South Coast Botanic Garden, the Jewel of the Peninsula

You can live in the South Bay your entire life and still be completely unaware of some very special places located right under your nose.

My husband grew up on the Palos Verdes Peninsula and had never been to the South Coast Botanic Garden, the Jewel of the Peninsula. I thought, for sure, he must have visited during a school field trip, but no. I’ve lived here for 25+ years and hadn’t been there either.

We rectified this glaring omission over the weekend when we attended the Sweetheart’s Stroll in the Garden on Valentine’s Day.

The SCBG consists of 87 acres – 87 ACRES! – of prime real estate on the hill.

You could spend all day strolling the trails, admiring the various gardens – but we were there for a special event and didn’t see even a quarter of the grounds.

What we did see was pretty spectacular and even though the temperature was in the eighties, keep in mind, it is still the dead of winter and some of the more dramatic flora was dormant.

The SCBG Foundation put together a lovely afternoon of discovery with a special tour featuring 14 garden highlights followed by music in the amphitheater and picnicking and wine tasting on the lawn.

I packed the picnic basket, my husband grabbed his camera equipment and off we went.

We didn’t stay true to the tour…..we moseyed here and there, stopping when something caught our attention. The tulips and poppies were especially vibrant – who can look at a tulip and not smile?

We particularly enjoyed the Wisteria at the entry, Hidden Meadow, the Cactus Garden and Garden for the Senses.

The Cactus Garden is home to an unbelievable variety of prickly, spiky, hairy, colorful, alien-looking cacti and succulents. John had a field day snapping pictures of them while I tried not to lean in too close.

The Garden for the Senses encourages visitors to use all five of the senses. The plant beds are raised so they can be easily touched and smelled and individual plant labels identify which senses each plant engages.

As a cook and occasional gardener, I love to rub the leaves between my fingers to release the scent. I quickly ran out of fingers – the scents do linger – and I should really know better to save the stronger herbs like sage and mint for last, but I was like a kid in a candy store….I couldn’t help myself.

We took a seat in the Amphitheater to enjoy the harp music – it was so appropriate in that setting and I was surprised to find myself recognizing and humming along to the music.

After about an hour of roaming, we returned to the car for the picnic basket and spread a blanket in the shade on the lawn where the wine tasting was taking place.

Cuatro Dias Wines out of Paso Robles offered half a dozen vintages. I made chicken salad, so we began with the whites – a chardonnay and a really terrific white blend. When we moved on to the salami and cheese board, we switched to the reds and especially enjoyed the Cabernet Sauvignon.

We were provided with wine glasses for the tasting and The Foil Place, out of Gardena, had a tent on-site offering complimentary engraving.

It was a wonderful afternoon and the attendees – couples, families, friends, young, old and in-between – were all really enjoying themselves.

There is so much pressure on Valentine’s Day – media induced, of course – to make a big statement. This year, we decided to forego the overpriced flowers, cards, candy, gifts and dinner and simply spend the day together.

I’ll be honest – while I enjoy discovering and experiencing new places and things, John would rather stick to what he knows….but he was game to give this a try and I was thrilled to watch him completely relax and take pleasure in this simple afternoon.

I’ve already made a note to visit again this spring when everything is in full bloom but you’ll definitely want to put this event on your calendar for next Valentine’s Day!

For additional information, visit the website at http://www.southcoastbotanicgarden.org/.

The South Coast Botanic Garden is located at 26300 Crenshaw Boulevard on the Palos Verdes Peninsula.

Photos courtesy of John Balestra except for that silly selfie at the end which was taken on my iPhone.

http://southbaybyjackie.com/sweethearts-stroll-in-the-garden/