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

This year's local garden show

Although the garden show in nearby Orange County hasn't been worthy of the name for many years, a neighbor and I attended late last week nonetheless, mainly to peruse the vendor stands.  We arrived on the first day of the event to avoid the crush of weekend visitors.

The event is held every year in the home goods wing of South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa in late April.  The light inside the mall is less than perfect so keep that in mind when you view my photos.  I threw away more than half of the photos I took.

The main level was occupied by a floral centerpiece with an undersea theme created by Fiesta Parade Floats using floral and other natural materials.

The display was 25-feet tall

Details shot from a variety of angles

The subtitle given to the garden show is "At Home in the Garden" which is a nice way of explaining why the display gardens are focused on outdoor furniture and relatively light on plants.  I took only a handful of photos of the displays.

This one was called 'Nature Reconciliation'.  The frame in the background contained a "rain curtain" water feature.  I wasn't sure what the rock-filled containers in the foreground were about.

This one was called 'Peaceful Garden Getaway'.  The rock fountain (right) was the nicest element.  The fire pit was described as a "smokeless" unit that could double for use in cooking.

This one was called 'The Serenity of Nature'.  The waterwheel (lower right) was intended to the provide soothing sound of water but it wasn't running.  The plant shown on the upper right looked like a shrub, possibly some kind of Viburnum, grown as a standard in a small pot.

Once again this year, Fleurs de Villes installed mannequins decked out in floral designs.  The majority of these were installed in the main wing of South Coast Plaza accessible via a bridge but we didn't make it there.  There were just two installations in the home goods wing.

The one on the left was called 'Culinary Arts' and the one on the right was called 'Queen of the Night'

There was a nice bonsai exhibit on the upper level, mixed in with vendor offerings.

The miniature landscape (upper right) was interesting.  The exhibitor identified the one below it (lower right) as a Brazilian rain tree (Pithecellobium tortum), which appears to be a common bonsai subject.  I'd like to have a Bougainvillea bonsai like the one on the lower left as I love the plants but my husband doesn't want them in our garden.

When I looked up the garden show a month or more before the event, I viewed a vendor list that was much more extensive than the final list.  I was disappointed to find that some of my favorite vendors didn't participate this year.  I'd hoped to get another Muradian pot after a critter toppled one I had in my lath house but that didn't happen and the vendor displays were light on pottery altogether.

There were these odd pillows embedded with lights, though

Most of the pottery I saw contained plants.  The snake-shaped pot (left) was interesting but the empty version had more holes than were needed for drainage.  The one in the middle contained a monkey tail cactus (Cleistocactus colademononis), a plant that appeals to me but once again I left behind.  The pot on the right contained what appeared to be a small Aeonium.

Luckily, there were numerous vendors selling plants.

Bird Rock Tropicals (top row) had bromeliads for sale.  Various other vendors also offered bromeliads and Tillandsias.  I think the Tillandsia on the lower right might be 'Curly Slim'.

The epiphytic ferns (Huperzia) on the left were interesting but expensive ($75).  While some of the tiny ferns were $20 each, others like the very tiny Deparia lancea (lower right) were $85.

There were a LOT of orchid sellers but few bargains outside of the moth orchids (Phalaeonopsis)

There were also a large number of succulent sellers.  This was one of the nicest displays, meticulously curated with lots of small specimens and a nice selection of larger ones.

This seller also had a wide selection
Top row - Aeoniums in new (to me) colors and an especially pretty Crassula
Middle: Portulacaria and displays featuring Euphorbia squarrosa and E. stellata that develop twisted caudexes
Bottom: noID blushing succulent, a range of species, and a crested Myrtillocactus  geometrizans

I didn't buy much on this occasion, just one noID Tillandsia and a package of three Hippeastrum papilio bulbs at a very good price.  In retrospect, I regretted that I passed on the pot containing the Aeonium shown above.  Although the plant itself wasn't unusual, the pot was rather nice.  My neighbor and I had a good time in any case.

All material © 2012-2024 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party

A facsimilie of a garden show

One of Southern California's largest (and flashiest) malls, South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa, has been holding a spring garden show for thirty-three years.  I started attending somewhere around 2005, long before I began blogging.  In the early years, I enjoyed the shows, which offered small display gardens and vendors selling a wide variety of plants and garden-related materials.  I published my first posts on the show in April 2013, which you can find here and here.  By that time, I was already expressing frustration with what I perceived as a decline in the quality of the show's display gardens but the vendors remained a strong draw.  I expressed disappointment in 2014 as well but, by comparison to recent shows, plants and garden design had a much larger presence then (see post here).  In 2015, the mall's retailers took control of the show and the display gardens became more about selling their products than about gardens.  I didn't even post photos of my visit that year.  By 2016 the number of vendors had decreased dramatically but I continued to attend annually through 2019.  (You can view posts from this period here, here, here and here.)  I don't recall if the show was held during the pandemic years but in any case this year was the first time I've attended since 2019.

Even with lowered expectations, my friend and I were disappointed.  As usual, the centerpiece of the show was designed by Fiesta Parade Floats, an entity that produces floats of the Tournament of Roses Parade held annually in Pasadena, California on or about New Year's Day.

This display, called California Dreaming, was 25 feet tall.  This photo was taken from the third floor of the mall.

