Led by haiku poet Debbie Kolodji, this workshop will include time to walk in the garden and be inspired by the camellias and instruction on writing the traditional Japanese three-line poem.

Free with admission, no advance registration required.

The Camellia Connection: Our Rebirth of Wonder

Celebrate camellias and poetry throughout the month of February at Descanso Gardens.

Camellias can bloom in our coldest and darkest winter season. These brilliant flowers, native to Asia, contain stories of resilience, hope, loss and ingenuity. Descanso supports one of the largest collections of camellias in North America, with more than 3,500 known and recorded plants, representing over 600 varieties.

In collaboration with accomplished poets Amy Uyematsu and Peter Levitt, Descanso is pleased to offer a series of programs that invite exploration, reflection, and participation.

Please note that Little Explorers on Feb. 24 is canceled

Little Explorers is back! Come explore, play and create with us under the oaks on the Main Lawn. 

Families with young children (age 2–5 years old) will enjoy doing arts and crafts and nature exploration together each month. No registration required, free with admission or membership.

Please note that the Camellia Flower Arranging Demo is canceled

George Harrison, President of Pacific Camellia Society, will lead a flower arranging demonstration featuring camellias.

After the demo, you are welcome to visit the Southern California Camellia Council show in Rose Pavilion from until 4:30pm. 

Please note that the Camellia Society Tour is canceled

Join Dr. Brad King (President of Southern California Camellia Society) and Jim Fitzpatrick (Vice President of Southern California Camellia Society) on a tour of the Camellia Forest.

After the walk, you are welcome to visit the Southern California Camellia Council show in Rose Pavilion from until 4:30pm. 

Come join our monthly walk for birders of all levels. Bring binoculars!

Keep your bird count tallied on the updated and now downloadable Descanso Bird Checklist.

No reservations required.

MEMBERS ONLY

Join us for a guided walking tour to see what’s blooming at Descanso. Meets from 11am to noon on March 17 and 18, April 21 and 22, and May 19 and 20.

Meets at Center Circle. Included in the price of admission or Descanso Gardens membership, no reservations required.

Join us for a guided walking tour to see what’s blooming at Descanso. Meets from 11am to noon on March 17 and 18, April 21 and 22, and May 19 and 20.

Meets at Center Circle. Included in the price of admission or Descanso Gardens membership, no reservations required.

Come explore, play and create with us under the oaks on the Main Lawn. Families with young children (age 2–5 years old) will enjoy doing arts and crafts and nature exploration together each month.

No registration required, free with admission or membership.

Come join our monthly walk for birders of all levels. Bring binoculars!

Keep your bird count tallied on the updated and now downloadable Descanso Bird Checklist.

No reservations required.

MEMBERS ONLY

Come see what happens in the garden during extended hours. Take a tour, dance to music amongst the flowers, learn about nature, enjoy food and drink. Grab some friends and enjoy the gardens in a new way.

Included in the price of admission or Descanso Gardens membership, no reservations required.

Cultivate: Explore SHIKI
.

SHIKI exhibit tours with curator Meher McArthur
– Lecture/tour of Sturt Haaga Gallery
– Times: 5–5:45pm | 6–6:45pm

Haiku and tanka poetry reading and performance by Debbie Kolodji and Mariko Kitakubo
– Poetry readings of Kolodji and Kitakubo’s book
– Times: 5–5:30pm | 6–6:30pm

Flashdance DJs
– Times: 4:30–7pm

Activity: Make-your-own haiku poem or woodblock print
– Time: 4:30–7pm

Biographies
..

Meher McArthur
Meher McArthur is an Asian art historian specializing in Japanese art. She worked as Curator of East Asian Art at Pacific Asia Museum and Creative Director for the Storrier Stearns Japanese Garden, both in Pasadena and was Academic Curator for Scripps College in Claremont and Art and Cultural Director for JAPAN HOUSE Los Angeles.

Deborah P Kolodji Bio
Deborah P Kolodji is the Moderator of the Southern California Haiku Study Group, the California Regional Coordinator for the Haiku Society of America, and a member of the board of directors for Haiku North America. She has given hundreds of haiku workshops over the past 15 years.

Mariko Kitakubo
Mariko Kitakubo is a tanka poet/tanka reading performer born in Tokyo (4, Oct. 1959) and living in Mitaka-city, Tokyo. Mariko has published six books of tanka including three bilingual ones, “On This Same Star” , “Cicada Forest”and “INDIGO”. She hopes to encourage more poetry lovers worldwide to appreciate and practice tanka. URL: www.en.kitakubo.com