Southern California Spring Garden Show - 2025

South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa hosted its 35th Southern California Spring Garden Show last week.  I can't recall how many times I've attended but I once guessed that I paid my first visit in 2005.  I've documented nine visits between 2013, after launching this blog, and 2025.  I didn't attend in 2020, 2021 or 2022 but the events may have been cancelled during that period due to the COVID pandemic.  I took photos in 2015 but never did anything with them.  I've grown less enthusiastic about the "display gardens" ever since then but I've continued to attend the show primarily to shop the vendor exhibits.

The centerpiece of the show is always a sky-high display styled rather like the floats exhibited during the New Year's Rose Parade in Pasadena using natural materials.  In fact, in past years, one of the float makers usually took responsibility for its design.  This year's floral centerpiece didn't disappoint; however, I couldn't find anything to identify the company responsible for its creation this year.

The theme was 'Wonders of Nature.'  It had a tropical vibe and reached from the first floor of the mall to the third floor.

It featured birds, butterflies, flowers, frogs, and monkeys

A sign identified the natural materials used in its creation

It's obviously difficult to design a garden, much less multiple gardens, inside an enclosed retail mall.  It's also difficult to photograph them under those conditions.  Nonetheless, the displays in the "old days" were much more representative of actual garden spaces than the displays in recent years, which would be better described as advertisements for outdoor furniture.

I don't have any photographs from the shows prior to 2013 but here's one snapshot of the 1st Place Award winner in 2014.

This exhibit was called 'Reflections of a California Scenario.'  It was designed by students from Orange Coast College, which offers classes in horticulture and ecology.

I photographed all eight of the 2025 displays.  The Plaza's furniture retailers took control of these beginning in 2015 and the difference was evident.  As it may be interesting, I've included abbreviated descriptions of each garden posted by the designers on South Coast Plaza's website.  I eliminated references to specific stores.

This exhibit was labeled 'Serenity'.  Description: "Blending the calming sound of flowing water with the warmth of a cozy fire creates a serene ambiance, making this outdoor living space perfect for intimate gatherings."  (I can't explain the gorilla head but I think I've seen it before at a prior show.)

This one was labeled 'Zen Master'.  Description: "Outdoor living in Southern California with a desert vibe combines rugged, natural elements like succulents and stone with contemporary furniture pieces...creating a serene, sun-soaked oasis that blends modern design with simple outdoor beauty."

Labeled 'The Verdant Haven'.  Description:  "Raised decks create elevated viewpoints and encourage interactions with a landscape of showy plants.  The Gabion fire pit is a focal point of the space complemented by furnishings." 

Labeled 'Social & Serene'.  Description:  "Surround yourself with nature and good company in this multi-level garden with unique outdoor 'rooms'.  Collect fresh herbs before you gather with a friend on the upper terrace for alfresco dining amidst CA native flowers.  Listen for birdsong and watch the butterflies flutter.  Connect...while you get comfy near a warm fire or relax...and listen to the soothing water sounds from the reclaimed vintage fountain..."  (It continued on and on.) 

Labeled 'Thrive in Your Own Backyard'.  Description: "The essence of this garden display is an invitation to slow down, take a deep breath, smell the fresh herbs, taste the organic produce, and sit and enjoy life with loved ones.  A feeling of calm and grounding is achieved through earthy colors, cozy textures, and natural stone."  (I admired the succulent, which we saw in a few of the display gardens.)

Labeled 'Where Families Come Together'.  Description:  "This living room green space combines comfort, nature, and connection, offering a welcoming retreat for all ages.  A pergola with hanging plants, a vibrant succulent wall, and a soothing water feature create a tranquil environment..."

Labeled 'The Sanctuary'.  Description:  "Imagine a serene outdoor space with a shaded pergola, comfy seating, a bubbling water feature with lights, and a cozy fire pit.  Succulent-filled planters add color, and soft landscape lighting creates a magical ambiance." 

Labeled 'Mother Nature's Canopy'.  Description: "Imagine starting your day harvesting fresh vegetables from your micro garden, creating blended juices from your garden kitchen, and visiting with friends under a canopy of beauty that only Mother Nature can provide.  Connect with your spirit on a yoga mat, as you purify and transform your mind, body, and soul." 

There were also nineteen floral displays designed by Fleurs de Villes but most of these were set up in the main (fashion) section of South Coast Plaza's Jewel Court.  My friend and I didn't venture in that direction so I only have photos of the two displays in the section of the mall hosting the garden show. 

