Mountain Views News          Saturday, June 26, 2010

Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com

Homes & Property

12 

 Mountain Views News Saturday, June 26, 2010

One Of A Kind: Featuring unique homes & gardens and the people who create them Story and Photos By Chris Bertrand


The Gardens of San Diego’s Balboa Park


An early June trip to 
San Diego allowed me 
to tour that nearby 
city’s magnificent, 
1200 acre park just 
north of downtown. 
Though we think of 
New York’s central 
park as probably the 
largest, the Big Apple’s 
flagship greenbelt for 
that city is only 843 acres. I finally realize why 
it is I always felt a bit overwhelmed (and often 
lost) when visiting there in years past. I never 
understood how big it was.

Visited by more than 12 million people a year, 
Balboa Park, with its 15,000 tress of more than 
350 different species, ranks among the nation’s 
Best City Parks, according to a study published in 
December, 2009’s Forbes Magazine. Many visitor’s 
first view of the park is the memorable Cabrillo 
Bridge towering over the 163 freeway as it delves 
through the parkland.

Set aside as park area early in the city’s 
development, the land initially stood as treeless, 
undeveloped mesa land with wide erosion marks 
on the step sandy sides, similar to those rapidly 
disappearing mesas along I-5 and 805, and just one 
of a series across the city that now bear the names 
of neighborhoods like Clairemont Mesa, Kearney 
Mesa and Mira Mesa. The mesa topography 
also explains why the streets and access seem so 
convoluted. One has to climb the steep mesa to get 
up there!

Many of Balboa Park’s gardens were planted 
nearly a century ago for the 1915-6 Panama-
California Exposition celebrating the completion 
of the Panama Canal. Yet were only part of the 
larger plan for an urban cultural and horticultural 
jewel for San Diego which now includes 15 major 
museums. There is likely a museum to suit any 
interest: Art, Automotive, Air and Space, Natural 
History, Sports, Railroad and Veterans Museums, 
to name just a few; world class performing arts 
venues like the Old Globe Theater and, of course, 
the famous San Diego Zoo. Our personal favorite 
has always been the Reuben H. Fleet Science 
Center. 

The legacy of the intricate Spanish-Renaissance 
style architecture lives on in some of the signature 
buildings along the famous El Prado pedestrian 
walkway and the Spreckels Organ Pavilion, where 
free pipe organ concerts are regularly held.

Kate Sessions, known locally as the “mother of 
Balboa Park” had a significant hand in the early 
design of the landscaping. She also popularized 
several, now commonplace species, like the South 
African bird of paradise plant called Strelitzia, 
the queen palm and the poinsettia, which later 
become synonymous with San Diego, due to the 
Ecke Poinsettia operation in suburban Encinitas.

During the Depression, the California Pacific 
International Exposition was held in 1935-6, 
and more landscape, structures and cultural 
organizations were added.

Several favorite areas stand out as must see stops 
in a garden visit to Balboa Park. I seem to have 
developed an affinity for Japanese Gardens, and 
the one here is small at only two acres, though 
delightful, and peaceful. The entry stone, a gift 
from San Diego’s sister city, Yokohama, is inscribed 
with the kanji symbols of San-Kei-En, translating 
to “A Three Scene Garden.”

I was lucky enough to chat with a few of their 
devoted and knowledgeable staff and volunteers, 
who sported traditional Japanese gardening 
footwear, which allow for good traction and 
flexibility in the discipline and art of Japanese 
pruning of trees.

All the favorite Japanese plants (or substitutes more 
tolerant of the San Diego climate) are reverently 
grown. The 
fujidana 
wisteria arbor, 
adjacent to 
the koi pond, 
provides 
welcome 
shade from 
the strong 
San Diego 
sun. San-Kei-
En garden is 
a favorite for 
after-hours 
weddings, 
photographs 
and events, 
which can be 
coordinated 
through the 
Japanese 
Friendship 
Garden’s 
offices.

