It was hotter than usual on Sunday, April 25th, but the day could not have been more beautiful. With a slight breeze from the south,the “backyard” of Peace Awareness Labyrinth and Gardens portrayed the essence of Springtime. In sun hats and comfortable shoes, visitors stopped to refresh themselves at the Italian-style pergola with bottled water, tea and cookies, provided by the Seminary. And although the dining room wing of the house was under cover behind construction fences, the garden devas were nevertheless going full throttle.
Built originally as a private residence by the Segundo Guasti family (vintners and wine merchants) from 1910-1914, much has been done by the Seminary to rehabilitate and enhance the property. Docents from The Garden Conservancy, West Adams Heritage Association, and MSIA stood at the ready with informative tidbits about the Labyrinth and the Gardens. Being an amateur “friend of the Garden” myself, I noticed that there were calla lilies in bloom as well as lavender, and there was jasmine everywhere, going just a little mad with its scent. There are ten fountains of various designs on each of the Meditation Garden levels, some created as monumental urns, some made of rustic stone; there is no corner of the Gardens where the sound of gently falling water does not reach the ears.
Down at the exotic pavilion, with its very civilized cushioned chairs and settee, bamboo grows lush demarcating the perimeter fences. This garden room is framed by two enormous banana trees, and small vines are being trained to the upright supports. This is place for a long sojourn with that inner peace everyone talks about. Although commercial photography is not encouraged without permission, many visitors brought out their personal cameras to record the beautiful foliage; many more came just to enjoy the landscape.
On the labyrinth level of the gardens, docents introduced visitors to the hand-carved stone Labyrinth (following the design of the one at Ch
