The Rose Gardens contain over 4000 plants and easily the great number of varieties of anywhere that I’ve ever visited.

Outta the Blue and Jump for Joy. Jump for Joy always looks amazing here. Outta the Blue is the pre-cursor to Ebb Tide and and Twilight Zone.

Nicest plant of Barcelona I have ever seen.

A standard that is half Easy Does It, half Easy Going. I’ve seen these for sale before but never the mature plant, quite nice!

Some varieties are unique to The Huntington, this is San Marino Heritage which was named for the town where The Huntington actually resides.

These sturdy arbors house a variety of climbers. They are actually made from concrete and the wood bark details are carved by hand

There are also these super tall arches that house other climbers (where to get one, lol!) Beautiful greenery, big old trees surround the roses and everything is given meticulous care.

It looks like a treat to visit that place! Nice to talk a little rose history I'm sure. Am pretty sure my mother took me to the Huntington and to Descanso gardens. I really like those concrete tree arbors.

I grow Outta the Blue and think it makes a wonderful plant. I let mine get big and it 's so sturdy and tall. I am not in love with it though...am in like with it... and the best use for it for me is as a tomato stake. I plant a tomato on the shady side of it and it grows up and through the plant and puts out lots of tomatoes. Best tomato stake ever!

Sounds awesome! :-)

Oh gosh I have to get myself up there ! I always enjoy going. Last year I met Stephanie from the forum there and we had such a lovely time. The roses are stunning and it’s so fun you got to meet up with Tom. I’ve seen him there but felt like he was a celebrity of sorts and not wanted to bother him lol . Do you recall how Huntington pink ice looked there , it was my souvenir last visit from the plant sale and was spectacular the first year I went !

We went several timed to the museum but we never saw the gardens. Even as a kid I was dissapointed to not get to walk around. Glad that you had a great visit Ben

Jen

How wonderful you and Stephanie were able to go together, I’m envious of how easy a trip it is for you! I think living close to The Huntington would be ideal, I’d be there every week!

Kris,

Some people prefer the libraries, and they are indeed impressive, but I can’t get enough of the gardens.

Erasmus,

I see Outta the Blue growing fabulously in my neighborhood as well, I didn’t know the name until I saw it at The Huntington. I actually took my mother this time.

Mons TIllier

Rose Delizy

White Banks

Pink Gruss

Bassoues Tea

Some of the Tea and Species roses at The Huntington

What a beautiful visual feast! I also like those cute behind-the-scenes stories.

Thank you, Ben, for posting this! In 2008-2009 I took a summer class for teachers at the Huntingdon. At the time we lived 25 min. away in the SFV. I counted myself a winner in the lottery of life when I could walk those gardens at lunchtime, 5 days a week. It doesn’t get any better.
Can I buy San Marino Heritage?? I need to check their web site.
Monsieur Tillier blew me away. Teas are so satisfying: sturdy, substantial, covering themselves in blooms whose colors are a theme and variations — not always the same note.
Are Bassoues’ blooms consistently apricot? Is anybody growing it in hot dry climates? Ours has gone from 9b to 10a this year…

Ben, this is such a delightful post. I love the photo of you and Tom Carruth. I hope some day you let him know he has a huge fan in Idaho. And I hope he's saved a small space in the orange bed for Orange Dude. Tom has done a fabulous job at the Huntington in his 10 years there. Your first photo was stunning, and I loved the half and half standard. I hope there are many more visits to the Huntington in your future, and that you take lots of photos for us. Diane

@Diane Brakefield

Diane,

I must tell you that we were having dinner at a yummy Thai restaurant when outta the blue Tom asked, ’who is Diane from the rose forum?’. We discussed your giant Julia Child, and wonderful purple roses Ebb Tide, Twilight Zone , Wild Blue Yonder that are all his ’kids’. So he definitely does know what a wonderful job you have done with growing them (and he mentioned you over Thai food, lol!).

Feiy

Thank you, I love to know the stories behind individual varieties, too.

