Temple’s Garden: 1840s –1866
John Temple lived in Los Angeles, but had the Monterey Colonial adobe built at his cattle ranch in the 1840s. Behind the house he added a two-acre colonial style garden popular during his youth in Massachusetts. California’s climate enabled him to incorporate plants that would never withstand the hard freezes of a New England winter.
An alee lined with the subtropical orange trees led from the central back door to the Moorish style summer house, which served as the focal point amidst the raised garden beds. These beds were planted with fruit trees, grapes, flowering shrubs and perennials. Italian cypress provided vertical accents, and in time became landmarks for travelers. These plants undoubtedly came from local mission stock, trading ships and the east coast. A perimeter planting of black locust trees added seasonal interest. The museum’s archives include letters from Temple to his half brother in Massachusetts, seeking seeds of black locust, peach and plum to plant here at his rancho.
Native Americans used a water ram to divert water from the river below for irrigation and tended the garden. Temple eventually dug a well and built a cistern within the garden making it easier to water the planting beds.
The Bixby’s Garden 1866-1881
Southern California had experienced devastating floods and droughts in the 1860s. Temple was ready to retire and sold the property to the Bixby’s for their sheep ranch. One of the first orders of business was to drill a new well and add a windmill to pump water into a raised water tower. With water available the grounds were once again receiving irrigation. Unlike Temple this was the Bixby’s home and the garden gave them not only sustenance but also shady retreats for relaxation and play. The children appropriated the summerhouse for storing their croquet set.
The two Moreton Bay Fig trees added by the Jotham and Margaret Bixby are the only surviving plants from this era. They have grown together and today dominate the backyard.
The Tenant Era 1890-1929
With land development replacing sheep ranching the Bixby’s moved to town and let the adobe house to tenants. The garden use changed and row crops replaced ornamental plants and the fence now served as a corral keeping livestock in rather than protecting the garden from their grazing.
The Coronado Family used the area of the backyard closest to the veranda for their crops while the Lieras crops and chicken coop were outside the south wing of the house.
Llewellyn and Avis Bixby 1929-1955
The memory of what the property once was, motivated Llewellyn Bixby to purchase the house and remaining property from the Jotham Bixby Company, and set about restoring not only the adobe house but the gardens as well.
Noted landscape architect, Ralph D. Cornell designed the 4.74-acre estate garden for the site. Key to the vision was preservation of as many of the existing garden features as possible.
Cornell integrated several of the existing trees, the water tower and even a try pot from Temple’s cattle ranch. A paved drive made accessing the hill easier and changed the traffic flow for both guests and family. Guests parked their cars in the forecourt where they entered the backyard to gain access to the house. The backyard now featured a vast lawn, a secondary orchard, rose garden, cut flower garden and a wisteria arbor.
In the other direction wrapping around the drive to the garage he installed a buffer zone of California native and exotic plants to soften the view of the developing cities beyond. The drive led to the servant’s wing and service yard. Once the main entrance, the inner courtyard became an intimate garden complete with a terrace, covered verandas that extended the family’s living space and a small pond with a bronze toad that served as a focal point.
1955- Current
Now owned by the City of Long Beach and run by the Rancho Los Cerritos Foundation several improvements have occurred in recent history.
Improvements
- Water Capture Projects Include: Bioswale in Native Garden
- Rain Garden at Administrative Cottage
- Underground cistern
- Permeable Concrete drive
- Herb garden / Activity Area
- Orchard Restoration
- Water Tower
- Incinerator repointing
- Orchard
- Arroyo
- Virginia Road Entrance
- California Native Garden
- Irrigation up grade
- Pedestrian Path along driveway
