The Huntington Library, Art Museum and Botanical Gardens, known as The Huntington, is a collections-based educational and research institution located in San Marino, California established by Henry & Arabella Huntington.
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In addition to the library, and an extensive art collection focused on 18th- and 19th-century European art, the property is surrounded by approximately 120 acres of specialized botanical landscaped gardens.
The Camelia Gardens include nearly 80 different camellia species and some 1,200 cultivated varieties. Most of them are at the peak of their bloom in January and February. In 1910, Henry E. Huntington began acquiring a large collection of outdoor sculptures, personally deciding on the exact location for each piece of garden statuary. Love is a common theme among the garden sculptures, most of which dates from the late 17th and early 18th centuries and come from various cultural traditions across Europe and beyond.
Fountain in the Camelia Gardens: The Italian fountain which is the central highlight of the camelia Gardens had been brought to England in the early 18th-century and remained there until it was purchased by Henry Huntington in 1915. It was shipped from New York in 48 boxes that filled an entire railway car. Oddly enough, the fountain arrived without assembly instructions and with a few extra pieces. It eventually was installed five years after the completion of the main house.
The Rose Garden was originally created in 1908 for the private enjoyment of Henry and Arabella Huntington. Roses were a particular favorite flower of Arabella's. The garden was designed primarily for display, providing copious quantities of cut blooms for the large elaborate floral arrangements favored in their home. Household records indicate that in one year alone more than 30,000 flowers were used in these massive bouquets, 9,700 of which were roses.
Japanese Garden: For over a century, the historic Japanese Garden has been one of the most beloved and iconic landscapes at The Huntington, with its distinctive moon bridge, picture-postcard views of koi-filled ponds and the historic Japanese House. The put it in simple words, the Japanese Garden is a magical place, intimate and inspiring which really highlights the unique landscape traditions, craftsmanship, horticulture, and rituals of Japanese culture.Since the institution opened to the public in 1928, the Japanese Garden, has attracted more than 20 million visitors and remains arguably the most popular spot at The Huntington.
The Zen Court provides an example of the contained landscapes that once evolved in the temple gardens of Japan. Patterns raked into gravel, rock formations and shrubbery are used to symbolize water, space, movement and other abstract ideas.
Bonsai Trees
In 1968, The Huntington expanded the Japanese Garden to include a bonsai collection and zen court, where displays are rotated throughout the year to highlight seasonal features. Since 1990, The Huntington has served as the Southern California site for the Golden State Bonsai Federation and trees in the collection now number in the hundreds.
Jungle Garden
The Jungle Garden features a high forest canopy, an understory of trees and shrubs, climbing vines, and leaves of giant proportions. The canopies of tall trees, protect the plants below that are sensitive to frost and sun. On a cool note there are many Vines which are climbing the trees to reach the light. These Lianas are climbing plants characteristic of tropical forests. At the bottom of the garden is the ombu tree, which grew from a seedling received from the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 1914. It had been growing in the Buenos Aires Botanical Garden since 1912. An unofficial emblem of Argentina, the tree has an enormous swollen base that evolved to help it cope with grass fires, winds, and scarce rainfall.
Desert garden
The Huntington Desert Garden is one of the largest and oldest assemblages of cacti and other succulents in the world. The desert garden features more than 2,000 species of succulents and desert plants in sixty landscaped beds. Many plants are labeled with their name and country of origin. Most of these plants retain water in their leaves, stems, or roots and protect themselves with sharp spines or thorns, and some have waxy or woolly protective coverings to reflect sunlight and decrease water loss.
Chinese Garden
Liu Fang Yuan, or the Garden of Flowing Fragrance, is one of the finest classical-style Chinese gardens outside of China. Filled with Chinese plants and framed by exquisite architecture, the landscape is enriched with references to literature and art. This garden is inspired by the gardens of Suzhou, a city located near Shanghai in southeastern China. Most importantly, the garden has been designed to respect its natural locale.
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