A New Descanso Exhibition Digs Up the People Behind the Plants

The gardens at Descanso are usually admired for their camellias and oaks, not their backstory. A new exhibition aims to change that. On Friday, July 17, from 5 to 7 p.m., Descanso Gardens hosts an opening reception at its historic Boddy House for “LA’s Garden,” a show that traces the human history rooted in the grounds. Guests can meet curator Rosten Woo and enjoy music and a no-host bar.

Curated by Woo, the exhibition looks past the scenery to the people who shaped it — from the Indigenous communities who first stewarded the land to the Japanese American nurserymen and dedicated volunteers who built and preserved Descanso’s collections over the decades. It pairs archival maps, documents and vintage photographs with contemporary artistic perspectives, arguing that at Descanso, the history of the plants is inseparable from the history of the people.

The reception previews an exhibition that will remain on view at the Boddy House through late November, open daily. The gardens themselves span 150 acres in La Cañada Flintridge and have operated as a public garden since 1953.

The Friday evening reception is free, and no registration is required.

The opening reception for “LA’s Garden” will take place Friday, July 17, from 5 to 7 p.m. Boddy House, Descanso Gardens, 1418 Descanso Drive, La Cañada Flintridge. For more information, call (818) 949-4200 or visit descansogardens.org. Admission is free; no registration required.