Balboa Park Rose Garden and Desert Garden

Balboa Park has lots of very nice gardens. The first day after I moved to San Diego, I stumbled across these gardens and I couldn't believe they were just there for people to enjoy! I've wanted to come back ever since just to walk around, but I didn't get to until this week. I don't know when roses are normally in bloom, but they were bold and beautiful in the middle of December! 

I took a little detour from the Desert Garden and just kept walking along a path I found. There was a whole bunch of chocolate flower bushes! I don't know if that's the official name, but they smell like chocolate, and that's what one of the guides at the San Diego Botanical Garden called them. 

Balboa Park Gardens

Balboa Park has several beautiful gardens, some very small and some large enough to have a few paths running through. Some are landscaped meticulously, and some seem pretty wild. I've been to all of the gardens, but on this particular day I only visited the Old Cactus Garden and Palm Canyon. I also like the Desert Garden, the Rose Garden, and the Botanical Building (that one has its own post). The other ones are so-so. Well, the Japanese Friendship Garden is nice, but you have to pay for that one.

I think these are supposed to be stairs

Hey, look! I actually remembered to take a picture of a sign

Christmas concert at the Organ Pavillion. What a nice surprise!

Union St. Topiary Garden

As far as I know, this is just someone's front yard, and they're just really cool people with a whole lot of time on their hands. It's on Union St. at Vine St., near Upas.

Water Conservation Garden

This place is well worth a visit, and it's FREE! It's a beautiful garden that is dedicated to teaching people about how to plant to conserve water. It has information on mulch, ground covers, lawns, fire safety, design elements, and more, plus it has a beautiful succulent garden, sensory garden, and vegetable garden. This is the perfect place to go if you are designing or re-designing a yard, or if you simply want to learn more about water conservation and drought-tolerant plants. On Saturdays at 10:30, there is a docent-led tour which is very informative and can be personalized to your interests and needs.

This explains why water is so expensive in San Diego- we basically get everyone's leftovers, and they don't leave much.

A drain pipe art piece that I don't find particularly appealing. There are tadpoles in the pond, and dragonflies, so that's kind of cool. 

Mulch! I really like mulch, like way more than a normal human should. 

This is closest to what is at my home in San Francisco

Huge tree, small container- apparently it works

Succulent wall panels!

Asparagus! Yuck.

Eggplant! Also Yuck.

This plant has fuzzy leaves, and I thought it'd be really nice to have in my garden, until I looked it up online and realized that it has these really ugly yellow flower stalks and it's kind of a weed. 

Blue Fescue!

Pork and Beans!

Silver Carpet! I also like ground covers way more than is normal for humans.

Lawn exhibit