mothers & family | outings

A walk in the garden

Botanic parks pair blooms and brunches

By JESSICA L. KEATING, PHOTO BY THERESE TRAN & ERIC REED

FRENZIED MORNINGS of breakfast-making, dressing and car pools, busy afternoons packed with meetings and errands, evenings full of last-minute chores — help mom put it all aside this Mother’s Day with a stroll through one of the Inland Empire’s outdoor wonderlands.

From the meticulously manicured lawns of the Kimberly Crest House and Gardens in Redlands to the native beauty of the Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden in Claremont, some of Mother Nature’s best floral and plant collections have found a home locally.

Mothers with green thumbs will find inspiration among the iris, roses, lilacs and carefully choreographed plantings, and even those without a knack for gardening can come away recharged and ready to take on new challenges.

Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden and others are pairing the beauty of their settings with a bit of pampering for mothers with brunches and luncheons.

Or you can forgo a day structured around reservations, as Kimberly Crest’s Katherine Scott Blom suggests, and pack a picnic with mom’s favorites. After a visit to the century-old mansion and gardens in Redlands, wander over to Prospect Park and lay out the feast.

"What a perfect Mother’s Day," Blom enthuses. "I would love it if my kids did something like this."

Kimberly Crest House and Gardens
1325 Prospect Drive, Redlands, (909) 792-2111, www.kimberlycrest.org Built in 1897, the 7,000-square-foot French-style chateau is one of the Inland Empire’s best-preserved examples of the Victorian era in California.

The home, a registered state historic landmark, is surrounded by more than six acres of terraced Italian gardens with manicured lawns, cascading fountains, lily and koi ponds, curved stairways and orange groves.

Prospect Park, a 39-acre botanical park, is located east of and adjacent to Kimberly Crest.

Guided tours are offered every 30 minutes from 1 to 3:30 p.m. Thursday-Sunday, September to July.

Donations of $7 for adults, $6 for students and seniors and $3 for children 6-12 are accepted. Botanic parks pair blooms and brunches

London Smith, left, and Rex Nelson wander through the Cultivar Garden at Claremont’s Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden.

Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden
1500 N. College Ave., Claremont, (909) 625-8767, www.rsabg.org The wildflowers have come to life at the state’s largest botanical garden dedicated to native plants. Admire sprays of California lilacs and the Western Rosebud trees in this 86-acre interpretive park.

Spring Garden Walks, guided by garden docents, begin at 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays through May 18.

The garden brings back its Mother’s Day brunch with seatings at 9:30 a.m. and 1 p.m.

May 11 in the shaded container garden.

Breakfast or lunch buffet is paired with live music and favors for every mother.

UC Riverside Botanic Gardens
900 University Ave., Riverside, (951) 784-6962, www.gardens.ucr.edu Wander four miles of scenic trails among 40 acres nestled at the foothills of the Box Springs Mountains on the east side of the university. The gardens are home to more than 3,500 plant species from around the world.

The gardens are open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.

Admission is a suggested donation of $1. Self- guided tours are available daily; guided tours for groups of 10 or more may be arranged and are $5 per person.

The gardens will be closed to the public May 18 for the annual Primavera in the Garden event, a fundraiser that pairs the magic of the gardens with live music and delectable dishes from local restaurants. Reservations must be made by May 9.

Maloof Gardens
5131 Carnelian St., Alta Loma, (909) 980-0412, malooffoundation.org Located on the grounds of famed woodworker Sam Maloof’s residence and foundation, the gardens feature plants native to California.

Open from noon to 4 p.m. Thursday and Saturday, admission to the garden is free of charge. Tours of the Maloof residence are $10 for adults, $8 for seniors older than 65 and $5 for students older than 14.

White ducks swim in a pond surrounded by California poppies at the Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden in Claremont.

The Huntington
1151 Oxford Road, San Marino, (626) 405-2100, www.huntington.org Before or after a tour around the famed research and educational center’s gardens, enjoy a Mother’s Day brunch at the Cafe and Rose Garden Tea Room. Brunch will be served al fresco on the Garden Terrace Lawn for $70 per person. A buffet in the Rose Garden Tea Room is $50 per person. Reservations are required: (626) 405-2249.

The Huntington is open noon to 4:30 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday and 10:30 a.m.

to 4:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Admission varies.

Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanical Garden
301 N. Baldwin Ave., Arcadia, (626) 821-3222, www.arboretum.org Get a peek at the Queen Anne Cottage, open to the public only twice a year, on Mother’s Day weekend. The arboretum, a 127-acre botanical garden and historical site, also presents the Mother’s Day Geranium Show May 10-11.

Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily; free admission after 4:30 p.m.

Admission is $7 adults, $5 students and seniors, $2.50 children 5-12 and free for children younger than 5.

Descanso Gardens 1418 Descanso Drive, La Cañada Flintridge, (818) 949-4200, www.descansogardens.org The 150-acre property, home to one of North America’s largest camellia collections, a Japanese garden, international rose garden and more, welcomes moms to a Mother’s Day brunch from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

May 10-11. Price is $45 for nonmembers and includes cost of garden admission. Reservations are required: (818) 790-3663.

The gardens are open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily except Christmas Day.

General admission is $7.