If anyone is ever in the Pasadena area (if no one has ever heard of the Rose Bowl or the Rose Parade, then Pasadena is situated in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains, north-east of Downtown LA). . .then PLEASE make a stop for the Huntington Botanical Gardens in San Marino.

It was the large estate of Mr. Henry E. Huntington, who was the famous railroad magnate and businessman. He built a wonderful mansion and beautiful rose gardens for his beloved wife, and started to collect rare and valuable manuscripts (Chaucer's the CANTERBURY TALES) are at display in the Library. They have just finished remodeling the main house, and just this past February also finished part of the Chinese Garden.

They have a Japanese garden complete with a tea room, bonsai, koi pond and bamboo forest, a desert garden filled with cacti, a tropical dome filled with rain forest denizens, and all sorts of other wonderful displays of art and botany perfection.

If you happen to be in the Pasadena area during the New Year, also make sure to check out the annual Rose Parade. . .all the floats are made with organic material and entirely covered with plant matter, seeds, flowers, leaves, etc. Absolutely stunning!

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Mandarin.mint

http://factoidz.com/green-living/