Thursday, September 29, 2016

Lotusland — Cactus!

Behind Madame Ganna Walska's home (around which we explored last week) is the Cactus Garden...

From the Lotusland website: "This extensive collection of columnar cacti was donated to Lotusland in 1999 by Merritt Dunlap, a longtime friend of Madame Walska. Dunlap began his collection in 1929 and grew approximately 40 percent of the plants from seed."

"...The new garden area was designed by Eric Nagelmann on three-quarters of an acre and contains about 300 different species of cacti, grouped by their country of origin. Paths snake between raised beds, converging on an elevated viewing terrace near the center of the garden.

Three hundred tons of diorite boulders were used to create the beds, and stunning formations of basalt create more drama at the lawn entrance and throughout the garden, which opened in 2004.

Notable specimens include species of Opuntia endemic to the Galapagos Islands; several blue, sculptural species of Armatocereus from Peru; and a complete collection of the genus Weberbauerocereus. Accent plants, including boojum trees (Fouquieria columnaris), dry-growing bromeliads, and several Agave species provide contrast and interest."

I was thrilled to see so many specimens in bloom during our July visit.

(that darn smudge is on the inside of the camera lens!)

I neglected to take a photo at the bottom of the stairs, before I climbed to the "elevated viewing terrace" — so this screen shot of their website will have to do...

And look who was waiting for me at the top!

The viewing platform enables you to see the tops of some of the tall cactus, an excellent thing!

These guys look like they just flew in from the Arctic and forgot to leave their coats at home.

Love the fur!

I looked down and spotted this fallen fruit. Andrew disagreed and said it was something a child had dropped.

I couldn't reach it but Andrew did (guess who was right?). After admiring it we left it there for the next person (or animal) who might come along.

I do not like the monstrose/crested Cactus

But LOVE this one...

Just one more Lotusland post to come, the "left-overs"...

All material © 2009-2016 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.

20 comments:

  1. What a thrill it has been to arm chair your trip to Lotusland! Thank you for the gorgeous photos detailing the most intricate parts of the plants. Following the various posts, led me to order the fabulous book "Lotusland: a Photographic Odyssey'...which was devoured in one sitting. Lotusland is, indeed, an odyssey!

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    1. Thank you for commenting Susan, I love knowing that people are enjoying these posts! (and nice book purchase!)

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  2. Every time I think it couldn't possibly get more unusual and amazing, it does! Thanks for taking so many shots and doing multiple posts, as I don't think I am ever going to get there in person.

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    1. Ah come on...a nice wintertime trip to Santa Barbara? Oh wait...Lotusland is closed in the wintertime. A nice early spring trip?

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  3. Enjoying all your posts on Lotusland. Those furry columns are cute and the fruit just gorgeous. All the bright blooms are surprising in July but the climate there is a bit milder than farther inland.

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    1. Indeed, the climate in Santa Barbara is just perfect!

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  4. Great eye candy from Lotusland! I've really enjoyed your posts from this terriffic garden and am a bit sad to hear that there's only one more left. You probably need to go back and take more pictures, you know for the sake of your readers. Do be careful as that guy might still follow you around.

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    1. I doubt it, that guy is working pretty hard these days :(

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  5. My brain short-circuited with the mention of 300 tons of boulders. Madame Walska must have had a lot of help with that installation.

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    1. This section of the garden was installed many years after Walska's death, and was designed to contain a significant fellow collector's plants in the spirit of the Lotusland style; more is more!

      For me personally, this garden section didn't resonate, not enough contrasts in plant material to best display the rare plant selections.

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    2. David I would have completely agreed with your "didn't resonate" comment after I visited in 2009, but this time it worked for me. I'm not sure why the difference.

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  6. When aliens land, I hope they land in Lotusland...what an introduction to our planet that would be.

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    1. Just as long as they don't destroy anything...

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  7. This was probably my favorite garden at Lotusland although (as you know) it's tough to pick favorites. I loved all the rocks they had brought it.

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  8. I like the flat grey stones they used for mulch. It creates a contrast to the columns, looks really good.

    The columnar cactus look most impressive in mass groups like that, don't they? Just one or two look odd.

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    1. Indeed, grouping them makes much more of a statement.

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  9. Those furry cacti look so adorably pettable, but somehow I have a feeling they are not. What a spectacular view to look out over a field of those tall, columnar cacti. I can totally see what made Ricki think of aliens.

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    1. I carefully petted a couple, they were soft!

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  10. I wish this place were open during the Christmas holidays so we could see it during our occasional trips to California.

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