Photos courtesy of Lotusland

Photo by Bob Craig

Just 90 miles outside of Los Angeles, behind an unassuming gate in Montecito, sits one of the 10 most beautiful gardens in the world. And, strangely enough, you might have never heard of it. Welcome to Lotusland. 

Bordered with lush foliage, a heavy dose of dusty pinks and silvery blues, subtropical plants and charming Spanish architecture, the entrance doesn’t feel like your average tourist destination. It’s discreet yet enchanting. With a thick smell of jasmine blooming, gravel underfoot and shady cypress trees rising among towering cacti, entering Lotusland feels like you’ve uncovered a secret oasis with an equally beguiling story. And that’s precisely what it is. 

Like a large portion of California’s most well-known landmarks (the Getty Villa, Hearst Castle, Adamson House), Lotusland started as a privately owned estate, shaped by personal vision and deep pockets. Yet more so than the others, Lotusland has maintained a certain elusive, personal quality. So much so that despite opening to the public over 30 years ago, many still don’t realize it’s no longer a private sanctuary.

Madame Ganna Walska – Black and white photo courtesy of the Lotusland Archives, garden photo by J.R. Eyerman

While the property’s origins trace back to the 1880s and a succession of owners, the Lotusland we know today is almost entirely the work of a woman by the name of Madame Ganna Walska. A retired Polish opera singer and socialite, Walska purchased the 37-acre estate 1941 with her soon-to-be sixth husband, Theos Bernard. After spending decades between Paris and New York and dedicating her time to a wide range of careers (opera, fashion designer, cosmetics entrepreneur, theater director), Walska came West looking to start anew on fresh soil. She initially named the property "Tibetland" in homage to Bernard’s spiritual work, but neither the name nor the marriage lasted. What endured was Walska’s devotion to the land. For more than four decades (until her death in 1984 at the age of 96), she dedicated her life to transforming the estate into a living masterpiece.

“She, and her time here from 1941 to 1984, is what you mostly experience when you're at Lotusland today,” says Paul Mills, Lotusland’s Director of Conservation and Curator of Living Collections. “Ganna Walska put her creative vision on top of everything that had come before.” That vision has earned Lotusland a place among lists of the top 10 most beautiful gardens in the world. The estate now boasts nearly 4,000 plant species across more than 20 distinct gardens, each one a world of its own: from a serene Japanese Garden with a koi-filled reflection pond to a “Blue Garden” where blue Atlas cedars and rare blue-foliage plants create a monochromatic sea of teal. There’s even a prehistoric fern garden that brims with begonias and shady, otherworldly greenery – a scene that feels plucked from a children’s book.

Garden photo by Kim Baile

Paul Mills in the Bromeliad Garden – Photo by Lisa Romerein

But Lotusland is more than just a visual bounty – it’s a place where art meets science. As a non-profit institution, it serves two primary missions: First, to preserve the artistic and horticultural legacy of Madame Walska, ensuring any additions or changes remain true to her creative spirit. Second, to promote global plant conservation through education, scientific research and sustainable stewardship. Balancing these two goals, honoring the past while protecting the future, defines Lotusland’s unique identity.

Like any reputable museum, Lotusland follows a living collections policy. This policy governs everything from the exclusion of invasive species to the preference for plants of known provenance and ecological significance. “A lot of what happens here is a group effort,” says Mills. “We don’t just do whatever we want because it would look neat. We definitely keep her in mind at all times, as well as the history of the property.”

Fortunately, Walska’s creative legacy offers both direction and freedom. “We often ask, ‘What would Madame Ganna Walska do?’” Mills explains. Usually, that question opens up a lot of possibilities. “She was always moving things around,trying new things and pushing the horticultural boundaries. During her time, the garden was constantly evolving."

Fountain photo by Kim Baile, Madame Ganna Walska photo courtesy of the Lotusland Archives

Walska’s boldness was evident from the start. Just a year after purchasing the property, she dramatically reimagined the front of the main house, replacing traditional landscaping with a striking amount of cacti and succulents. It was a bold move that defied the aesthetics of the time and set the tone for the creativity to come. “It says a lot about the direction she was going to go,” Mills reflected, noting the time Walska auctioned her entire jewelry collection and reinvested the funds into the garden’s development.

Yet Walska’s foresight extended beyond style. Before environmental consciousness entered the mainstream, Walska saw the importance of conservation. She believed horticulture's highest purpose was education and envisioned a global network of gardens sharing knowledge, resources and strategies to combat plant extinction. That legacy lives on today in Lotusland’s evolving collections. “If we can get a plant with wild provenance, something that contributes to science, research or conservation…we always prioritize that,” says Mills.

Now a landmark, Lotusland offers two tours daily. But plan ahead: space is limited, and the waitlist can be long. Still, the experience is well worth it. “No matter what, Lotusland is the type of garden that’s going to cause a reaction,” says Mills. It’s surprising, dramatic, wildly beautiful and completely unforgettable. Just like the woman behind it.

Photo by Kim Baile

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