FAMILY OUTING : Mother Nature Is a Teacher at Garden
It seems that every turn along the twisting pathways of the Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden in Claremont holds a special surprise this spring.
Stunning California poppies and deep-purple coast wild irises are in full bloom in the meadow, a red-throated hummingbird pauses in a bed of salmon-colored coral bells and two fat bullfrogs sun themselves on the rocks in the Lower Pond. Sweet, pungent and spicy smells waft along every breeze.
Often overshadowed by the more famous Huntington and Descanso gardens, the Rancho Santa Ana garden is a little-known haven that provides special treats for families in the form of special classes and walks that take in animals as well as plants.
“We always have a beautiful show of wildflowers, but this year they are truly stunning,” Ann Joslin, assistant to the director, said as she strolled through the gardens. “The rain has been great.”
Sprinkled throughout the garden, founded by California pioneer Susanna Bixby Bryant in 1927, are flowers of every hue blooming on huge, fragrant bushes, adorning large and small trees and drooping on the most fragile of stems inches above the ground.
Because of the rains, the wildflower season has been delayed slightly and will extend a little longer, probably through May, said Michael Wall, horticulture coordinator for the garden.
Children enjoy observing the squirrels, birds and other creatures that make their homes in the native plant oasis close to the Claremont Colleges. Adults can take self-guided tours or they may join a more detailed, guided tour of the grounds.
Those who plan ahead can take advantage of the plethora of lectures, continuing education classes, flower shows, plant sales and special events that fill the garden’s schedule. The wide variety of native and migrating birds that inhabit the garden make it a haven for birders, and bird walks are scheduled several times a month.
Many events and classes are geared for children, teachers, school groups and youth organizations. One of the most interesting is a “sensational walk,” in which docents lead grade-school children through the garden and teach them to explore it using their senses of sight, hearing, smell and touch. School tours can be arranged by calling ahead to schedule a date.
Rancho Santa Ana offers a participatory program called the Magic Garden. Volunteer nature interpreters guide 3- to 5-year-olds and their parents through the garden and then offer hands-on activities--in one case, it was making Native American toys--after the tour. The Magic Garden is offered on the first Monday of each month from October through June. Each program costs $8 and lasts 1 1/2 hours. Advance registration is required and is limited to one child per adult.
Through May 21, docents will lead free wildflower walks through the garden at 2 p.m. every Saturday and Sunday.
The 86-acre garden is open free to the public every day except major holidays. It is funded by a private endowment, grants and gifts from members and donors.
In keeping with its emphasis on botanical research, the garden also serves as the botany department of the Claremont Graduate School. The collection of 72,000 plant books, maps and periodicals in its library is open to researchers, as is its herbarium--a collection of preserved California native plants and seeds.
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Spring Garden
What: Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden
Where: 1500 N. College Ave., north of Foothill Boulevard and east of Indian Hill Boulevard, in Claremont.
Hours: Open daily 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. except New Year’s Day, Fourth of July, Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.
Fee: Admission free, donations welcomed. Fees for children’s walks and classes, and special tours and events.
Rules: No picnicking, bicycles or pets.
For more information: (909) 625-8767
