An escape from inland basin heat led Barbara and me to 87 acres in the Palos Verdes Hills filled with 150K landscaped plants and trees. We're used to the pristine landscaping of Huntington, the Arboretum, and Descanso, so what a treat it was to hike the perimeter of the casual but delightfully pretty South Coast Botanic Garden. An open mine pit from 1926–1956, LA County owned the land from 1957 to 1965 and during that time an experimental land reclamation project was established and became the South Coast Botanic Gardens. Built on a sanitary landfill, and despite the difficulty of gardening in soil that's almost 100% diatomaceous earth, and subject to heat and irrigation problems, the trees, plants, and palms thrive. It's only mid-March, yet it felt like we walked into Mother Nature's Spring Closet. We pictured multiple species of trees and flowers below, more to come this spring and summer. Today's hike circled the perimeter of the gardens on the Tram Road. Fun and a bit jaw-dropping in the uniqueness of the species, if you're up to exploring Rolling Hills, make a stop here. It's casual, and so very pretty. The squirrels and kids love this living museum. We did too.