Ink & Penstemon

Last year we went to San Diego about this time for a family wedding. We enjoyed it so much that we went down again this year. We rented a condo in Del Mar to make the most of the beach and took the kiddies to Legoland (which is a much better option than Disneyland if you have three children under 8). But one unexpected gem was found at the San Diego Botanic Gardens in the Hamilton Children’s Garden.

It is a very large children’s garden; much larger than I am accustomed to. It is enclosed, but it is on a hillside, criss-crossed by a complicated network of paths for children to explore and discover the myriad things for them to do in addition to the raised-bed veggie garden and interactive plantings of typical children’s gardens. There’s a boat-racing stream, a block building area, various musical installations, craft stations, and many interactive plant features. Those who designed this garden also acknowledged that parents want to be engaged as well so they made it look stunning. The plantings are by no means lacking in interest or complexity. There are also points of interest tucked here and there, like the green roofs on the sheds and bathrooms, and various water catchment systems and recycling innovations to inspect. They’ve also carved out some solitary niches with elegant fountains, benches, and restful plantings to give parents a moment of peace and quiet while their children explore. I saw more adults in this area of the garden wandering about than any other.

But the gem of the garden is the treehouse—the Disneyland of all treehouses. It is a sculpted to look like a gnarled tropical tree, but instead of plastic plants for year-round interest, this treehouse is covered in living epiphytes, tropicals, cacti, orchids, and succulents. It’s dripping with plants so much that at first glance, you presume the tree is alive. It is interlaced with 3 levels of tunnels, walkways and turrets taking you to various lookouts, hidey-holes, and climbing spots. It’s the sort of thing that makes you really wish that you were only 3 feet high again.

Next time we head down to San Diego, the Hamilton Children’s Garden will be on our must visit list right along with the Beach, Sea World, Legoland, and the San Diego Zoo. And unlike those other places, the kids can get in for $8.