This year's mannequins were dressed in materials intended to resemble characters in 'Downtown Abbey' 

An estimated forty vendors held court on the two upper tiers of the mall.  The majority featured orchids, succulents, and tropical plants.  Unfortunately, some of the vendors I most appreciated in prior years, including Muradian Pottery, no longer participate in the annual show.  Here are a few shots of the goods offered by the vendors that showed up this year.

There were at least 10 vendors specializing in orchids, including others that offered orchids among other plants

Miscellaneous offerings from preserved fruits and foliage, houseplants, garden shrubs, and succulents.  I'd really like a 'Pink Witch' Aeonium (bottom row) but they're still overpriced in my view.  The large noID crested Aeonium on the middle right was magnificent but I didn't even look for a price tag.

Specimens from Mona Lisa's succulent plant booth.  I picked up a less expensive version of the crested Senecio vitalis on the left and my friend picked up a smaller, as yet "uncrested," version of the succulent on the right.   

We admired the bromeliads offered by Rainforest Flora, including some exceptionally large Tillandsias.  I've shopped Rainforest's Torrance store on many occasions in the past but it's been several years since I've dropped in there.

Various plant societies had tables too, including those addressing roses, fuchsias, iris, and hibiscus plants with gigantic flowers.

The Coastal Bonsai Club had 2 Bougainvilleas on display, among other plants

My friend and I both took home plants.  My haul was relatively small.

My purchases included, left to right: Cleistocactus colademononis (aka monkey tail cactus), a crested Senecio vitalis, and Tillandsia lorentziana.  The latter was a relative bargain. 

The show is now over.  My friend and I attended on its first day and even so it was crowded.  The display gardens may not be exciting but we had a good time picking through the vendors' wares.  Hopefully, the attendance numbers will draw some of my favorite plant and pottery sellers back in future years.

All material © 2012-2025 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party

In a Vase on Monday: Sunshine following a little rain

Much to my surprise, we got a bit of rain on Saturday.  Earlier in the week, there were hints we could get some drizzle but I discounted the forecast; however, instead of disappearing as is generally the case at this time of year, Mother Nature delivered a solid quarter of an inch.  That may not seem like a lot to many people but we consider it a decent soak.

On Sunday, I chose a sunny yellow and white arrangement to celebrate the event.

I find I need a regular jolt of cheer these days.  I would've used my swirled yellow glass vase but last week's orange arrangement is still in almost perfect condition so I picked a clear glass rectangular vase instead.

Back view: I added a variety of Calendulas to the mix

Overhead view

Clockwise from the upper left: Abelia grandiflora 'Radiance', Argyranthemum frutescens 'Mount Everest', Centranthus ruber 'Albus', Calendula officianalis, Leucospermum 'High Gold', and Phlomis fruticosa

My second arrangement is a moodier creation.  I wanted to use stems of an unusual South African Salvia that's scheduled for removal along with a host of other plants in early May as part of my effort to address Los Angeles County's new "defensible space clearance" ordinance for high fire risk areas.  The Salvia itself isn't especially flammable but it grows up through another plant that is regarded as such and removing one without the other isn't practical.  I like the Salvia but I don't love it so it'll go.  (I may take a few cuttings in case I have a change of heart, though.)

In addition to using several of the Salvia stems before that plant is gone, I cut the (mostly) spent flowers of Helleborus 'Phoebe' that's planted below another plant scheduled for removal.  I hope to dig up the hellebore before the crew arrives to pull out the 20 plants on my removal list.

Back view, showing off the stems of Salvia lanceolata

Overhead view

Clockwise from the upper left: Agonis flexuosa 'Nana', Alstroemeria 'Inca Vienna', Grevillea sericea, Helleborus 'Phoebe', and Salvia lanceolata

I cut two stems of another Alstroemeria with the initial intention of adding it to the second arrangement but I decided it didn't fit the mix.  I threw those stems into a small vase and added two snapdragons to accompany them.

The small vase containing Alstroemeria 'Inca Lucky' and Antirrhinum majus landed on the kitchen island

 

For more IAVOM creations, visit our host, Cathy at Rambling in the Garden.

All material © 2012-2025 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party

Spring at South Coast Botanic Garden (Part Two)

Last Friday I posted coverage of the first half of my spring tour of South Coast Botanic Garden.  I'm picking up my stroll where I left off.  After passing the Banyan Grove, I walked through the Palm Collection.

