What to KnowDescanso GardensLa Cañada FlintridgeThe “Summer Music & Dance Series” will run June 12, July 10, and Aug. 14, 2025 The monthly “Cultivate” events and a “Rose-stravaganza” are on the upcoming calendar, too
We’re entering the delightful denouement of springtime, the final month of the flower-bursting, temperature-warming, mood-rising season.
Spoiler alert: The season that immediately follows spring is also pretty major on the whole flower-bursting, mood-sunny, let’s-get-outdoors scene.
And few Southern California spots are flower-bursting-er in the summer, and mood-merrier, than Descanso Gardens, a literal, and we do mean that literally, wonderland of flowers, trees, and benches made for peaceful contemplation.
If you’ve done Descanso in the summer in past years, then you know it isn’t simply about visiting when the La Cañada Flintridge garden is open to savor the scents and sights, though that is an extremely delightful outing.
There are also several special events on the summer schedule, including a few that take pretty place in the late afternoon and early evening.
That’s something of a rarity, to be able to be in the oak-filled plot as the sun begins to dip in the western sky, so count on other likeminded garden lovers showing up to seek the singular magic of a summer twilight in a buzzy, blossom-packed destination.
The garden’s “Summer Music & Dance Series” will pop up on three 2025 dates — June 12, July 10, and Aug. 14 — with performances by the Chervona Kalyna Ukranian Dance Ensemble, Viver Brasil, and the Pacific Dance Company, respectively.
The once-a-month “Cultivate” events will be back, with focuses on the “Animals of Descanso,” shade equity (inspired by “Roots of Cool,” an exhibition opening July 12 at the garden’s Sturt Haaga Gallery at the Boddy House), and animal migration (plants, too).
And while it won’t “bloom” in the late afternoon, the “Rose-stravaganza” happening over the first weekend of summer will cast a rosy glow on the garden.
“Summer is one of the most joyful times at Descanso,” said Juliann Rooke, CEO of Descanso Gardens.
“Whether you’re dancing on the Main Lawn, learning about the animals that call the garden home, or strolling through powerful art installations, there’s inspiration around every corner.”
“We can’t wait to welcome our visitors into this dynamic season of discovery, fun, and community.”
Peruse the calendar and discover what happens at Descanso Gardens when its dappled daytime vibe goes golden, right around the time the gates usually begin to close.
Tickets, times, and the details are opening their petals now.
No promises that the woes of the world will recede, but time spent among the trees has a way of de-woe-ing the soul for a spell.