    View

Trending Stories SoCal

View all Stories
  1. Bear Hug

    This 5.5-mile loop through Coyote Lake-Harvey Bear Ranch County Park explores one of the newest segments of the acclaimed Bay Area Ridge Trail, one redolent with trees ranging from madrone and manzanita to buckeye and blue elderberry (with a bubbly post-hike bonus).

    View
  2. Two kayakers on Upper Klamath Basin on tour with Sky Lakes Wilderness Adventures

    Zen & the Art of Kayaking

    It’s the most meditative and relaxing experience you’ll ever have on a kayak. Yes, you read that right, a Zen experience on a kayak. It all happens in beautiful Klamath County when you head out on a guided tour with Sky Lakes Wilderness Adventures.

    View
  3. A Rose in the Pines

    A crackling fire, a bottle of wine, a bubbling Jacuzzi tub with a waterfall … now the big question: Marvin Gaye tunes or not? In the morning (ahem) it's breakfast in bed and a leis

    View
  4. Alex Villicana, Villicana Winery and Re:Find Distillery

    Locals' Feature: Alex Villicana

    Tech booms, AI revolutions, okay that’s all fine, but you wanna know what else is really cool? Being a pioneer in a world-famous industry that—in Paso Robles—remains solidly down to earth. When Alex Villicana established Villicana Winery in 1993, he clearly had grape expectations...

    View