Closeups of the centerpiece display.  I assume that, like the Rose Parade floats, the display was covered in natural materials but I didn't confirm this.

 

As in prior years since 2015, the display "gardens" were more focused on selling furniture and decor items than garden design or plants.  The plants were peripheral at best.  I haven't bothered to show them all but I'm sharing my photos of the three award winners and a couple of others.  My apologies for the relatively poor clarity of the photos.  Taking photos inside a mall isn't easy.

The name given to this display was Traditional Flair Temptations.  It was described as a place to enjoy the low maintenance garden.  It received a 3rd place award but, in my view, it had the strongest connection to a real garden setting.

This one was called Modern Nature Escape.  It was described as an eco-friendly space to enjoy a low maintenance garden.  The structure was said to mimic a "repurposed shipping container."  It won the first place award.

This 2nd place winner was called Outside the Lines.  It was described as using "sexy, unique softscapes (to) calm the hard lines framing the gathering place."  There was fake grass, few plants and I hated it.

This one was called A Little Piece of Change.  It was described as an "upcycled garden' that provides opportunities to "lovingly tend your herb garden and then take a breather in the charming garden shed."

This one is called A Garden Foot Spaaa (their spelling).  The gardener is meant to feel the calm of the garden "at peace with low water and very little fuss."  An "old stock tank" to bathe one's feet is offered as a source of renewal, as well as a place to give dogs a bath.

 

The mall advertised fifteen displays of mannequins dressed in flowers but I only saw two in the show area.  I'm guessing the rest were placed in the fashion-focused mall area across the street, although I did run into one at a nearby botanic garden later the same day.

Mannequins dressed in greenery and flowers seems to be a "thing" at garden shows these days

3 days into the show, the flowers still looked good

 

This year, there were vendors on all three levels of the mall but there weren't as many as in prior years and most of my favorite vendors were no shows.

Orchids are always common at this show because it precedes Mother's Day.  Houseplants had a greater presence.  There were fewer outdoor garden plants for sale.

This was the only stall offering what I'd call bargains

This vendor offered monkey tail cactus (Cleistocactus colademononis) in small sizes for $15 and it's the only thing I regret not buying.  In fact, other than lunch, I didn't buy anything on this visit, which is probably a first.

 

Will I attend future shows?  Absent confirmation of some of my favorite vendors, like Mark Muradian Pottery and Geraniaceae, it's unlikely.

 

All material © 2012-2023 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party

The garden show in a mall

While Southern California supports numerous Spring garden tours, we don't have much in the way of garden shows.  We have "home and garden" shows but their focus is most definitely on homes rather than gardens.  There used to be a few real garden shows here but most have disappeared.  The South Coast Plaza Spring Garden Show celebrated its 30-year anniversary in late April.  Held in an upscale mall in Orange County, it features a range of small display gardens and attracts a variety of vendors with plants and garden-related merchandise.  Sadly, in recent years the displays have been more about outdoor furniture (and furniture purporting to be of use outside), usually sold by one of the home goods stores occupying the mall.  I still go, mainly to check out the vendors' stalls, but I always check out the display gardens too.

Mall lighting makes it difficult to take photographs and many of the displays didn't warrant close examination anyway but I'll share a handful, as well as the central display created by a firm that constructs floats for our New Year's Day Tournament of Roses Parade each year.

The Under the Sea display was created by Fiesta Parade Floats

This was my favorite display, called 'Green Attitude'.  It was envisioned as a home office with a view into an adjacent garden.

This one was called 'The Secret Garden'

This one, featuring an outdoor bar, was called 'Taste of spring'

I liked the rustic succulent planter in this display called 'Meandering Time'

This one, featuring bar seating directly next to a humongous grill, was called 'Gather Round'.  I liked the variegated Furcraea, the lines of which were softened by Acacia 'Cousin Itt' and ornamental grasses.

There was also a display created with visitors in search of selfie opportunities in mind.

I don't do selfies

As I'd scheduled a lunch date with a friend and former co-worker several miles away, I had less time to shop the vendor stalls than I'd have liked.

Garden decor

Lots of plants

Mark Muradian's pottery: I own a few of his pots and was sorely tempted to buy another on this visit

At least the time limit kept my spending under control.

I passed on the pots on this occasion but picked up Begonia 'Little Darling', an unidentified variegated Hoya, and these nutshells strung together to support Tillandsias

I had a nice lunch catching up with my friend and then, since I was less than a mile from Roger's Gardens, I stopped there for a brief spin before heading to the freeway.

Cool (if expensive) hanging planter near the entrance

This vertical garden area is updated regularly.  Buddha holds court this Spring.

Views of 3 sides of the entry area demonstration garden, updated seasonally

This waterwise garden area was also updated since my last visit.  I loved this iteration.

Russell hybrid lupines - so tempting but so short-lived in my climate

Two planted chairs, one featuring herbs and the other featuring succulents

Although I spent no more than an hour at Roger's, I still managed to make a few purchases.

My takeaways: Solanum crispum 'Glasnevin', Achillea ptarmica 'Peter Cottontail', Aeonium 'Fiesta', and Zinnia and Helianthus seeds

For the record, I didn't buy any plants this week!  After all, I still have several that still need planting.

Enjoy your weekend!


All material © 2012-2019 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party