The coastal city of Newport Beach is known for its beautiful sandy beaches, surfing, a nice harbor, and trendy homes (and beautiful people who live in them).
We were surprised to find a small garden and library complex in the city adjoining the Pacific Coast Highway that was most pleasant to visit and explore. We visited in the winter, before the CoVid pandemic, and while some plants weren’t in bloom many were and we really enjoyed our visit!
The botanical garden is thoughtfully designed and will be the focus of this week’s blog. Next week we’ll visit the interesting library and complete our visit of this garden.
Arnold Haskell was the founder of Sherman Library & Gardens. He was a businessman who enjoyed gardens and education. After accumulating the land over a period of years, construction on the garden began in 1966 and took 8 years to finish. Mr. Haskell named it in honor of his mentor, Moses Sherman.
The Gardens’ collections includes a variety of themed areas, such a very nice tropical conservatory (with an interesting collection of orchids and carnivorous plants), a rose garden, and a cactus/succulent garden. The are pleasant walkways that wind through the flower beds and fountains, with places to sit and relax. There’s also a nice cafe and gift shop.
The library is open from 10:30 a.m. until 4 p.m. every weekday. During the summer months, the garden stays open until 7 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays. Admission is $5.00 ( Children 3 & under are free)
Some additional photos from the Sherman Gardens follow:
