Sunnylands Center and Gardens, Palm Springs, CA

In virtually every respect, Sunnylands Center and Gardens is the polar opposite of family-run Moorten Botanical Garden. The two things they have in common—both are located in the Palm Springs area and both showcase desert plants—are eclipsed by their differences. Moorten is 1 acre in size, Sunnylands 200; Moorten looks to be run on a shoestring budget, Sunnylands is flush with money; Moorten is visited by normal folks like you and me; Sunnylands is a “high-level retreat center” for the likes of President Obama.

And yet, both places are outstanding destinations for succulents lovers. Moorten very much looks like a private garden—which it once was and, and its heart, it still is—while Sunnylands showcases landscape design on a grand scale and scope. Where else can you see many hundreds (maybe even thousands) of golden barrel cactus (Echinocactus grusonii) all lined up like soldiers at a parade?

Only 70 species of desert or desert-adapted plants are used in the 15-acre garden in front of and behind the newly built 15,000 sq. ft. visitor center, but to achieve the desired color and texture effects, over 53,000 individual plants were installed. The plant procurement process took an entire year and involved five nurseries in California and Arizona. The details of such a large-scale project are fascinating; the articles listed under “Further reading” at the bottom of this post make for riveting reading.

I won’t go into the history of Sunnylands and billionaires Walter and Leonore Annenberg who owned the property before they converted it to a non-profit foundation; this Wikipedia article has all the basics in case you’re interested. What is important to remember is that landscape architect James Burnett was inspired by the Annenberg’s love of Impressionist painting and arranged the plants like an “Impressionist canvas.”

The video above is an unedited slideshow of all the photos I took at Sunnylands. I thought I’d offer this an option in addition to the selection of edited and processed photos below. Be sure to view the video at the highest resolution for the crispest image quality.

Let’s start at the entrance to the property, which is located on Bob Hope Drive in the town of Rancho Mirage, a few miles southeast of Palm Springs proper. The plantings at the entrance and along Entry Drive, which leads to the parking lot adjacent to the visitor center, set the tone for what’s to come. My jaw dropped when I saw the masses of golden barrel cactus (Echinocactus grusonii). There was no place to pull over, so I walked back to the entrance from the parking lot to take these photos.

According to landscape architect James Burnett, Agave desmettiana was his agave of choice because of its deep green color. Many of them were blooming right at the entrance, as well as outside the visitor center (see photos further down).

13 agave species are used in the mass plantings, including Agave ‘Sharkskin’ seen in the next photo:

The plant palette comprises only five varieties of trees: sweet acacia (Acacia farnesiana), texas ebony (Ebenopsis ebano), palo brea (Parkinsonia praceox), ‘Desert Museum’ palo verde (Parkinsonia  ‘Desert Museum’), and several varieties of mesquite (Prosopsis sp.). The mesquite along the Botanic Walk to the left of the entrance drive are lovely. I wish I had room in my own garden for one of the thornless hybrids now available.

This golden barrel pattern is particularly stunning:

Other sections of the Botanic Walk along Entry Drive reminded me of the growing grounds of a large nursery, albeit perfectly neat and controlled. In fact the project narrative submitted by the Office of James Burnett for the 2012 American Society of Landscape Architects Professional Awards specifically mentions this design goal: “Plantings were designed ‘in mass’ much like one experiences a large nursery.”

Yucca rostrata galore:

Golden barrel cactus in front of steely blue agaves: what a contrast!

More photos from the Botanic Walk along Entry Drive:

Entry Drive ends at the visitor center. The covered walkway you see below, flanked by bloomed Agave desmettiana, leads from the parking lot to the visitor center.

Right in front of the visitor center is the Entry Court planted with golden barrel cactus and Agave desmettiana and top-dressed with black decomposed granite for contrast.

The effect is stunning against the mid-century modern façade of the visitor center.

I only took one photo inside the visitor center, but I hope it will give you an idea of how sleek and upscale it is. The restrooms were the nicest public restrooms I’ve seen in my life—ultra high-quality materials throughout.

The wall on the right isn’t a quilt, as you might first think, but natural stone

After walking through the visitor center you arrive at what I consider the “crown jewel” of the Sunnylands gardens: the terrace with two reflecting pools and specimen gardens at either side.

While the use of water features in a climate that, on average, gets less than 5 inches of rain a year may seem frivolous to some, I think these reflecting pools are fantastic. They actually emphasize how precious water is in the desert and provide a meaningful contrast against the desert plantings beyond. In addition, the reflections of the ‘Desert Museum’ palo verde and the desert sky—amended by the texture of the large pebbles at the bottom of the pools—create a touch of Impressionism that the Annenbergs would have appreciated (Walter died in 2002 and Leonore in 2009 and never saw these gardens).

 

As I mentioned above, each reflecting pool terminates in a specimen garden featuring particularly remarkable succulents. Top dressing of black granite unifies the design.

The planting scheme parallel to the reflecting pools is very simple: golden barrel cactus and ‘Desert Museum’ palo verde. The golden barrels are arranged in a perfect grid, like soldiers standing at attention during a parade.

There are subtle queues that the “real” Sunnylands—the original Annenberg estate that you can’t even see from the visitor center and gardens—is in high demand for diplomatic purposes. Take a look at this plaque. President Obama met with Chinese President Xi Jiping at Sunnylands in June 2013.

The visitor center includes a small gift shop and a café where I had lunch. The food was exquisite—I shouldn’t have been surprised. It was a bit too cool to sit outside, but look at the view!

After lunch I explored the plantings beyond the café (and visitor center). A series of smaller-scale private gardens with benches invite contemplation. The plantings are rich and varied, but always formal and geometric.

Aloe ‘Blue Elf’

Aloe ‘Blue Elf’

Agave parryi

Agave parryi

Agave parryi

Agave parryi, Echinocactus grusonii, and Fouquieria splendens

Agave parryi, Echinocactus grusonii, and Fouquieria splendens

Agave parryi

View of the Performance Circle

Aloes along the Botanic Walk on the far side of the Great Lawn

Aloes along the Botanic Walk on the far side of the Great Lawn

More views of the “nursery growing grounds” aesthetic

More views of the “nursery growing grounds” aesthetic

Agave titanota

Euphorbia resinifera

Agave tequilana

Agave parryi

I understand that some people might not like Sunnylands because the design is so formal, controlled, and regimented. I, however, was in love—I’m sure you can tell by the number of photos I took. Wherever I turned, there was another vista I wanted to photograph. I’d never seen anything like it. In fact, I doubt there is anything like it anywhere in the word. The next time I’m in Palm Springs, Sunnylands will be the first place I visit. (That, and the best vegan restaurant in the universe, Native Foods Café.)

FURTHER READING:

• Sunnylands Center & Gardens (Office of James Burnett, the landscape architect behind the garden design); beautiful high-resolution photographs and a video documenting the progress of the project (including stunning time-lapse photography of the installation of the garden)
• Sunnylands Center & Gardens (2012 American Society of Landscape Architects Professional Awards); excellent summary of the landscape design; includes a high-resolution site plan
• The Artful Garden (Palm Springs Life)

RELATED POST:

2014 Desert Trip index