California poppies Pasadena CA
Los Angeles Gardens / Pasadena / Travel blog Los Angeles

Poppies are blooming in Pasadena and coming soon to the high desert Poppy Reserve

by carollightwood
poppies at descanso garden
I love this photo taken at the Descanso Gardens near Pasadena. The poppies appear to be at the base of a mountain, a very Japanese garden influence.

After years of drought the rain this winter has given renewed life to the intrepid California poppies.  A block from my home the Throop Church’s water-wise landscape is filled with brilliant orange blossoms.  Poppies are also in bloom at Descanso and Arlington Gardens.

The ‘poppy monitors’ at the California Poppy Reserve in the high desert, however, have reported that the bloom has not started there and may not be all that opulent this year.  On the other hand, they have announced that the desert bloom near Anza Borrego  is already amazing!

Here is a sampling of what I found nearby.

The throop church pasadena
Throop Church was founded by the man who also established Cal Tech. It is now a Unitarian Universalist church. Parishioners have transformed the landscape into a drought tolerant one, including poppies.
poppies line the sidewalks throop church
Poppies have seeded themselves on both sides of the sidewalk beside the church.
California poppies arroyo seco
These poppies in full bloom were photographed beside the casting pool in the Lower Arroyo Seco park. Much effort has gone into restoring this park to its natural condition. It is a lovely place to walk on the trails that lace through it.
red poppies arlington gardens
Brilliant red poppies–not California natives–bloom in Arlington Gardens in Pasadena.  There are also orange colored natives in this garden. There are plenty of places to sit and admire the landscape in this small beautiful garden.

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