Having grown up surrounded by the tall, shaggy Queen Palms that have come to symbolize the Los Angeles area, I've never cared much for them, but I admit that I find the Silver Bismarck Palm attractive

Large stretches of pink Centranthus ruber provided jolts of color surrounding some of the palms

SCBG is eighty-seven acres in size.  I didn't walk the whole area but I covered more of it than usual.  At the point shown in the prior photo, I turned down one of what I think of as the "back roads."  I'm not sure it was labeled, although the path I took eventually connected with Creek Lane, passing the garden's former man-made lake.

I couldn't identify this attractive shrub surrounded by Vinca (aka periwinkle)

 

There were quite a few large Echiums along this route, including this one with flowers more purple than blue.  Backlit, the flowers glowed, an effect my camera couldn't quite capture.

There were also some very large Ceanothus scattered along the dirt trail

The path was peaceful.  The only other person I saw was a staff member repairing part of the irrigation system.

This is what's left of the former man-made lake, which once attracted many bird species, as well as visitors.  It's been dry for years now and, although there were active discussions of plans for a new lake pre-pandemic when when I was a volunteer docent, I haven't heard any mention of that in some time.

The trail I followed took me south, bringing me to the Tram Road

I followed the south-side Tram Road northwest to the Rose Garden.

Clockwise from the upper left, these are some of the roses I photographed: 'Astounding Glory', 'Ebb Tide', 'Grauss an Aachen', 'Love Song', and 2 noID roses

Last fall, volunteers planted a lot of companion plants to embellish the roses

The rose companions included: Top row - Achillea and Nepeta
Middle - Itoh peonies
Bottom - Romneya coulteri (aka Matilija poppies)

There were also clumps of Melianthus major, which I saw in various areas in addition to the Rose Garden

The lower edge of the area designated as the Upper Meadow lies across the street from the Rose Garden.  The meadow's lawn was formerly edged with a broad swath of Salvia leucantha on one end, bookended by a Mediterranean Garden on the other side.  The latter area disappeared behind construction fencing in 2024 but the meadow's edge was replanted with a range of drought tolerant plants last year, including succulents, Salvias, and Leucadendrons among other things.  I took a few shots of the area.

Cistanthe grandiflora, aka rock purslane

Grasses and more Romneya coulteri

There were some Salvia leucantha but nothing on the order of the former broad stretch of it

I couldn't identify the plants in front here with any certainty.  Their growth habit reminded me of Phlomis purpurea but the leaves were too small.  I'm guessing they might be some kind of Salvia.  My phone's dicey plant ID app offered 8 possibilities, none of which appeared correct.

From the Tram Road I headed up the main promenade that leads back toward the garden's entrance.

This mix of Agave ovatifolia and Geranium maderense (backed up by red Callistemon) was one of my favorite snaps

A blooming Agave ovatifolia (possibly the 'Vanzie' cultivar) sat directly opposite the prior display at one corner of the promenade

An agave, palm, nasturtium mix

Carpenteria californica (aka bush anemone) and nearby Iris douglasiana (aka Pacific Coast Iris).  I once tried growing a bush anemone on my back slope but it wasn't happy; however, as I'll probably remove Cistus ladanifer 'Blanche' from my back garden due to its flammability, maybe I'll try Carpenteria as a replacement.

More Agave ovatifolia, this time combined with Cistanthe and Alstroemeria

The far end of the promenade featured additional agaves with Dutch Iris

On this occasion, the Upper Meadow itself wasn't closed so I walked through the area for the first time in well over a year.

There was a wall of Rhaphiolepis in bloom marking the main entrance

A gazebo on the far end of the neatly mowed lawn serves as one of SCBG's wedding sites.  Trumpet trees sit on either side of if.

I missed the peak display of this hybrid trumpet tree (Handroanthus impetiginosus x chrysotrichus 'Apricot')

I think the sprawling shrub encircling the bench here is Cestrum aurintiacum

As I headed out, I took a quick look at the plant sale kiosk.

It was a meager display with plants that couldn't be considered bargains.  Potted succulents planted by volunteers like the one shown on the right were priced at $25-$30.  If volunteers are putting together succulent pots, I don't understand why they haven't resurrected propagation efforts to produce plants that can't readily be found in the local garden centers.

Two events open in May, continuing through September, so I expect I'll pay another visit somewhere within that window.  SOAR, the annual butterfly exhibit, opens on May 9th.  A new exhibit called Bamboozeld opens May 1st.  The latter features large bird sculptures constructed using bamboo.

Best wishes for a pleasant spring weekend.

All material © 2012-2025 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party