What great color to see outdoors in January! The Getty Center used a variety of succulents planted in a contrasting ground cover, like these hand-sized echeverias, to appear like the blooms – clever.
![Succulents at Getty Center](http://tealsky.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/11-01-25-Getty-Center-LA-16.jpg)
Check out the size of this agave americana. I enjoyed the variety of cactus and succulents at the South Coast Botanic Garden on the Palos Verdes Peninsula. There were also nice woodland gardens – and we saw iris blooming…probably a first for me to see in January.
![Agave at South Coast Botanic Gardens](http://tealsky.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/11-01-26-South-Coast-Botanic-Garden-07.jpg)
![Cactus and succulent Garden at South Coast Botanic Gardens](http://tealsky.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/11-01-26-South-Coast-Botanic-Garden-01.jpg)
Relatively near by in an LA sort of way, is the Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden on the campus of California State University Long Beach. This is a gorgeous pocket respite (from traffic) to stroll and relax. Very nicely designed. Perfect spot for a picnic lunch in January!
![Japanese Garden at CSU, Long Beach](http://tealsky.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/11-01-26-Japanese-Garden-UC-03.jpg)
The following day after we walked around Batiquitos Lagoon near Carlsbad and enjoyed a picnic lunch on the coast in Encinitas, we visited San Diego Botanic Garden (formerly Quail Gardens). In addition to this succulent garden, they had another planted in such a way that it looked like an underwater coral reef. There were also succulent topiaries which were quite fun.
![Succulents at San Diego Botanic Gardens](http://tealsky.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/11-01-27-SD-Botanic-Gardens-05.jpg)