Descanso Gardens

Gardens, including Descanso, share clean-up updates and reopening plans

Some of Southern California's prominent sylvan spaces remain shuttered as debris clean-up continues.

Rosemary Calvert

The illuminated holiday happening at Descanso Gardens in La Cañada Flintridge, a festive favorite of families around the region, enjoyed its sweet seasonal finale Jan. 5.

Just two days later, the high-force winds came, and multiple fires began around Southern California, including the Eaton Fire, a blaze that started to the east/southeast of the garden just over six miles from La Cañada Flintridge.

Descanso Gardens temporarily shuttered, as did The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens in San Marino and the Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden in Arcadia in a show of caution, care and clean-up.

Trees were downed at all of the area gardens, and debris littered walkways. The effort to remove the fallen shrubbery, and assess damage, began in earnest.

"We have lost a few trees due to the high winds and have sustained only minor damage thus far to the property from falling debris," The Huntington shared in a statement on social media Jan. 8.

"While we are currently outside the range of active fires, our buildings are equipped with features designed to enhance the safety of our art and library collections. Our HVAC systems continue to maintain safe collection storage environments, including the filtering of outside air."

Similar stories have been posted by other gardens around the area. The Arboretum reported that while some trees were downed, the property's "... historic structures survived intact."

The Jan. 11 announcement was made "... with heavy hearts for the devastating losses sustained by many of our Arboretum members, supporters, staff, board, volunteers, friends, and other Southern California communities."

And while reopening dates are being tentatively announced by some of our region's impacted gardens, another major wind event is starting Monday, Jan. 13 and expected to last through Wednesday, Jan. 15.

Stay in the know about what is happening at the gardens, including clean-up efforts and reopening dates, via the destinations' social pages.

Descanso Gardens reopened Jan. 13, The Huntington is expected to reopen Jan. 15, and The Arboretum remains closed "until further notice."

Arlington Garden, a free garden located in Pasadena just north of South Pasadena, is open as of Jan. 13.

The garden, the longtime home of the famous Wish Trees, shared that new paper for writing wishes was just set out near the lovely symbols of hope, as well as string, should visitors seek a peaceful moment to sit and reflect.

The volunteer-led garden has recommendations for visiting, including masks and checking the Air Quality Index.

Pacific Palisades resident Casey Colvin has been reunited with his dog Oreo after being separated during the Palisades Fire.
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