Serene. That's the perfect word. For years I've been coming to my beloved Brand Park, but have…read morenever been able to make it on a day this area was open so it was a treat for sure esp on the gloomy day that needed a little sparkle. The lawns are manicured beautifully and the tea house, koi pond, gazebo, and Dr's house are all beautiful to see. I can't wait to experience an authentic tea ceremony there (call to reserve) and take a tour on one of their Sundays. Brand Park and all that it has to offer is truly a TREASURE in Southern California and should not be missed. (I'm even typing this review from Brand Park right now lol What can I say? Love this place!)

I was hoping to enjoy some tea, but I believe you must reserve in advance for the tea room…read more Nevertheless, we had a great time watching the koi fish in the pond. The garden had a beautiful atmosphere, serene and dignified. It would be lovely to take photos here. The koi pond is well taken care of and it seems to be a popular spot to sit and enjoy the weather and view, as several other people were there when I arrived around 8 am.

The Audubon Center is a nice area at the Ernest E Debs Regional Park…read more It makes for a nice meeting point if you are going for a hike with friends! They have a very clean bathroom area (don't clean your shoes there! they have signs haha) and also a small parking lot. I've gone a couple times now and staff is always very friendly, as well, greeting us as we walk by. Check their calendar as they have fun events happening to both help the environment and just have some fun. Like a live band under the peppercorn trees! Such a beautiful little space with cute little areas throughout. Absolutely an asset to the Highland Park community! Pro-Tip: Did you know Audubon Center has their own bird watching app? It's pretty cool and meant for use across the country so give it a download!

Such an amazing park! I can't wait to come back here for more events!!! Great job to those people…read morewho set up, they did an amazing job.

4/9/23 After the Easter egg hunt with my family in Diamond Bar, my day wouldn't be complete w/o a…read morevisit to the Lakewood Community garden. I just love visiting the garden to see what's growing. Living vicariously through others is exhilarating w/o the hard work-hahaha. Actually, there's nothing like harvesting & reaping what you've sowed. Check out the wonderful photos from today! Met the wonderful neighbors, Tina, a native of China, who speaks both Mandarin& Cantonese, and another neighbor, Bob, who was helping Tina pick some peas. Such lovely people:)) Another fabulous day, on Easter Sunday. Let the weekdays be short to see next weekend's activities:)) Woohoo \(*0*)/

Lovely! Work Hard. Grow your own. Eat organic. Repeat…read more I have a plot here and garden with my husband and kids on the weekends. It's $12/year for the plot "rental" fee and you get free water, manure, and advice from other gardeners. This is an awesome way for us to not only stretch our budget (by growing our own food), teach our kiddos that food doesn't have to come from the grocery store, and meet new people in our own community. ...all for $1 a month and a couple of hours a week..... That's a deal that I can't beat!! BTW - You can only garden here if you are a Lakewood resident and the wait list is between 6 months and 1 year long, but so worth it!

I love this community garden and I can't wait to go back. It's the first one I've seen that draws…read moreso many hummingbirds! And they're not shy around people. You can see them up close. They've done a great job here with pollinator plants and wildflowers. They put up signs so you can learn about some of the plants.

*** I admire the work that the Friends are doing. ***…read more FoBW posted an event to tour the wetlands yesterday. I've lived in the area since 2002 but I have never toured. I'm so glad that I did yesterday. It's well worth a 1hr visit. Notes: FoBW offers guided tours for elementary schools Tu and Th. FoBW offers guided tours for middle and high schools M, W, F. FoBW offers guided tours for the public 2nd Sun of every month. *** It's very refreshing to have a slice of nature in the city. ***

My daughter's Brownies troop and myself had the wonderful opportunity of having a guided tour of…read morethe Ballona Wetlands. Our tour guide was Christian. Both he and his lovely assistant were awesome. They kept the girls interested by their enthusiasm and fun demeanor. Binoculars were even provided to the girls for the tour. I myself learned alot! I was totally unaware of this rich piece of nature left in Los Angeles County. I appreciate organization's work on helping to keep this place preserved, as well as educating the public of its existence. Kudos to FBW.

This Japanese Garden, in the heart of Cit of Hope, is the perfect small retreat from the hustle and…read morebustle of the hospital. It's a few minutes walk from parking lot A or G and the main hospital. It's also across the Garden of Hope. There are shaded benches all around and a small path of cobble stones that circle the garden. It feels very serene here. You'll notice employees come on their breaks, some will just pass through, and many visitors come to think and sit quietly. My kids and I love to look at the koi fish and turtles in the pond. There's a purple koi fish that doesn't show up by the bridge all the time, but see if you can find it! You may bring a small snack and drinks but please don't leave anything behind. Police yourselves when visiting.

