Bloom! is officially open and we are so excited to celebrate the Garden’s best season with all of you. Bloom! is a self-guided sensory experience with prompts that help you become fully present and take in all of nature’s beauty. To make sure you see absolutely everything, we’ve created a list of eight things not to miss during Bloom!
The Courtyard: Slow down when you’re entering the Garden so you don’t miss our Courtyard, which has been transformed into a breathtaking display of florals. Using our color palette from Bloom!, we turned the Courtyard into a picture-perfect floral moment that will surely awaken your senses as soon as you see it. Want to get a picture? Here’s a tip! Squat down and angle the camera up!
The Dorothy and John Bohannon Rose Garden: It might not be fully blooming right now, but trust us, the Dorothy and John Bohannon Rose Garden is a show stopper all on its own. Every May, it becomes a blooming masterpiece filled with roses of every color and a fragrance that can only be experienced in person. This is just one example of the on going flowering that makes Bloom! an every changing sensory expereince. So make sure to come back in May to see roses at their peak bloom.
Pollination Garden: A celebration of spring wouldn’t be possible without mentioning the new plants in the Pollination Garden. These new plants are part of phase two of this new area and include native plants, plants from Meditteranean climates and some colorful blooms in-between! The Pollination Garden will provide much needed habitat and food for our local pollinators for years to come.
Yoga poses in the meadow: You may have heard we planted tens of thousands of bulbs in the Amphitheater Lawn, but did you know we want you to interact with the meadow too? You’ll find signs prompting you to lay, sit and stand in areas that have been planted with short, medium and tall flowers so you can be one with nature as you find your zen.
Nests: If you’re making your way to the Amphitheater Lawn by going through the Garden for the Senses, you’ll be surprised to find two nest-like chairs that are blooming with greenery and flowers! Sit inside to be surrounded by flowers and get some cute photos! If you’re wondering what the round planter bed in front of the nests is planted with – it’s dahlias! They will be popping up late summer, early fall!
The view: The Amphitheater Lawn is spectacular up close but the real view is from the Dorothy and John Bohannon Rose Garden. Make your way to the back of the Rose Garden and look down into the Amphitheater Lawn from the stone pathway. From there you should see the meadow and the Bloom! letters together making for a great photo.
The Kiosk: Want to bring a little Bloom! home with you? Check out our kiosk in Palm Circle! We have everything from mugs and T-shirts, floral stickers and tote bags to the same plants and bulbs that make up Bloom! And don’t forget, a membership to South Coast Botanic Garden gets you 10% off items at the Kiosk!
Other blooming areas: While we’re highlighting several areas in the front 40 acres of the Garden for Bloom!, the flora continues throughout our 87 acres. Make sure to walk through the rest of the Garden to see all the other flowers and plants that bloom throughout spring. The main areas that will be in bloom are on the Bloom! map in lavender. In real life, each area is marked by a steel lavender flower.
Want to see Bloom! in person? More information and tickets can be found here.
