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All the United States California Santa Barbara Lotusland

Lotusland

Acres of natural wonders left behind by a socialite-turned-gardener.

Santa Barbara, California

Added By
Laura Edeen
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Water Garden   brewbooks / CC BY-SA 2.0
Pavilion, Lotusland   brewbooks / CC BY-SA 2.0
Inside the Australian Garden at Lotusland.   brewbooks / CC BY-SA 2.0
The Topiary Garden at Lotusland.   brewbooks / CC BY-SA 2.0
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Inside Lotusland’s Japanese Garden.   brewbooks / CC BY-SA 2.0
Water steps at Lotus Land   julieart101 / Atlas Obscura User
Cactus garden   Avoiding Regret
Swimming pool/shell grotto   Avoiding Regret
One of the many stone lanterns of the Japanese Garden   Avoiding Regret
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About

Lotusland, a 37-acre botanic garden located about 100 miles outside of Disneyland, is just as worthwhile an adventure. Situated on the former estate of socialite and opera singer Madame Ganna Walska, Lotusland includes a butterfly garden, exotic plants, a cactus garden, a topiary, and much more.

Visitors are required to make reservations in advance so that they can experience the gardens on foot with a trained tour guide. Parties are small - no more than ten guests at a time - allowing for plenty of intimacy. Guides lead guests through the more than 20 miniature gardens, each with its own theme and unique vision. Throughout the property, one will find several varieties of plants that are absent from rest of the United States.

As the tour progresses, guides will present facts about Madame Walska, who purchased the property in 1941 and owned it until her death 43 years later. Walska established the nonprofit Ganna Walska Lotusland Foundation, a nonprofit which still oversees the maintenance of the property.

An eccentric, Walska lived in Paris and New York before settling down in California. After purchasing the property with her sixth husband, she named it "Tibetland," intending to use it as a retreat for Tibetan monks. After she divorced, Walska changed the name to Lotusland after the Indian lotus that grew in one of the ponds on the site. Working with several famous architects and designers, including William Paylen, Charles Glass, and Lockwood de Forest, Walska transformed herself from opera superstar into gardener and spent the final years of her life working on the land.

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Gardens Horticulture Botanical Tunnels Botanical Gardens Topiary Plants

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Edited By

nbj914, Avoiding Regret, julieart101, Michelle Cassidy

  • nbj914
  • Avoiding Regret
  • julieart101
  • Michelle Cassidy

Published

July 23, 2010

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Sources
  • Wikipedia: Lotusland: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lotusland
  • Trip Advisor: Lotusland: http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g33045-d270327-Reviews-Lotusland-Santa_Barbara_California.html
  • Santa Barbara Properties: Lotusland in Montecito, California: http://www.santabarbaraproperties.com/areainfo/lotusland.html
Lotusland
695 Ashley Road
Santa Barbara, California, 93108
United States
34.442982, -119.657362
Visit Website
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Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara

California

Places 12
Stories 4

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Santa Barbara

California

Places 12
Stories 4

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