I don’t usually write about destinations I actually haven’t been to, so when my editor at the San Diego Union-Tribune’s Home & Garden section asked me if I would write about Lotusland in Montecito near Santa Barbara, we had to come up with a way to frame it that made it relevant to San Diego readers who also may not be ready yet to travel. What I decided was to offer it as inspiration to local home gardeners—and I was able to find some San Diegans who had been there and could speak to that. A little history of this remarkable place, descriptions of some of the more than 20 unique gardens, and its commitment to conservation rounded it out. I can’t wait now to visit it myself! Here’s the story!