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Mostly Botanical

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Strange Cacti at L. A. Arboretum

Southern California owes a debt of gratitude to some of its past robber barons who have left some beautiful monuments behind them. I am thinking of Henry Huntington (Huntington Gardens), E. J. “Lucky” Baldwin (L. A. Arboretum), and Manchester Boddy (Descanso Gardens).

People usually come to Los Angeles to see Hollywood (a sad slum), the beaches (polluted), or Disneyland (outrageously expensive), but little do they think that the area’s botanical gardens are probably the most satisfying sights to be seen. While Martine and I could easily spend four hours tromping around the Arboretum, I could not imagine spending comparable time at any of the signature sights—except maybe Disneyland, if you are carrying an ample supply of gold bullion.

And only at the botanical gardens will you feel a sense of peace, surrounded by beauty and fresh air.

Trees at the Arboretum

Even if you don’t live in California, I urge you to check out the botanical gardens in your area. They are deserving of your support. And they are a great place to go with your family: Even the children I saw at the Arboretum appeared to be interested, even engaged.

Annapolis Royal

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An Amazing Collection of Botanical Art

A few days ago, I wrote about Butchart Gardens on Vancouver Island. I have always enjoyed visiting botanical gardens. Two of the best are on opposite sides of Canada. Martine and I also loved visiting the Annapolis Royal Historic Gardens in Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia. What I found interesting is that the Canadian gardens looked equally good rain or shine, while the ones in California looked best in sunny weather.

Also, the Canadians did a much better job in labeling the different plants than the American gardens we’ve visited.

One of the neat features of Annapolis Royal is that is only a few footsteps away from Fort Anne, originally built in 1629 to protect shipping. It saw action in five wars, terminating in the French and Indian War (1754-1763). On the northern part of the island is the extensive Fortress of Louisbourg, built by the French in 1713, which played a major role in the French and Indian War.

In general, Nova Scotia was our favorite part of Eastern Canada, followed by the City of Québec. We loved the lobster dinners and the French Acadian culture of towns like Chéticamp, where moose could be viewed from the window of our B&B.