Called Eden by many, listed as one of the 100 gardens you must visit before you die and among the ten best botanical gardens in the world, Lotusland is magic mixed with paradise in the hills of Montecito, California. Madame Ganna Walska, a well-known Polish opera singer and socialite, purchased the estate in 1941 and spent the next forty-three years creating an otherworldly 37-acre oasis filled with an unparalleled collection of exotic flora. Beautifully photographed by Lisa Romerein, and published by Rizzoli New York the book ‘Lotusland: eccentric garden paradise’ offers a thoughtful examination of Walska’s penchant for the dramatic, the unexpected, and the whimsical in garden design.

Home to more than 3,400 types of plants, including at least 35,000 individual specimens, Lotusland is recognized not just for the diversity of its collections, but for the extraordinary design sensibility informing the many one-of-a-kind individual gardens that comprise the whole. A leader in the field of sustainable practices, Lotusland is a pioneer in organic gardening methods. The Garden is a center for horticulture conservation and serves as a repository of threatened and extinct plants. Nestled in a residential neighborhood outside of Santa Barbara that is home to the most storied estates in southern California, Lotusland is perhaps the most private public garden in the world.

Published by Rizzoli, the book is written by Marc Appleton, celebrated architect and author of numerous books on architecture and design, including Ranches: Home on the Range in California and Lisa Romerein, Los Angeles-based photographer and principal photographer for The House That Pinterest Built and The Art of Outdoor Living.