Along the edge of Pasadena's Arroyo Seco lies the Lummis Home, also known as El Alisal.
It's a wonderful Rustic American Craftsman vernacular home built by Charles Fletcher Lummis in the late 19th century.
Lummis was an intrepid journalist who traveled west in California's early days and wrote about his adventures as he traveled. By all accounts he was a colorful character, and his life story is an essential bit of California history.
This was my second visit, and I highly recommend a tour of this fascinating home led by the knowledgeable docents. Both entry and tour are free.
But my focus here is gardens, so I want to show you a little of the grounds of this modest and unique state historical monument.
Much of the property is covered in a canopy of trees - live oaks, California sycamores, olives and other drought-tolerant species.
Of course, xeric plants do well here, and the plantings are designed to showcase those choices.
One of my favorite features is the yarrow meadow located in an open patch of sunshine. What a great alternative to a grass lawn in this hot, dry climate. And it looks much more compatible with the other plants and trees, too.
I was thrilled to discover this huge planting of Echium (candicans?) in bloom!
Behind the big house, a courtyard held a simple pool and some small outbuildings.
The water lilies were in bloom.
A kumquat tree in the courtyard was full of fruit.
The dry, scrubby ground and minimal grooming added to the feeling of authenticity and helped me imagine what it might have been like there in California at the turn of the 19th century.
Plants here definitely had to fend for themselves.
Architectural elements added later were simple and thoughtfully done.
My guess is this property receives minimal official garden maintenance, although there was evidence that a committed volunteer group helped a lot. There was a plant sale happening that day, in fact.
As much as I love visiting it, some might not put the Lummis Home and grounds on a list of must-see gardens.
However, if you have an interest in history and a unique
roadside attraction, if you want to look at drought-tolerant plant choices in a realistic setting, or, if (like me) you love to imagine what it must have
been like to live in Southern California's early days, you won't go
wrong with an hour or two spent at El Alisal.
It's a wonderful Rustic American Craftsman vernacular home built by Charles Fletcher Lummis in the late 19th century.
But my focus here is gardens, so I want to show you a little of the grounds of this modest and unique state historical monument.
Much of the property is covered in a canopy of trees - live oaks, California sycamores, olives and other drought-tolerant species.
Of course, xeric plants do well here, and the plantings are designed to showcase those choices.
One of my favorite features is the yarrow meadow located in an open patch of sunshine. What a great alternative to a grass lawn in this hot, dry climate. And it looks much more compatible with the other plants and trees, too.
I was thrilled to discover this huge planting of Echium (candicans?) in bloom!
The bees were pretty happy about it, too.
Behind the big house, a courtyard held a simple pool and some small outbuildings.
The water lilies were in bloom.
The dry, scrubby ground and minimal grooming added to the feeling of authenticity and helped me imagine what it might have been like there in California at the turn of the 19th century.
Plants here definitely had to fend for themselves.
Architectural elements added later were simple and thoughtfully done.
My guess is this property receives minimal official garden maintenance, although there was evidence that a committed volunteer group helped a lot. There was a plant sale happening that day, in fact.
As much as I love visiting it, some might not put the Lummis Home and grounds on a list of must-see gardens.
I love history, and I actually know very little about California's early days. This looks like a fascinating house and garden.
ReplyDeleteI thought of you when I was writing this post, Alison!
DeleteWow! Love this home and gardens! I can hear the istruments being played for entertainment & the stoires being told of the wild places that Lummis had encountered. Thanks for sharing this great place!
ReplyDeleteWe were told that Lummis even set his own broken arm while on his way out West, Outlaw. Now that's grit!
DeleteI was just looking at a bunch of Echium at the Chicago Botanic Garden this weekend. This plant has a kind of other-worldly look to it, but I love the flowers. Is it a California native?
ReplyDeleteCheck out Echium wildpretii, if you like echiums, Jason. The species is originally from the Mediterranean area, but is widely grown in California. M. candicans is from the Portugese isle of Madeira and is known as Pride of Madeira.
DeleteLove the courtyard area and pond, and naturally the huge agaves and blooming Echium. Was it cool inside the house? The big trees and thick walls just look perfect for the climate.
ReplyDeleteYes, Loree, the house was beautifully cool in spite of the hot day. It's the way to go in that climate (along with the echiums and agaves!)
DeleteSo glad you included indoor shots so we could soak up a little bit of history with you.
ReplyDeleteSuch a great and lovely series of photos. (both parts of your post)
ReplyDeleteWhat a fun day. I love the huge Echium by the bench.
ReplyDeleteI like the pink flowers with grey foliage above the Yarrow Meadow, I assume they are in the Malva family? Nice photos, I wish it were dry enough here the grasses couldn't grow.
ReplyDeletethe pink flowers with grey foliage are Cistus 'Sunset'
ReplyDelete