Sunnylands Garden

I knew one day during the holiday break I'd find myself in nature with time on my side, and camera in hand.  Today was that day.  I've been wanting to visit Sunnylands Garden since it opened this past spring as part of a 65 million dollar renovation to the Annenberg estate and newly erected visitor center.  TV Guide publishing magnate Walter  Annenberg and his wife Lenore wintered on this 200 acre property in Rancho Mirage.  Nine acres were transformed into a desert garden inspired by their art collection of impressionist and post-impressionist paintings which were donated to the Met in 2001.  I read this fact after I walked the stunning grounds, every angle photo-worthy, and felt oddly transported to France.  Perhaps one of the most beautiful formal desert landscapes I've ever encountered.  The detail to texture, color and dimension is breath taking.  According to James Burnett, the landscape architect, "Everything in concept was designed to use massing in hundreds of plants instead of small combinations, so we could sweep color on a very large scale."  I eagerly await another visit this spring, as various trees and cacti are blooming.