Nestled in the cozy unincorporated Riverside County community of Idyllwild is a haven of sights, sounds and fragrances.
Welcome to the Idyllwild Lilac Garden, some 100 miles east of Los Angeles where thousands of shades between purple and pink glimmerin the sunshine of a garden in peak bloom.
The lilacs may seem simple and small, but among them are surprisingly rare varieties from around the world, all cultivated by one man in his backyard.
It’s the perfect destination for a daytrip out of the city, particularly this year, because owner Gary Parton is selling his property on June 8, which could shutter its gates forever at the end of the blooming season.
Lilac Legacies
Parton was an art teacher for more than 30 years before he retired to his current home in Idyllwild. The 80-something grew up with a green thumb and did landscape design in Palos Verdes while in college, but it wasn’t until 1996, when he met a woman at the Idyllwild gardening club that he learned about lilacs…