California Botanic Garden is a feast for all our senses — including tasty ice cream!

California Botanic Garden is the new name for the state’s largest garden of California native plants, 86 acres near the Claremont Colleges of more than 1,200 native species, including redwoods and manzanitas, buckwheats, Joshua trees and about a jillion different sages, many of which are blooming now. Previously known as Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden, the public garden can get edged out of the spotlight by glitzier gardens with name recognition, such as the Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens or Descanso Gardens. However, if you’re among the many Californians considering a lawn-to-drought garden makeover but have been discouraged by the dowdy little native plants sold at...