Can you honestly say you know the difference between a cactus and a euphorbia? A trip to Lotusland, Santa Barbara might give you a fighting chance.

Featuring varieties of cacti, euphorbias, palms, bromeliads, aloes, eucalyptus, cycads, and many rare and precious plants, Lotusland is a lush 37-acre estate and botanical garden tucked away in the foothills of Montecito, California. Additional gardens feature ferns, aloes, lotuses, water lilies, bromeliads and cactus garden with more than 300 species and the space is home to 3,200 different types of plants from all over the world.

The founder Madame Ganna Walska owned the property from 1941 until the end of her life in 1984, marking the culmination of an intriguing career of 43 years of designing unusual display gardens with exotic plants. Describing herself as ‘an enemy of the average,’ she was a woman of originality and an offbeat disposition with truly unique philosophies. Lotusland’s prioritises the ecology of the garden, by employing management practices that pay special attention to the health of each individual plantas well as the garden as a whole.

Make sure you make a reservation as only a limited number of cars are allowed in per day and you wouldn’t want to waste a trip here! Lotusland is slightly pricey as far as botanical gardens go, but rest assured it is unlikely that you’ll come across a garden that measures up to this one, especially with the docent-led tours. For botany enthusiasts, plan your trip in such a way so that you try reading up a little about botany to go during a certain time of the year if you’re interested in seeing a particular flower bloom – such as summer for lotuses.

Albeit not the ideal place for very young kids, this garden is bound to capture your imagination and set you experimenting with your own plants at home. Wrap up the trip with a short drive to Montecito for a bite.

• Wear walking shoes, you will be walking for about two hours to complete a tour of the place.
• In the summer, bring sun tan lotion as the tour takes a couple of hours.
• Be sure to book in advance as there are only a limited number of cars allowed in.
• Carry bottled water and get a bite to eat before the trip.
• Directions and parking instructions are included with the tour confirmation.

• Tickets for those between the ages of 3 to 18 is $20.
• Tickets for kids under 2 years and under are free.
• You can inform the Visitor Services staff member of any special needs you might require when you make your reservation.
• Regular tours are suited for everyone above 10 years of age.
• Separate Family Tours are available for younger guests and their parents and are approximately one and one half hours long.

• Guided tours are available at 10AM and 1:30PM between February 15 and November 15.

• Pane E Vino
• Via Vai Trattoria Pizzeria
• Panino 4

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