SHERMAN GARDENS

You may have passed Sherman Gardens many times on the Pacific Coast Highway at Corona Del Mar without noticing it. The garden’s buildings fronting the highway blend in with the other shops near it. But behind the façade lies a whole city block of gardens, landscapes and other structures. If you turn off the highway at Dahlia Avenue you will come to a large parking lot from which you can enter the gardens.

We entered the gardens with friends to hear a lecture held in the covered central patio. Along two walls of the patio are large tile murals depicting the history of California and the southwest United States. Although the lecture was interesting, I couldn’t take my eyes away from the attractive glassed murals.

The gardens within the grounds dwell on specific plants. A few of them are the Rose Garden, the Bromeliad Garden, the Succulent Garden and the Mediterranean Climate Gardens. We found the Succulent Gardens to be a work of art. The plants of different hues were artistically arranged along with flat stones to make breathtaking patterns. This garden alone is worth a trip to Corona Del Mar.

There are also collections of orchids, ferns and palms. Over one hundred distinct types of palms flourish in that collection. When we walked the pathways among the palms and ferns, we felt as though we were in the tropics, so far away from what we see every day.

Very interesting to me was a large old pepper tree. Pepper trees are common in southern California, but this one was the oldest that I had ever seen, its thick branches growing in a maze of directions along with large burls or growths that I had never seen on this type of tree.  Fascinating! As it was Christmas time, many visiting students had hung round red paper ornaments on the tree, each inscribed with a personal wish or hope. It was touching to read what was in the hearts of our youth. One comment was “I wish Dad would give me a sign from heaven that he is okay.”

Central to the Sherman organization is the library. As their brochure states, “The library’s collection includes more than 15,000 and over 100 manuscripts.” They also have thousands of photographs and maps dealing with southern California, Arizona and northern New Mexico. Scholars often use the library for their research. The public is allowed to examine the books, but they must be used on the premises. In other words, you can’t check them out as you would in a public library.

The Sherman Library and Gardens was the dream of Arnold Haskell, a successful businessman who once lived in a baked adobe cottage on the property. It is still there today adjacent to the Library. Haskell gradually bought land around him until finally he owned the entire block, room enough for his library and gardens. The gardens opened in 1966 and attained their final look, as we see it today, in 1974.

The Gardens, Library and Garden Shop are open from 10 a.m. until 4:40 p.m. The Library is only open on weekdays. The Café Jardin, yes there is a café there in the midst of its beautiful surroundings, is open weekdays from 11p.m. to 2p.m., Sundays 10:30a.m. to 2 p.m.

The fee for entering the Gardens is $5 for adults and $3 for children.

The weaving together of succulents and rocks is a work of art.

Desert plants become the theme of this garden.

Sherman Gardens is beautifully landscaped.

This old pepper tree is decorated with wishes written on a disc of red paper by visiting students.

MONTEREY PARK AUTHOR PUBLISHES 4th BOOK – Seeking More of the Sky: Growing Up in the 1930’s:

Charles “Norm” Stevens, a 43 year resident of Monterey Park has recently published his 4^th book: Seeking More of the Sky: Growing Up in the 1930’s. This is the story of a young boy growing up in Inglewood, California in the l930’s. This was a time during the depression when unemployment was affecting many and the banks were closed, while the clouds of war were gathering in Europe. But he was lucky enough to be raised in a loving family, the power of that love reflected throughout his stories.

Stevens is the author of three previous books about his experiences during WWII:

An Innocent at Polebrook: A Memoir of an 8th Air Force Bombardier (Story of his 34 bombing missions from his base at Polebrook, England over Germany and France)

The Innocent Cadet: Becoming A World War II Bombardier (A prequel to the first, telling of his training in the U.S. before going overseas into combat.)

Back from Combat: A WWII Bombardier Faces His Military Future from Combat: (This book details the time from when he returned from combat in England until the end of the war.)

He is known to the readers of The Citizen’s Voice as the author of Travel Log Articles including “Cruising the Rhine and Mosel”,” Best of the West”, “In Search of Snow” ,  “From Paris to Normandy on the Seine”, and “Exploring New York”.  He is retired, having taught for 32 years, primarily in the Montebello Unified School District.

Those interested in purchasing an autographed copy of any of his books, may contact the author at 323-721-8230 or  Normstevens24@gmail.com.