Poppies (Made of Paper) Are Abloom at Descanso Gardens

Poppies?

They decided to take 2021 off, at least in those celebrated Southern California places that they famously blanket.

This isn't to say that your own yard hasn't taken on an awesomely orange aura, and the parkways of our neighborhoods? They've been putting on their best poppified performances, despite our moisture-light winter.

Still, for many poppy people, the spring of 2021 has lacked a poppy-themed destination, the kind of spot you can build an afternoon's outing around.

Seeing the boisterously brilliant blooms here and there is soul-strengthening beyond measure, it's true, but where is the poppy-pretty special event in town?

Descanso Gardens has an ethereal answer to that question: The El Portal, an airy ramada-type structure found in its California Garden.

To celebrate Earth Week, and to shine some petal-fluttery love on California Native Plant Week, too, the La Cañada Flintridge garden has decorated the structure in poppies.

A lot of poppies, we should say, with over 100 flowers, all of different hues, making a showy showing.

These are paper poppies, we should add, though real, sprung-from-the-ground poppies are also adding beauty to the 150-acre property, here and there (and other spots connecting here and there, too).

These arty blossoms were all made by hand, by the by, adding to their homespun allure.

"Visitors can also enjoy a gallery-like display with more paper flowers evoking vintage botanical prints," shared the garden on its social pages.

How to see these paper poppies during their short but splendid run, which concludes on April 25?

You'll need to make an advance reservations, but keep in mind that weekends can and do fill up during the floweriest season of the year (which, spoiler alert, we're savoring now).