On the Road is a weekday feature spotlighting reader photo submissions.
From the exotic to the familiar, whether you’re traveling or in your own backyard, we would love to see the world through your eyes.
?BillinGlendaleCA
The Chinese Garden at The Huntington has been undergoing construction for the past year or so to expand it to about twice the size. A couple of weeks ago they opened the newly completed portions of the garden. I headed over last week to check out the new additions, which are north and west of the existing lake.
I had to enter the garden via the main south entrance since they’re reconfiguring the north access to accommodate the new medicinal herb garden. The new additions start with the Court of Assembled Worthies adjoining the Clear and Transcendent pavilion on the north side of the lake.
Along the walkway leaving the Court of Assembled Worthies is a little garden.
Back at the Court of Assembled Worthies with the Flowery Brush Library to the left.
The Flowery Brush Library is on the north side of the Court of Assembled Worthies.
A path heading up the hill to the west passing a small waterfall.
The path leads to the Single Leaf Pavilion and the World in a Wine Pot. There is an area for performances behind these pavilions.
The entrance to the Cloudy Forest Court nicely frames the rock sculpture in its center.
Trees contrast against the white walls of the Cloudy Forest Court. The Stargazing Tower is up the hill on the right.
The Stargazing Tower has a commanding view of the garden and beyond.
raven
Cool, my first wedding was in a Foo Dog Garden!
?BillinGlendaleCA
@raven: There are a pair of Foo Dogs at the north entrance to the garden, though that entrance is currently closed due to the construction of the medicinal herb garden.
In an OTR in August I had pics of the Amboy Lions(Foo Dogs) and the Milky Way.
raven
@?BillinGlendaleCA: I remember. Here’s the one at Allerton Park
raven
And a closeup.
cope
What a lovely place to take pictures. Based on what I have seen, heard and read in the half hour I have been up, it looks like the perfect place for me to be right now. What beautiful rocks in the Cloudy Forest Court. I wish I lived in a place that had rocks.
Thanks for providing what will probably be the high point of my day.
dmsilev
Lovely pictures. I’m looking forward to seeing the new garden in person; managed to snag a ticket for this weekend.
There go two miscreants
Nice pictures. As I was not familiar with it, I bopped over to Wikipedia to learn more. I was surprised that the Chinese Garden was a recent addition.
J R in WV
Great place, great photos.
Thanks for sharing with us!
I miss Alain. One of the worst things about getting old is missing those who went first…
I knew this week was going to be quite emotional, I’m kind of surprised how it’s manifesting, though.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@cope: Glad you find it comforting, the rocks are imported from China.
@dmsilev: Hopefully your ticket is for Sunday, Saturday may be a bit damp. You’ll enjoy the additions to the garden.
@There go two miscreants: It’s been added in phases over the past 15 years or so. When we first visited The Huntington in 1999, the Chinese garden didn’t exist.
@J R in WV: Thanks, the gardens are a great place to shoot some pics.
dm
Lovely photos — it looks like an interesting place to visit. I will have to visit it the next time I’m in Los Angeles.
But I have to wonder about how it would look after one visited “the real thing”. I think when we westerners build these things we bring too much of ourselves to them. I know I can’t go to Japanese gardens here in the States now without reflecting on the temple gardens I visited once in Kyoto, and feeling that there’s just something missing (or, maybe, there’s too much present).
Mo MacArbie
That tree in the center of the courtyard looks dank.
Dan B
The new additions look wonderful. The desert garden and the classical Chinese garden are highlights of the Huntington. I first saw a classical Chinese garden in Vancouver, B .C. The garden in Portland is also wonderful. Both of these are in urban settings so there is no opportunity for expansion, sadly.
Were Chinese artisans brought in to work? It would be difficult in this pandemic.
BTW your photos seem technically flawless.
David Evans
Wonderful photos, but it would be worth it just for the names. I need to acquire a Court of Assembled Worthies – and then some Worthies to Assemble there. Drinking green tea to which I have become partial.
Mary G
Getting to this post late super late, Bill, but wanted to say how much I enjoyed it and hope that in a year or three I’ll be able to see it in person. I had a botany prof in college who was gaga for the Euphorbia species in the Desert Garden, so I would love to see how it’s changed in 20 years too.
That isn’t a request for photos,though. There are a few good looking Eues like the Fire Sticks, but most of them are drab and unlovely, and all of them are hellaciously poisonous and horrible to handle.
Sherparick
Thanks for the great pictures ?
?BillinGlendaleCA
@dm: It’s a really nice place; in addition to the gardens, there’s a library and art galleries.
The Chinese garden was designed and built by workers from China, so it’s pretty authentic with the exception of some of the coast live oak and a few other trees native to North America.
@Mo MacArbie: Ummm, I believe that’s a rock.
@Dan B: There’s a similar garden in downtown Sydney that the kid visited when she was there three years ago. Not a lot of room for expansion. They had a good deal of land for the entire build out at The Huntington(a few things aren’t quite finished).
@David Evans: As part of the expansion a new restaurant was constructed(not open) north of the Flowery Brush Library(which is just north of the Court of Assembled Worthies) and the existing restaurant is being converted to a tea house, but it’s on the south side of the lake.
@Mary G: I’ve shot pics of the desert garden in spring 2019, I wasn’t able to do so this year since the gardens were closed. I’ll take a look over there for some Euphorbia. Some of the plants in the desert garden were originally in Auther Letts(founder of The Broadway) garden that was adjoining his home in the Los Feliz area.
@Sherparick: Glad you like them.
Debbie(Aussie)
Absolutely amazing & beautiful. How lucky you are to have this close to home
Bill these photos are wonderful, ?
way2blue
Bill. I was recently in Pasadena, visiting my daughter who just moved there, and we went to see the Chinese Garden on October 23rd, so just missed you! I especially enjoyed the patterned walkways and terraces—with their pebbles. Each one a different pattern, with different shaped tiles.