Blog


National Pollinator Week! National Pollinator Week, a worldwide celebration, is from June 21-27 and is initiated and managed by Pollinator Partnership. The sole purpose of this week is to celebrate and encourage others to learn ways that we can protect pollinators. Many pollinators are increasingly being affected by the possibility of extinction and National Pollinator[…]

Read More

Juneteenth National Independence Day has just been made a national holiday. It is celebrated on June 19th to commemorate the ending of slavery in the United States. The holiday dates back to June 19, 1865, when Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas with news that the Civil War had ended and that enslaved people were free.[…]

Read More

Plant of the Moment: Justicia carnea – Brazilian Plume Flower. Located in the backyard’s shaded planter beds to the east of the wisteria arbor, this delightful perennial generally has two, and occasionally three, waves of brilliant color in the summer. And it’s not just a pretty flower! Scientists have been looking into its medicinal qualities,[…]

Read More

Plant of the Moment: Romneya (Matilija Poppy). They are scattered throughout the California native garden, the flowers of this perennial started to pop up in mid-April. They are primarily native to Ojai, with scattered populations found as far south as Baja California. The Matilija poppy’s preferred habitats are dry washes and canyons where its underground[…]

Read More

Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month (AAPI): How Chinese women were erased from history. For Asian American and Pacific Islander Month, we want to also acknowledge the Chinese women that are missing from our history. When talking about the past, it is important to acknowledge what is there but also what is missing and[…]

Read More

Rancho Los Cerritos mourns the passing of Julia Bogany. We had the privilege of collaborating with Ms. Bogany on our most recent exhibit, Tevaaxa’nga to Today: Stories of the Tongva People as well as on children’s programming related to the exhibit. Julia Bogany shared her knowledge and wisdom with the curatorial team for the exhibit’s[…]

Read More

View of a Crowd in the Long Beach Pike Area c.1932

The period of the 1930s in America was a tumultuous one. The nationwide economic crisis that resulted from the stock market crash in 1929 was affecting families across the country. After being elected in 1932, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) began implementing his New Deal programs to benefit the country, with varying results. The Great[…]

Read More

Plant of the Moment: the Wisteria sinensis. The Wisteria, which is native to the eastern half of China, is blooming and just about at its peak. So, if you have not been to the Rancho yet this spring, now is the time to schedule a visit. There is an abundance of blooms around the site,[…]

Read More

Plant of the Moment: Ceanothus ‘Concha.’ It is Ceanothus season at RLC! One of California’s most beloved native shrubs, RLC’s Ceanothus are a hybrid varietal with fragrant dark blue flowers. The flowers are as attractive to bees as they are to people, so “bee aware” before you sniff! Our Ceanothus shrubs can be found near[…]

Read More