This is a cute very small Japanese garden located within the grounds of the City of Hope medical…read morecenter that has everything a traditional Japanese garden needs like koi fish, bridge, Japanese cement lantern, etc. It seems open to the general public, but I think it's more geared for guests visiting patients at the hospital or City of Hope staff on breaks. It's very calm here but also very somber, please respect others using the garden because there might be people dealing with intense sickness of a loved one as opposed to other more public Japanese gardens. I'd also recommend checking out the nearby rose garden across the street as it is very beautiful and colorful. There isn't a lot of parking, I wouldn't recommend parking in their lot unless visiting a patient, so park somewhere off campus and walk in. For a list of other Japanese gardens around check out my list: bit.ly/3CLXWV9

What a lovely nursery! Visit and learn about/buy native plants for your yard. The environment will…read morethank you! (Note: If you think you might be lost right before you get there, you are probably going the right way.) They have really cute seed and book/gift huts too for you and your garden loving friends. There is also a little trail you can take next to the nursery where you can see hawks, lizards, and sometimes snakes!

I have heard of this place but never visited. Instagram advertised a fall plant sale and I was…read moregoing to be nearby, so I checked it out. You need to reserve parking (and it is limited as in, not a whole lot of spaces). You can park on the street down the hill but you will have a 700 foot walk uphill in dust. Depending on their stock, they should have a decent amount of small (and some large) native plants to California. There is also a cute seed shack and merchandise. They have areas for lots of classes and ways to educate yourself on the native landscape to California. I left with an endangered Dudleya from the coast of Santa Barbara.

The Culver City Garden Club meets the first Tuesday of every month at the Veterans Memorial…read moreBuilding in Culver City and is a cool place to come to meet other people interested in gardening/the environment. Members are from a wide age group, diverse backgrounds, and botanical interests. Some are garden newbies while several are master gardeners. You can come and bring your questions or just to listen to the speaker, all are welcome and meetings are free to guests. Membership is only $12 a year for an individual or $18 a year for a couple so you can't beat that! Most meetings also have a raffle for plants and cuttings from the members' gardens and the show has a FABULOUS raffle of prizes donated by local businesses! They are also on Twitter and Facebook! http://twitter.com/CulverCityGardn http://www.facebook.com/mvanessacoto?v=feed&story_fbid=1324100054965#/pages/The-Culver-City-Garden-Club/252982790841?ref=ts Here's the info from their pamphlet: The Culver City Garden Club was founded in 1953 and was incorporated in California as a not-for-profit organization in 1964. It has Internal Revenue Code 501 (c) (3) non-profit status. Membership is open to anyone interested in plants, gardening and the environment. The Club has more than 100 members ranging in age from 8 to 94 years old. Members live in a wide geographic area and reflect the area's diversity and varied living arrangements. Members include both novice gardeners and experts. The CCGC is a general interest club and does not focus on just one kind of plant or one aspect of gardening. Activities The Club usually meets on the first Tuesday of each month. Most meetings include a "Show, Tell & Ask" session, a speaker presentation, and refreshments. The meetings are free and open to the public, and one needn't be a member to attend. The Club prepares and distributes a Monthly Newsletter with timely garden tips for each month, a calendar of gardening and plant events throughout the Southland and information about the scheduled speaker. We also sponsor a Garden Hop where we visit some members' homes. At least since 1953, the Club's primary public event is its Garden Show, held annually in the Veterans' Memorial Auditorium. Last year, the Show attracted an estimated 400 attendees and more than 250 plants were entered. The Show features a Plant and Flower Exhibition, Gardening Education Workshop and a Plant/Gardening Supplies Sale. Admission is free and always has been.

The Garden Club will host its first meeting of 2012 on Tuesday, Jan. 3, at 7:30PM,…read morein The G2 Gallery, 1503 Abbot Kinney Blvd., @ Millwood Ave., Venice, 90291. This will be our "home" through our March meeting. Our speaker will be Mary Ogren whose topic is "Butterflies in Your Garden". Her garden is a certified Monarch Waystation and Wildlife Habitat. There will be refreshments and a plant "Show, Tell & Ask". The meetings are FREE and all are welcome. See you then and Happy New Year!