Up in the hills of Vista, behind a public park, lies a "secret garden" filled with turtles, butterflies and the occasional dragonfly.
Unless you look for it, you wouldn't know it's there. But the secret garden is actually 17 gardens in all.
“I refer to it as a boutique botanical gardens,” said Rusti Dixon, the gardens' manager.
The Alta Vista Botanical Gardens was founded in 1999, but its history stretches back further. In the 1960s, retired surgeon Paul Smitgen and his wife Martha bought the property, now located inside Brengle Terrace Park. It was their vacation home.
“It’s a haven of nature and beauty," Dixon said.
And the couple loved the wildlife here, including rabbits and coyotes.
“The Gardens has many little creatures, and big ones, too," she said. "We have some of the most beautiful red-tail hawks.”
The couple left the 16-acre property to a charity, and the city of Vista bought it in 1990 for $1.8 million and incorporated it as part of Brengle Terrace Park. In 1999, the city designated much of the land as a public garden to be managed by a nonprofit foundation. That’s how Vista Botanical Garden Foundation and the gardens came to be.
“We signed a lease with the city of this stuff for 99 years," Dixon said. "It was a barren hillside. And with the help of volunteers over the 25 years, we've turned it into a beautiful area for discovery and adventure.”
She said it’s not just a public space, but also a place where cherished family memories are made and milestones are celebrated. The gardens hold a special place in her heart.
“I had a memory pop up on my phone, and it's us standing in front of that chain link with my kids, standing in front of that chain link," Dixon said, proudly showing off her children, Carson and Addison. "And, they must have been six and seven — five and six — and now they're 18 and 19.”
In the photo, her son and daughter are standing in the Children’s Garden, the first garden after the entrance.
“My children grew up here," Dixon said.
They are now in college, but that leaves her more time to dedicate to the gardens.
“Seeing the 360 view, what needs to be done, how to get it done. My weakness in the past has been plants," she said. "But I said in the past, because every day I'm learning something new, which keeps it even more exciting.”
The gardens' mission is to educate, protect and preserve endangered habitats. Part of that is letting people experience nature and showing them trees and plants from different parts of the world, such as the Madagascar Garden.
Of course, it wouldn’t be Madagascar without a baobab tree. But here it’s represented by a sculpture.
“It was donated by our artist Robert Rochin in 2015," Dixon said. "And you can see the beautiful bougainvillea that is sharing its space.”
It’s not the only sculpture at Alta Vista. Some of them take you to the past — the prehistoric past.
“And these are our cycads,” she said, pointing to what many botanists refer to as a living fossil because the plant has survived virtually unchanged since the Permian era before dinosaurs roamed the earth.
“And right behind you is one of our prehistoric dinosaur sculptures.”
There are Deinonychus and Spinosaurus. They were created by Ricardo Breceda, the same artist who created the dinosaur sculptures in Borrego Springs. At Alta Vista, his sculptures include a scorpion, giraffe and a serpent. There are dozens of sculptures from different artists around the gardens, merging nature and art for a bit of zen.
What makes this garden special is that it is mostly volunteer-run with minimal staff. And the volunteers take the initiative to adopt and maintain a section of the garden.
"Here's another adopt-a-garden volunteer, Rafael Munoz, who is a huge asset to the gardens," Dixon said, pointing to a plaque bearing his name. "He lives in San Diego, but he comes every weekend and spends most weekends here helping us. And it's also his place of passion and peace."
Dixon said turning 25 is a huge milestone for a mostly volunteer-run place. And the entrance and membership fees only cover a portion of the expenses of running the gardens. The rest is made up by donations.
That's why Alta Vista is holding a 25th-anniversary gala on Sept. 7. The funds raised will help the garden remain open for many years, allowing future generations to enjoy it just as Dixon's children have.
“This area is — it’s tranquillity. It’s peace," she said. It's a haven of nature and beauty.”
