Roses!
What I love about Descanso’s rose garden is that it’s not over-manicured as so many seem to be. Some of the more vigorous types are allowed to get nice and big,
and there is an abundance of climbing roses, as well as a good mix of other plants
which make it feel more garden-like and less of a specimen collection.
Some of the arches are more industrial than romantic
but when covered in roses
I can forgive the need for low-maintenance structures!
For once I arrived early enough to be able to photograph the beautiful fountain without interruption.
It reminds me of fountains I’ve seen in some of the California Missions we’ve visited – which makes sense now that I’ve seen this plaque: 
I love the mix of practical plants such as olives, citrus and pomegranates with drought-tolerant yet decorative plants. 
