Described as “a fantasy of remarkable setpieces of design and planting quite unlike any other garden,” Montecito’s 37-acre Lotusland (pictured) was named among the top 10 best gardens worldwide by Christopher Bailes, a retired Royal Horticultural Society curator and Chelsea Flower Show judge. Lotusland and Oregon’s Portland Japanese Garden were the only two North American gardens to receive the honor. Lotusland is currently fundraising to renovate its own Japanese garden, primarily to make it wheelchair accessible — which would open up pathways to the aloe and water gardens — and to enhance the koi pond.
