REVELRY BLOOMS AT GARDEN.Byline: Yvette Cabrera Daily News Staff Writer Leaning back in his lawn chair, retiree Paul Vincent couldn't have imagined a better way to spend his Saturday than listening to ``Waltz of the Flowers'' from ``The Nutcracker Suite'' mingle with the gurgles from the stream behind him. In the Wonderland-like setting of the Descanso Gardens Descanso Gardens is a 160-acre botanical garden and historical site located at 1418 Descanso Drive, La Cañada Flintridge, California, USA. Situated in a natural “bowl” in the San Rafael Hills, this calming, urban retreat is just 14 miles north of downtown Los Angeles. , Vincent and hundreds of others spent an enchanted en·chant tr.v. en·chant·ed, en·chant·ing, en·chants 1. To cast a spell over; bewitch. 2. To attract and delight; entrance. See Synonyms at charm. Saturday at the Rose Revel celebration, which marked the fifth year since the Gardens' five-acre rose garden reopened after an extensive makeover. ``They have a wonderful music program, and it's a beautiful setting,'' said Vincent of Crescenta Valley The Crescenta Valley is a small inland valley in Los Angeles County, California. Its name derives from its crescent-like shape, with the convex portion facing roughly northeast and the concave portion southwest. as he watched ballet dancers, maypole dancers and others perform on the Magnolia Lawn. The May Day theme, which harkens back to the springtime celebrations that took place in agrarian England, was so popular with visitors Saturday that it may be selected as the annual theme, said Descanso Gardens spokeswoman Karen Dardick. ``We wanted to celebrate the beauty of roses but also have family fun,'' Dardick said. The entertainment by numerous groups, including the Ballet Petite and Ballet of the Foothills, was just an added plus to the lush scenery of the Descanso Gardens, tucked away in the Verdugo Mountains The Verdugo Mountains are a small mountain range located just south of the western San Gabriel Mountains in Los Angeles County, Southern California, The United States of America (USA). The range is commonly known simply as the Verdugos. . Meandering paths lead through a 150-year-old oak forest, streams lined with pink azaleas and filled with mallard mallard: see duck. mallard Abundant “wild duck” (Anas platyrhynchos, family Anatidae) of the Northern Hemisphere, ancestor of most domestic ducks. The mallard is a typical dabbling duck in its general habits and courtship display. ducks and shimmering shim·mer intr.v. shim·mered, shim·mer·ing, shim·mers 1. To shine with a subdued flickering light. See Synonyms at flash. 2. koi fish. A railroad chugs past flower-filled promenades, a fern grotto Fern Grotto is a fern covered, lava rock grotto located on the Wailua River on the eastern side of Kauai in the Hawaiian archipelago. It forms a natural amphitheater which greatly increases the acoustics of the many bands that are hired to perform live music, which has traditional and gardens with various themes - an Iris garden here, a Japanese garden Japanese gardens (Kanji 日本庭園, nihon teien), that is, gardens in traditional Japanese style, can be found at private homes, in neighborhood or city parks, at Buddhist temples or Shinto shrines, and at historical landmarks such as old castles. there. Sumiko Kazahaya brought her mother and granddaughter so her daughter could watch the ballet and take arts and crafts arts and crafts, term for that general field of applied design in which hand fabrication is dominant. The term was coined in England in the late 19th cent. as a label for the then-current movement directed toward the revivifying of the decorative arts. classes, but she visits the gardens at least four or five times a year for the scenery. ``The roses are absolutely fabulous,'' said Kazahaya, a Northridge resident. ``It's such a peaceful, relaxing atmosphere. It's beautiful.'' Children can romp through the grass without fear of being reprimanded, while parents can admire the lush greenery from the numerous gazebos, including a stunning black-steel Victorian gazebo gazebo Lookout in the form of a turret, cupola (small, lanternlike dome), or garden house set on a height to give an extensive view. Few late-18th- and 19th-century rustic gazebos survive, but 17th-century turrets built up in an angle of the garden wall are not uncommon. wrapped with climbing white roses. ``You'd never know downtown Los Angeles Downtown Los Angeles is the central business district of Los Angeles, California, located close to the geographic center of the metropolitan area. The sprawling, multi-centered megacity is such that its downtown core is often considered just another district like Hollywood or is 20 minutes away,'' Dardick said. ``We like to call it an oasis of peace and tranquillity. Personally, I feel like it's one of the best stress-busters around.'' Every year about a quarter of a million people visit Descanso Gardens, which offers workshops, art classes and summertime music programs. Descanso Gardens includes 160 acres, half of which are landscaped, half of which are natural chaparral. The rose garden includes more than 5,000 rose bushes and 1,700 varieties. The entrance fee is $5 per adult, $3 for senior citizens and students, and $1 for children ages 5 to 12 years. Children under 5 enter free of charge. The Rose Revel celebration continues today with performances starting at 10 a.m. The gardens are located at 1418 Descanso Drive in La Canada Flintridge. ROSE REVEL SCHEDULE Here is the schedule for the Rose Revel festival today at Descanso Gardens, 1418 Descanso Drive, La Canada Flintridge. Admission is $5 for adults, $3 for seniors and students, $1 for ages 5-12. Children under 5 are admitted free. For more information, call (818) 952-4400. 10 a.m. - Bobbie Jo Curley will play the harp and sing folk songs of the British Isles. 11 a.m. - Students from the Margaret Cleary School of Irish Dance will perform. Noon - The Rattle-Up Morris Dancers will perform. 1:30 p.m. - The Waverly Dancers, a group of more than 50, will perform Scottish and Irish folk dances. CAPTION(S): 2 Photos PHOTO (1) Deanna Beason, 8, left, Nadine Pardee, 11, and Andrea Beason, 11, dance in cupid garb during Saturday's Rose Revel. (2--Ran in Glen/Bur Edition only) Members of Ballet Petite perform a maypole dance during Saturday's event at Descanso Gardens. Michael Owen Baker/Daily News |
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