Over the summer, I visited the South Coast Botanic Gardens with my family to try to shake the dullness of being trapped inside the house. The botanic garden is a good place to enjoy nature close to the city and return to regular life as soon as you leave the gates. It has several sub-garden areas to visit and the open air and 87 acres of space allow for a wide physical distance between groups without awkwardness (though I still kept my mask up when walking past other people). During these times of Covid, there are no group discounts (though there normally are) and you have to make reservations ahead of time. The garden staff want people to walk in groups of ten or less. Luckily, we were only a group of five.
The botanic gardens were filled with many well-established plants, taller than I have seen in the yards of anyone I've visited. I saw cactus clusters taller than some trees and flowers that I did not know could grow on stalks like bamboo. It made me realize the potential of plants when they are mostly left to do as they please. There is a koi pond near the entrance and a shady 'fuchsia garden' frequented by humming birds. The serene koi pond gave me hope for what else I might see in the garden. The map suggested there was a lake, but it was actually a "dry lake bed," so I felt lied to when I got to the location and only found a weird waterless crater. Not that I was going to do anything with or in the water, but it would have been nice to look at.
Speaking of nice views, the botanic garden has plenty of picturesque places to take photos, so you may come across other visitor taking engagement photos (which the garden staff prefer you inform them about), holding social functions in special areas, or simply having picnics.
The weather report said it was supposed to be what a Southern Californian considers a relatively cool day. It was not. The sun tried to melt me. There are plenty of tall trees for shade, but you might not always be where they are protecting you from the sun. Many times, I found myself power-walking up an annoying slope to try to get into the shade. Amazingly, some hidden gems can be found in those shady areas.
A word of warning. The botanic garden is not a place you go if you don't have good shoes for walking because it is mostly dirt paths and concrete here and there, so you are essentially hiking. A split-second decision saved me the trouble of struggling through the garden in cutesy sandals. It's a true outdoor space, so a lot of the paths are only manicured enough to be accessible, while the foliage along the side is relatively free to grow as it pleases.
Oddly enough, even though it is an outdoor space, dogs are not really allowed. They don't want them disturbing the wildlife, but apparently there are special days about two times a month where there are dog events (you gotta pay a $4** entry fee per dog by the way). I didn't really encounter any wildlife while I was there--unless you count ants--but I did see one falcon and run into a mansion's worth of spiderwebs on a park bench. You will see spiderwebs floating above the paths and just off to the side, but the spiders have learned to make their webs mostly out of the way.
I would love to visit the South Coast Botanic Gardens again, especially in a different season, so that I can see what different flowers are in bloom (and also be less hot).
ADMISSION (as of September 2020):
Foundation Members: FREE
Adults: $15
Seniors (62 and over)$11
Students (with ID) $11
Children (5 – 12): $5
Children (4 and under)
FREE Admission: Third Tuesday of each month
* Visitors under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.
**$4 entry fee for dog walking days as of September 2020