Santa Barbara Botanic Garden

A friend and I visited Santa Barbara Botanic Garden last weekend (when I should have been spreading mulch).  Although I lived in Santa Barbara for almost 4 years as a college undergrad and have visited the area at intervals over the years, I haven't been to the Botanic Garden in quite awhile.  My last visit was sometime prior to the 2009 Jesusita Fire that damaged the garden and other portions of Santa Barbara County.  Six years after the fire, I was pleased to find the garden looking beautiful and busy with visitors.

One of the first things you see upon entering the garden is the incredible meadow, currently dominated by the bright orange blooms of California poppies.

Views of the meadow from different angles

Bright yellow lupines (top row) dotted the meadow and pink flowers (Clarkia unguiculata perhaps?) provided a punch next to the orange poppies here and there but my favorite flower was the Matilija poppy (Romneya coulteri).  

Although we missed the peak period of spring bloom, there were still lots of flowers.

Most of the flowering plants weren't labeled but here are my best guesses:
Top row - Aesculus californica, Aquilegia desertorum, Eriogonum grande rubescens
Middle row - Eriogonum umbellatum, Heuchera 'Old La Rochette', Iris douglasiana
Bottom row - Isomeris arborea (which died suddenly after 2 years in my garden), Opuntia littoralis, Penstemon (no ID)

There were other plants of interest too:

Clockwise from top left: Agave shawii, Asarum caudatum, Yucca whipplei (almost in bloom!), and Dudleya (no ID)

We took a walk through the Redwood forest area.

There's nothing like a Redwood to put your place in the world in perspective

Although some people clearly need a reminder not to mess with the trees; however, on the good news page, the tree shown above was the only plant we saw carved up

Views from the forest area - doesn't that rock look as though he could speak?  (Or is that just me?)

We walked the canyon area and strolled through the woodland area following the stream.

Views along the stream, which was mostly dry

My favorite view in the garden

I loved these 2 seating areas too

We didn't spend any time sitting.  I spent a good amount of time in in the native plant nursery checking out the stock.  Despite my intention to avoid any further planting until fall, I left with 5 plants: 3 Erigeron 'Ron's Pink,' a Physocarpus capitatus, and a Vaccinium ovatum.  The Physocarpus was probably a mistake as our area may not have sufficient winter cold but my fingers are crossed it'll manage the zonal stretch.

With my rule against spring/summer planting broken, you can imagine how our stops at 3 nurseries on the way home went.  But that's a story for another post.


All material © 2012-2015 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party