URBAN OASES

Smog, freeways and people. It’s no wonder that paradise, if not quite lost, can be easily overlooked in Los Angeles. But amid the jarring clamor of city life, tranquil gardens of earthly delights do exist.

1. ORCUTT RANCH, 23600 Roscoe Blvd., Los Angeles, (818) 346-7449

Orcutt Ranch Horticultural Center is near the extreme northwestern “frontier” of Los Angeles in the Simi Hills, a half mile down Dayton Creek Wash from the Ventura County line.Oil geologist William Orcutt built a Spanish-style ranch home there in the 1920s, and the house is now the centerpiece of 16 acres of rose gardens and citrus groves. Dozens of oak trees, many of them well over 500 years old, add their quiet dignity to the park. Open daily, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Free.

2. DONALD C. TILLMAN GARDEN, 6100 Woodley Ave., Van Nuys, (818) 989-8166

The Donald C. Tillman Japanese Garden is a 6.5-acre park that possesses an exotic charm. Admission is free, but no children under 12 are allowed. The garden is only open on the second Wednesday of each month (guided tours by appointment). Although it sits in the middle of the San Fernando Valley, the garden, which adjoins the Sepulveda Dam Recreation Area, is peaceful enough to be a nesting site for migratory birds. There is also a tiny lake. Black pines and peach and cherry trees set off three small “theme” gardens.

3. VIRGINIA ROBINSON GARDENS, Beverly Hills, (310) 276-5367

County officials only give the location of this 6.2-acre gem when visitors call for a reservation. It is the smallest and the most recent addition (1982) to Los Angeles County’s gardens. Virginia Robinson, the matriarch of the department store family, bequeathed the property to the county. She lived in the house on the property for 66 years until her death in 1977 at 99. Of special interest are the multi-terraced Italian Garden, adorned with statues and fountains, an herb garden and a palm garden covering two acres.

4. DESCANSO GARDENS, 1418 Descanso Dr., La Canada Flintridge, (818) 952-4400.

Located at the foot of the oak and chaparral-covered San Rafael Hills, these idyllic gardens sprawling over 65 acres are visited by 150,000 people a year. A picnic area is just outside the gates and the gardens include a 30-acre forest of oak trees and camellia plants, a five-acre flower garden and a broad sample of plants native to California. A man-made lake lies at one edge of the gardens, and a stream winds down through a small canyon nearby. Walking paths are dotted with secluded spots. A tea room and gift shop are near the entrance. Open daily 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

5. HUNTINGTON LIBRARY, 1151 Oxford Rd., San Marino, (818) 405-2100

As The Times’ Jack Smith wrote years ago, Henry Huntington “proved that the blood of Thoreau and Franklin ran in Huntington veins as well as that of Midas and Machiavelli.” The vastly wealthy railroad and real estate magnate also proved to be sensitive, cultured and extremely generous. In 1919 he and his wife Arabella Duval Huntington deeded their San Marino estate and art collections to a non-profit educational trust. The library and galleries contain objects from nearly every artistic medium plus rare historic artifacts. The grounds--207 acres, 130 devoted to botanical gardens--are well worth a separate visit. Open Tuesday-Friday, 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. No admission fee. Suggested contribution, $5 per adult.

6. LOS ANGELES STATE & COUNTY ARBORETUM, 301 N. Baldwin Ave., Arcadia, (818) 821-3222

This is the headquarters of the Los Angeles County Department of Arboreta and Botanic Gardens and, at 127 acres, the largest garden. Located on land that one 100 years ago was E.J. (Lucky) Baldwin’s ranch, this botanic garden has hosted up to 250,000 visitors annually. There are sections devoted to herbs, orchids, roses, and plants native to Africa, Australia and California. Several historic structures are located within the Arboretum. The Queen Anne Cottage was made familiar to televison viewers on the series “Fantasy Island.” There have been changes in the last two years. At the end of last summer, the two-acre lagoon was bone dry--another casualty of the prolonged drought. But with the return of rain and runoff from the mountains this past winter, the lagoon is back. Open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily until Labor Day.

7. RANCHO SANTA ANA, 1500 N. College Ave., Claremont, (714) 625-8767

Probably the most rustic of the gardens, Rancho Santa Ana is just a mile or two from the steep south face of the San Gabriel Mountains. This garden was originally opened in Orange County in 1927, but it was relocated to Claremont in 1951. Rancho Santa Ana specializes in endangered plants and those native to semiarid Southern California. Strolling the winding paths, one can glimpse what this region’s inland valleys looked like before they became heavily populated, permanently altering the ecosystem. Most of the space here is devoted to plants and trees, but there are also a library of nearly 80,000 volumes and a molecular biology lab with a large collection of dried plant specimens. Open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.

8. SELF REALIZATION FELLOWSHIP, 17190 Sunset Blvd., Pacific Palisades, (310) 454-4114.

This surprising 10-acre enclave belonging to the Fellowship founded by Yogi Paramahansa Yogananda of India was opened in 1950. It exists happily as an exotic oasis in the midst of the Palisades. After visiting the shrine, visitors can stroll around a picturesque lake, view the Golden Lotus Archway and a replica of a 16th century Dutch windmill. Or they can bask in a peaceful atmosphere dedicated to meditation, tolerance and cross-cultural appreciation. Open daily except Monday from 9 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. Free.

9. SOUTH COAST BOTANIC GARDEN, 26300 Crenshaw Blvd., Palos Verdes Peninsula, (310) 544-6815

Most of the botanic garden’s 87 acres were in use as a sanitary landfill until 1965, although planning and some planting began several years earlier. The soil thickness at the surface varies, but in places just a few feet of topsoil covers a layer of trash 100 feet deep. Scattered spots around the grounds are still settling--some up to 5 feet a year. Trellisses sag, benches tilt, one small building containing restrooms is noticeably lower at one end. There is no danger but it does look odd. In addition to herb and vegetable gardens (produce is donated to the Meals On Wheels feeding program), there are bromeliads, roses, fruit trees and a desert garden with poppies, yucca and several species of cacti. And a large duck population gathers at the garden’s small lake. This park is something of a secret by comparison to the other two large county arboreta which attract three to five times as many visitors annually. Open 9 a.m to 4:30 p.m. daily.