feast your eyes.

while in santa barbara i had the pleasure to visit the beautiful lotusland in the montecito hills.

the garden was founded and designed by madame ganna walska, an eccentric and awesome 6x times wed opera singer with a taste for the unusual in horticulture.

this place is magical- 37 acres of wonderment and rarities, plants i've never seen or even heard of!

black bamboo

aloe trees, a 'la dr. suess

crazy varieties of palm

more unique aloe

a wading pool with a fountain made from an almost now extinct kind of shell from africa

my first time seeing a real live lotus!

so gorgeous

sister.  i love you.

so many cacti!

a weeping willow style cactus

black flowers?!

awe-struck

madame's pool looks so inviting.  more rare abalone shells

madame walksa herself

fern trees looking so prehistoric

one of my favorite scents happens to be the most poisonous thing ever- angel trumpet.

haha this flower is rare and blooms for only a short time, yet can't remember what it is...

a small redwood tree

stone designs on the garden floor

the blue garden

i love succulents

water runs everywhere in the gardens- you can always hear a trickle.

the hugest clock i've ever seen

madame wanted a blue garden.  the gardeners said 'it can't be done!' madame proved otherwise! ;)

the incredible cycad garden.  one of the largest collections of cycads in the world!  dinosaurs ate these plants, making them millions of years old. wow!

the rainforest garden

the japanese garden

a great spot to meditate!

so peaceful

i can't wait to go back someday.  hope your eyes enjoyed this little treat!