 The Moon Viewing Deck offers a view of the 
deep canyon below, where construction is now 
underway for an expansion that will eventually 
encompass 11.5 acres. Don’t miss the Tea Pavilion, 
for a delightful respite from touring the gardens, 
where you’ll find many teas and Japanese foods.

The most photographed location in the park is the 
lily pond fronting the historic Botanical Building. 
First named, La Laguna de las Flores, or Lake of 
the Flowers built of wood lattice work to shade the 
delicate plants inside. Park aficionados consider 
these two of the most cherished assets in the park. 
When built, it was the largest lath structure in the 
world, housing 2100 permanent plants including 
ferns, orchids, palms, other tropical plants plus 
seasonal displays.

Another stunning moment was coming upon 
the Moreton Bay Fig, planted about a century 
ago. Some 120 feet across and over 60 feet high, 
the breadth of the tree is simply amazing and 
breathtaking! I saw my first in Honolulu, and this 
one is even larger.

Every major city park, whether it’s in Alaska, 
Florida or San Diego usually includes a rose 
garden. Also popular for weddings, the three 
acre, Inez Grant Parker Memorial Rose Garden, 
designated an All American Rose Selection 
Display Garden, boasts 2500 roses creating quite 
a heady fragrance. This one is well worth the time!

Patterned after the Spanish Castle gardens 
at Alcazar, exquisite fountains tiled in the 
Moorish style colors of yellow, green and vivid 
turquoise provide the foundation for 7,000 bright 
annuals bordered by boxwood hedging. It was 
reconstructed to reflect the original Richard 
Requa design from 1935.

If you want more, more more botanica you can 
venture into the Palm Canyon, the 1935 Cactus 
Garden, the Casa del Rey Moro Garden, the 
Persian Water Rug Garden, the Zoro Garden and 
the Desert Garden! A tram with several stops 
ferries visitors from parking and tours are offered, 
mostly on weekends. A friendly visitor center is 
located in the House of Hospitality near the El 
Prado Restaurant, a worthy culinary stop with 
outside seating.

As with all gardens, Balboa Park is always in a 
state of change and refreshment. That’s part of its 
beauty, though best enjoyed while wearing your 
sturdiest walking shoes!

For more information, visit Balboa Park’s website 
at www.BalboaPark.org . For more information 
about the Japanese Friendship Garden within the 
park, visit www.Niwa.org 

Chris Bertrand


"Timing the market" in real 
estate doesn't work the way it 
does with stocks. Homes are 
bought and sold more out of 
necessity than to make an 
easy buck. However, some 
indicators give a clue when it's 
a good time to buy. Like now! 

Despite the fact that rates are 
low and prices may still drop, 
now is the time to move if you 
have good credit and funds for 
downpayment. It would be 
a mistake to "wait and see" if 
rates or prices fall any more. 
Why? 

Rates are low now because of federal bailouts, but continued low rates can fuel inflation. Fear of 
inflation causes "the Fed" to raise those rates. Waiting for a lower price on a home while interest 
rates rise could make the home more expensive. 

Example: purchasing a home now for $177,000 at 5% could make the total cost around $370,000 
by the end of the loan term. But what if you wait for prices to fall more, and next year you get that 
home for $160,000. You saved $17,000 - right? Wrong! 

If rates rise 2% during that time, you could pay over $400,000 over the life of the loan - $30,000 
more than if you bought now! If the math is still fuzzy to you, talk to an agent and crunch the 
numbers. You'll be glad you did. 

Luther Tsinoglou has just been named the top producing sales agent in Dickson Podley Realtor's 
Sierra Madre office for 2009, making the top 10% at the company overall. Luther has been licensed 
and practicing real estate since 1992. He specializes in residential and income property in Southern 
California. Luther can be reached at his direct line (626) 695-8650 or at luther@tsinoglou.com.