Santa
Barbara Botanic Gardens - California Flowers
Santa
Barbara Botanic Gardens
1212 Mission Canyon Rd.
Santa
Barbara, CA
805) 682-4726
sbbg.org
Santa Barbara, CA -- Santa Barbara Botanic Gardens is
tucked up in the hills above the Santa Barbara Mission. Surrounded by
expensive houses in an established neighborhood filled with tall trees and
lots of vines and shrubs. Neighbors that enjoy this botanic garden
often walk their dogs down to the beautiful refuge. Described in
brochures as a native garden, the authentic look and feel of the tucked away
treasures provides an experience that's very natural and not overwhelming. A
sweeping sensation of peace, beauty and well-being comes over you as you
head down the shaded paths that traverse a creek on one side of the road. On
that portion of the gardens are plants that do best in the shade.
In
1925 the Carnegie Institution suggested a cooperative undertaking with the
Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History to administer a botanical garden
reaching from the sea to the crest of the mountains. Plant ecologist Dr.
Frederic Clements came to Santa Barbara as Carnegie's representative in
search of geographic sites that could be used for experimental plant
research. In 1926 this plan became a reality when Anna Dorinda Blaksley
Bliss, a local philanthropist, purchased 13 acres in Mission Canyon for the
museum where both the mountains and the ocean are visible.
Crossing the street are more open
fields with butterflies flittering around lots of bumble bees buzzing around
the flowers when they are in bloom.
California is one of Earth's 25
biodiversity hotspots - areas with unusually high numbers of species.
Among the 5,800 native plant species occurring in California, 1,700 have
such small populations that they face extinction in the next 50 years.
Despite a long history of scientific study, we still have scant knowledge of
the role most California native plants play in natural landscapes.
The Garden is committed to conserving the rarest plant species of the
Central Coast Bioregion, which encompasses Monterey and San Benito counties
south to Ventura County, and includes California's Channel Islands.
The Santa Barbara Botanic Garden
includes Garden Shop, a retail nursery and Blaksley Library. The gift shop
features books, cards and magnets commemorating your visit to this special
place that many tourists never stray to. Finding it requires a bit of effort
compared to the beach and State Street shopping but it is well worth the
effort to explore. Garden
Open:
March - October: 9:00 a.m. to 6:00
p.m.
November - February: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Blaksley Library
Tuesday - Friday 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. by appointment.
Retail Nursery
Open during Garden hours
Staffed by volunteers 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. daily
Garden Shop
Open during Garden hours
In 2003 the Garden and was granted
County Historic Landmark status to 23 of the Garden's 78 acres, the
Aqueduct, Indian Steps, Entry Steps, the Information Kiosk, the Caretaker's
Cottage, the Blaksely library and Campbell Bridge.
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