Sylvia

Lucky you to stroll the Huntington for a whole week. I was thinking I need at least a week full time to see it all. They have a plant sale at end of April, I heard some special roses are available then.

Ben, you just made my day. I'm so happy Tom Carruth knows how special his roses are to me. And I love Thai food. My son in law is an outstanding Thai Cook. But you didn't mention if Orange Dude is in that orange bed--ha. Are the roses blooming well when the plant sale takes place at the end of April? What a dream trip to take all that in. Diane

Thank you, Ben, for the report and pictures of your visit. I’ve never been there in spite of living in California for nearly 20 years and traveling through that area often. It’s still on my bucket list and I have hopes this may be the summer I finally get to go.

Here are some pics of the amazing , recently completed Chinese garden. I have been to famous gardens in Beijing and Shanghai, but this is my favorite Chinese garden, incomparable for its attention to detail and variety of plants

Teams of artisans were brought over from China for six month stints at a time, even the floors are intricately hand laid

Thanks for sharing. I'll have to visit in my dreams!

Yes thanks for sharing! Enjoying the photos etc!

Thanks for sharing BenT; I dont live too far from the Huntington. I am hoping to get there before it gets too hot. I would like to go when they have their plant sale.

I love the Huntington’s plant sale. I missed the spring sale this year but last year picked up a lot of rare succulents. The Huntington actually is known for its rare succulent collection and it has cultivated several of its own. The desert garden is one of my favorites; it’s definitely created by an expert landscape architect so that you can turn down the winding pathways and catch a different plant at every angle.

That’s an amazing pic, Ryan, most the succulents were not in bloom when I visited. But I got this otherworldly pic

Ben, you outdo yourself with the exquisite photos of the Chinese Rose Garden at the Huntington. The beautiful garden reminds me just slightly of Giverny. The water, the bridge. And the succulents! I have no idea they had a succulent garden. Whether they are blooming or not, they are stunning. Have you heard of the Ruth Bancroft Garden, which began as a collection of plants for dry climates all over the world. Her son is my next door neighbot, but I'd rather know Tom Carruth. I have a question for you, so please forgive my change of topic. You grow Claire Rose (not Claire Austin). It's so beautiful and I'm wondering if you know where I could get Claire Rose in the future if I can't get a Scentuous. Thank you. Diane

Here's Wild Blue Yonder for Tom Carruth.

I’m not Ben, but I just received a Claire Austin in the mail yesterday from Ma Cherie Roses, a nursery in Bakersfield CA. It was a nice little plant, well branched and healthy looking. Sorry I can’t take a picture for you, Diane, because I’m on my way to Pennsylvania today and stuck in an airport at present. It’s an own root rose, not grafted and I know you like grafted roses best. But I did want you to know. I think Lilyfinch just received one from the same nursery as well and she posted the picture of her little plant on another thread. I can’t remember which thread it was. Hers also looked very nice. This company was prompt with shipping. I like it that the quoted price on their website includes shipping.

Sorry, that was supposed to say Claire Rose . NOT Claire Austin. I also have Claire Austin, but the one I just received in the mail is Claire Rose.

Thanks so much, Judi. I'll be checking it out. And have a great trip. I love Pennsylvania. I had family in eastern Penna for years and visited a number of times. Do you know anything about All My Thyme roses? Again, thanks and tell us about your trip when you get back. Diane

Diane,

Judi‘s thread, where you can see Lilyfinch’s Claire Rose plant from Ma Cherie, is Here. I hope you get a Claire Rose, I think it is one of the nicest Austins, esp for hot/dry climates like ours. I’m sure Tom would be very happy with how well you grew his Wild Blue Yonder.

Judi,

Have a great trip, I remember visiting the Hershey garden in PA, that is the 1st time I saw viridiflora, the green rose.

Thank you, Diane and Ben, for the well wishes for the trip. Fact is, it’s not exactly a pleasure trip…. I’m back here for the funeral of a cousin who died suddenly and unexpectedly. I do have lots of dear friends and family I look forward to spending time with even though it is for a sad occasion.