Serenity at Huntington Gardens

Discovering The Huntington Botanical Gardens: Stunning Water Features and Design Insights

It all began in the most unexpected of places—a movie theatre in Simi Valley. My brother and I had gone to see Sanju, the Bollywood biopic on Sanjay Dutt. During intermission, we ended up chatting with a lovely young american dentist couple, aged 68 and 72, seated beside us. They were warm, animated, and clearly passionate about gardens. When they found out I was a landscape architect, their faces lit up.

"You absolutely must visit The Huntington," the woman said, with a sparkle in her eyes. Her husband nodded in agreement. "You’ll fall in love with the Japanese Garden and the water features. Trust us."

So we did. And they were right.As a landscape architect and architourist, my visit to The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens in San Marino, California, felt like walking into a dream composed of earth, water, and intention. This 207-acre estate, with over 130 acres of themed gardens, is a living masterpiece where water doesn’t just exist—it performs. From tranquil koi ponds to subtly babbling streams, every drop tells a story.

---

Desert Garden: The Power of Absence 

We started our visit at the Desert Garden, a rugged yet poetic landscape home to over 5,000 species of cacti and succulents. Interestingly, it uses the absence of water to make a point. The lack of traditional water features here makes you focus on texture, shadow, and form. Designed over a century ago by Henry E. Huntington and curator William Hertrich, it speaks of resilience and restraint—two underappreciated tools in the landscape architect’s palette.

---

 Japanese Garden: Water as Poetry 

Walking into the Japanese Garden, established in 1912, was like stepping into a serene painting. The centrepiece, a curved moon bridge over a koi-filled pond, feels suspended in time. The pond doesn’t just reflect the bridge and surrounding willows—it slows your breath. Nearby azaleas and moss soften its edges, while the Seifu-an teahouse stands quietly by, adding to the garden's contemplative rhythm.

The pond's irregular shape mimics nature’s organic flow, a principle I often try to replicate in my own projects. Sipping iced tea from the nearby Rose Garden Tea Room, I couldn’t resist sketching the sinuous shoreline, imagining how to echo its calming energy in my next design.

"Paani ki aankhon mein chehre dikhte hain, lekin aansuon ki aankhon mein sirf khud ko dekhte hain." – Gulzar

---

Liu Fang Yuan: Water as Architecture 

Then came the showstopper—the Chinese Garden, or Liu Fang Yuan (Garden of Flowing Fragrance). Completed in 2008, this garden features the Lake of Reflected Fragrance, a 1.5-acre mirror of glassy stillness. It reflects not just trees and pavilions but emotions. Inspired by classical gardens in Suzhou, China, it blends water, architecture, and philosophy with grace.

The Jade Ribbon Bridge, stone pavilions, and strategically placed scholar’s rocks create a balanced rhythm. I was especially impressed by the lake’s sustainable circulation system, which supports aquatic plants and invites wildlife like herons and dragonflies. As a designer, I noted how the seamless transition between hardscape and softscape encourages harmony and biodiversity.

"Chhoti-chhoti baaton ka safar lamba hota hai, aur paani kabhi behta hai, kabhi rukta hai." – Gulzar

---

Rose and Shakespeare Gardens: Subtle Symphony 

The Rose Garden, with its 1,400 rose varieties, doesn’t boast large water features, but it uses small fountains tucked among the blooms to add a subtle soundscape. These low trickling basins gently enhance the sensory experience without overwhelming it. Nearby, the Shakespeare Garden uses a meandering stream to guide visitors, blending movement and narrative in a clever, understated way.

Sitting under a pergola there, I sketched the stream’s path, thinking about how such subtle water design could shape urban parks back home.

---

More Than a Garden: Art, Food, and the Full Experience 

What makes the Huntington truly special is that it’s not just about plants. The estate also houses an exceptional art museum featuring works by Gainsborough and American artists like Mary Cassatt. The library contains rare manuscripts, including a Gutenberg Bible and Audubon's Birds of America. For architecture lovers, every building is a gem, especially the grand Beaux-Arts mansion that now hosts the museum.

And yes—the food! We enjoyed a leisurely meal at the Huntington Café, which offers fresh salads, sandwiches, and baked goods. If you visit, don’t miss the seasonal offerings at the Rose Garden Tea Room. It’s the perfect spot to reflect and refuel while soaking in the fragrant air.

---

Water as Ecology and Emotion 

As a landscape architect, I can’t help but admire the functional beauty of these water waterbodies. They support fish, birds, and plants while managing water sustainably in California’s dry climate. Whether it's the koi pond or the Lake of Reflected Fragrance, these features aren’t just aesthetic—they’re living ecosystems.

Sound plays a vital role too. Flowing water creates a calming soundscape, while visual reflections enhance spatial depth and encourage visitors to slow down and connect. Every bench, bridge, and path seems designed to turn pause into poetry.

"Yeh paani bhi ajeeb hota hai—jo dooba deta hai, wahi zinda bhi rakhta hai." – Gulzar

---

Planning Your Visit

Open Wed–Mon, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. (closed Tue). Book weekends early at tickets.huntington.org. Free entry the first Thursday of the month. Don’t miss summer Twilight Garden Strolls! Wear comfy shoes, and bring a hat and bug spray.

---

A Sweet Goodbye 

As the sun began to set over the Camellia Garden, a small pond reflected the last light of day. I thought of the sweet couple who nudged us toward this journey. Their recommendation wasn’t just about seeing a garden—it was about experiencing a space where nature, culture, and memory intertwine.

The Huntington’s waterbodies don’t just exist; they speak. They whisper stories of intention, ecology, and emotion. And as I left, I carried with me not just sketches and photos but inspiration for future designs—and a heartfelt thank you to two strangers who turned into guides with just one thoughtful nudge.

Before you leave this blog, I’d love to hear from you—
Have you visited The Huntington or a garden that touched your heart in a similar way?
What’s your favourite water feature or garden memory?
Drop a comment, share your story, or simply pause for a moment to think about a place that made you feel deeply connected to nature.

After all, like the reflections in a still pond, those memories ripple quietly within us.

---

References:

• The Huntington Official Website

• Visitor Information

• Conservation at The Huntington

• Ticket Reservations

• #HuntingtonGardens #BotanicalGardens #LandscapeArchitecture #WaterFeatures #GardenDesign #GardenInspiration #CaliforniaGardens #NatureLovers #Architourism
  #SereneSpaces #OutdoorBeauty #GardenWalk #EcoDesign #TravelCalifornia #PeacefulPlacesSereneSpaces#OutdoorBeauty#GardenWalk#EcoDesign#TravelCalifornia#PeacefulPlaces
  Copyright © 2025 [Ar. Pallavi Vasekar]