Descanso Gardens is a place where you can find natural beauty year-round with astonishing seasonal horticultural displays and internationally renowned botanical collections. Descanso Gardens is considered a museum of living collections by the American Alliance of Museums. Annually there are around 500,000 visitors from all over to check out the beauty this museum has to offer. Descanso Garden offers a principal collection that includes California native plants and oak woodlands. This museum has one of the greatest collections of camellias in the Western Hemisphere. Descanso Gardens has been recognized as an International Camellia of Excellence by the International Camellia Society. The garden is operated by a nonprofit organization known as the Descanso Gardens Guild, Inc. The budget for this garden is $6.4 million annually which is funded by philanthropic gifts, memberships, fees and support from Los Angeles County.

Descanso Gardens is a tale that unfolds over centuries. From the tribal people who relied on generous oaks for food and their way of life to the 20^th century entrepreneur who sowed the seeds of a cultural institution. The most recent chapter of the “museum of living collections” is the rich history of the landscape. The Descanso Gardens remains an oasis of charm.

Descanso Gardens always has something to offer no matter what time of year you visit. Spring bloom offers colorful flowers where winter offers gorgeous camellias. Enchanted: Forest of Light  is offered once a year starting at November 19^th through January 7^th. This enchanted forest is a mile-long interactive walk through the unique lighting experiences in some of the most loved areas of the Descanso Gardens. The remarkable oaks and live music is offered all year round. Descanso Gardens website is where you can check out what’s blooming in the different months.

Yoga classes  are available at Descanso Gardens. This eight-week yoga session includes a 25- minute fitness walk and 60-minute yoga practice.

Rentals are very popular with the variety of settings Descanso Gardens has to offer. From the grounds of the Boddy House to the Oak Lawn, Descanso Gardens is an excellent place to host a special event. Descanso Gardens is just minutes from downtown Los Angeles, as well as San Fernando and San Gabriel Valleys making it convenient to explore other places too!

It is always fun to share your experience with friends and family. Luckily, Penless can help! Penless offers stickers, post cards, regular cards, and more to share your experience. When I went to Descanso Gardens with my mom, sister, and two nieces we wanted to share our experience with our other family members. We took pictures of the beautiful flowers and videos of what the garden had to offer. We gifted my father a succulent that my mom picked out from the gift store. We attached a leaf Penless sticker  to the succulent with a video message of the garden.

“Descanso Gardens is a unique Southern California landscape distinguished by its specialized botanic collections, historical significance, and rare natural beauty. Our mission is to practice exemplary stewardship of Descanso’s distinctive character and assets; offer people an experience close to nature; and cultivate understanding of the natural world and people’s place in it through inspiration, education, and example.”