The Gorgeous Getty Gardens

I have a love of art and gardens and one of my favorite places, the Getty Center in Los Angeles, has both. While known for its outstanding art collection, the gardens are an artistic masterpiece in themselves that change all the time as one plant blooms while another fades away. Designed by California artist Robert Irwin, the Central Garden is one of the two showpiece gardens, the other being the Cactus Garden, at the Getty.

It was a hot, sunny summer day the day I visited and the air was hazy. I went on one of the regularly scheduled tours you can take with a docent. It was a good introduction to the Getty and it’s grounds and gardens and I highly recommend doing so when you visit. 

The Central Garden is so named as it is the heart of the Getty Center campus. Your journey begins along a man-made stream, heavily planted with all kinds of plants including lots of succulents, flowers, shrubs and trees. Over 500 kinds of plants are planted in the garden. 

At the heart of the garden lies a maze of azaleas (long past bloom when I was there) set in a large pool of water with a waterfall. This highly ordered design element is surrounded by a colorful cast of flowers in all colors. A variety of plant textures contributes to the overall composition.

Large, sculptural trees are covered with bright red bougainvillea blooms. These are one of the most interesting looking structures in the garden.

Bright red dahlias steal the scene here. The colors and textures of the garden provide a soft contrast to the sharp outlines of the angular, buff white buildings designed by architect, Richard Meier.

Be sure to take advantage of the umbrellas that they offer at the beginning of the tour. While there are shady spots throughout the campus, there are also areas open to the hot California sun. Wear sunscreen of course as well.

Being a cactus lover, I had to go see the cactus garden. It is located in the southeast corner of the Getty complex and actually requires seeking it out. It is totally worth it though as the view over the cacti and the panorama of Los Angeles is stunning. Comprised of columnar cacti (I’m not sure of the species) and more golden barrel cactus (Echinocactus grusonii) than there are probably found in the wild, it is a living sculpture garden, appropriate at an art museum.

While I came for the gardens, there is of course the outstanding collection of art at the Getty. Here are two of the more well-known Impressionist works, Iris by Vincent van Gogh and Wheatstacks, Snow Effect, Morning by Claude Monet.

Irisis, Vincent van Gogh

Wheatstacks, Snow Effect, Morning by Claude Monet

Be sure to plan plenty of time at the Getty Center, perhaps a whole day. The Getty Center sits on a hilltop in the Santa Monica Mountains.  From the moment you begin by taking the tram up the hill from the parking level, you are going to be in brain overload by the time you leave as there is so much to see and take in. The Getty is a must see if you are in Los Angeles.