In Search of Lotusland

I ran into an old friend at the beach. She told me her daughter is attending college in Santa Barbara.

First of all, that is where I want my kids to go to college. 

Is it a good school? Who cares? Education, shmeducation. 

It’s all about attending a place that I want to visit, isn’t it? 

I also like Cal Poly, because it sits smack dab in the middle of SLO County, another one of my favorite places. 

Or, Maybe I could ship them off to Hawaii? 

I digress. 

My friend and I got on the subject of, surprise…gardening…and she told me about a garden in Santa Barbara called Lotusland. It’s a public garden that operates in a private residential neighborhood in Montecito. 

Lotusland has a rich and colorful history, but not as colorful as it’s creator, Madame Ganna Walska. As part of her search for creative fulfillment and personal enlightenment, Madame Walska bought the 37-acre Cuesta Linda estate in 1941. She called it Tibetland.

After the dissolution of her sixth marriage, she changed its name to Lotusland.

So, I happen to have another friend whose parents happen to live in Montecito. 

You know who you are.

I plan to kidnap you, drive you to Montecito, pick up your mom, and zip off to Lotusland. 

Someday. 

Soon. 

Please comment if you’ve been to Lotusland. I want to hear all about it.

Comments

[Dennis]

I graduated from UCSB a few decades ago. I'm sure it is better now and it was pretty damn good then. Two thumbs up.

Lotusland is a theme in HH Bancroft's "California Pastoral" written in 1888. It was his term for the sublime feeling of early California.

[chigiy]

Dennis, If I had know you then I would have visited you frequently. Have you been to Lotusland?? Interesting about HH Bancroft.

[Gina B.]

hmmm... you aren't gonna take any of the plants are you?

[chigiy]

Gina, from what I can see in the pictures, it looks like all the plants are really big, so I will have to wear a really BIG over-coat and drive Paree's truck in order to bring back any "souvenirs."

[Loree/danger garden]

I've been and it's heaven, pure and simple: http://dangergarden.blogspot.com/2009/11/lotusland.html

[chigiy]

Thanks Loree, I can't wait to go and photograph my brains out.