Summer Day at the LA County Arboretum

We spent a day at the Los Angeles County Arboretum. It was a classic Southern California summer day—bright, cloudless, and hot. After passing the entrance sign, I was immediately struck by the scale of the trees and the variety of plants.

Not far into the grounds is the old Queen Anne Cottage, looking almost out of place surrounded by towering palm trees. Nearby, a white arbor in the rose garden was covered in pale pink climbing roses, all in full, direct sun.

The main event for me was the sheer number of flowers blooming under the light. There were countless varieties of plumeria with intense pinks, oranges, and yellows. I also found hibiscus, a perfect water lily floating in a shaded pond, and some striking orange bottlebrush-like flowers. Everything felt intensely colored.

Beyond the more formal gardens, there were other landscapes to walk through. We found a small, shaded waterfall over mossy rocks and several quiet garden paths. It's a huge place, with a lot of different environments packed into one park.