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Article: Souther California's garden greenbelt.
- Article from:
- Sunset
- Article date:
- March 1, 1996
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1996 Sunset Publishing Corp. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Tour the public gardens and retail nurseries at the base of the San Gabriels
In August 1769, Father Juan Crespi wrote about his travels over the sloping plain between present-day Los Angeles and the San Gabriel Mountains:
After crossing the [Los Angeles] river we entered a large vineyard of wild grapes and an infinity of rosebushes in full bloom. All the soil is black and loamy, and is capable of producing every kind of grain and fruit which may be planted.
Crespi's report helped to persuade his Franciscan brothers to build two missions on the rich alluvium that washed down out of the San Gabriels. Indeed, the soil proved more than capable, and the ...