VRG, Author at Robinson Gardens

Kelly Comras Lecture on Ruth Shellshorn

Kelly Comras Lecture on Ruth Shellhorn: Mid-Century Landscape Architecture

Landscape architect, lawyer and author Kelly Comras gave a very inspiring lecture on Ruth Shellhorn, one of the most well respected mid-century landscape architects in Southern California. Kelly did extensive research and interviews with Shellhorn, before she passed away in 2006, for her book Ruth Shellhorn. “A woman of grit and determination, Ruth faced a number of gender based hurdles which she handled with much grace, in a field dominated by men,” Kelly explained. During her 57 year career, from 1933-1990, Ruth created close to 400 landscape designs, ranging from private … Read More

2016 Membership Luncheon

2016 Membership Luncheon at Virginia Robinson Gardens

Chaired by Joan Selwyn with the invaluable assistance of Patti Reinstein and Kerstin Royce, the Membership Luncheon at Virginia Robinson Gardens, with 60 members in attendance, was a marvelous event! It was a beautiful day, and strains of violin and cello music of the Pacific Coast Strings greeted the guests, many of whom were wearing lovely hats. The theme was “The Hollywood Bowl.” Virginia Robinson loved this outdoor musical venue, and Friends of Robinson Gardens President Marian Power explained that when the Bowl was suffering severe financial hardship during the Great Depression, Virginia … Read More

Tim Lindsay Gardening Series

The Tim Lindsay Gardening Series
Class Schedule

Mark your calendars! VRG Gardening classes conducted by Superintendent Timothy Lindsay are designed to provide practical hands-on methods to make your garden more productive and beautiful! Each class (held the last Wednesday of each month), addresses the art and science of horticulture, thus providing great take-home value to participants.

Class subject matter this season is summarized as follows:

October 26
How to grow organic and nutrient rich edibles in your Vegetable Garden:
This class offers ideas on how to design your vegetable garden, how to grow vegetables from seeds and from color packs. … Read More

Completed Restoration Projects of 2016

Virginia Robinson Gardens’
Completed Restoration Projects of 2016

Many thanks to the generous contributions from all benefactors of The Friends of Robinson Gardens projects that were successfully completed this year. Here is a list of the 2016 projects:

Restored and conserved the Moorish style, hand painted ceiling in the Solarium of the Pool Pavilion built in 1923, along with restoring the original paint color for the walls and molding in the solarium. Restored the Marble Terrazzo flooring in the Solarium and at the rear terrace of the Main House Restored two 19th century Italianate style Grandfather clocks, one in the… Read More

Exclusive Shopping Extravaganza benefits The Friends of Robinson Gardens

On Monday, September 26, 2016, the generous winners of last year’s Gala auction prize “Rodeo Drive Shopping Extravaganza with Lunch at Crustacean Restaurant,” had their fabulous experience. Brenda Cooke, Adrienne Horwitch, Nancy Krasne, Barbara Marcus, Ricki Ring, and Kerstin Royce enjoyed the specially planned day.

Nicole Antoine, along with help from Leslie Kavanaugh and Barbara Marcus, and Kerstin Royce organized the day with a kick-off at the exclusive penthouse/rooftop of Burberry’s, where the designated shoppers got to sip champagne while viewing the latest off-the-runway Burberry Collection. The ladies were then introduced … Read More

Virginia’s Cardroom Restoration Project

Virginia’s Cardroom Restoration Project needs your Pledge at the La Dolce Vita Patron Gala

The newest restoration plan at Robinson Gardens is to restore Virginia Robinson’s cardroom. The entrance to this enchanting hidden room is in the Billiards Room of the Pool Pavilion. A secret door in the wall panel opens up to a winding staircase that ascends into this magical space. The cardroom is ornately painted with motifs that tell a story of other lands and an era gone by. It is accented with delicately painted faux marble walls, columns, trim, and floors.

Unfortunately, time has not been too … Read More

Children’s Summer Garden Party 2016

A Children’s Summer Garden Party at the Virginia Robinson Gardens

On Monday, August 29th, the Friends of Robinson Gardens hosted a preschooler’s picnic for children, parents, and grandparents of the Beverly Hills community to experience a day of exploration and fun that included a children’s tour and luncheon at the Virginia Robinson Gardens estate. The day offered visitors and friends of gardens the opportunity to experience a children’s tour “through the eyes of a child.”

“We started this four years ago,” said Jeanne Anderson, a Friends of Robinson Gardens member, “and the children loved it!” Jeanne added, “Games are organized … Read More

Hutton Wilkinson Flynn Kuhnert Walk to Elsie’s

The Walk to Elsie’s at Robinson Gardens

Hutton Wilkinson and Flynn Kuhnert have collaborated to create a most intriguing two-volume historical fiction luxury book set: The Walk to Elsie’s and The Walk From Elsie’s, which tell the story of the first ten years of Tony Duquette’s career and the last ten years of Elsie De Wolfe’s life. Tony Duquette beautifully illustrates the books with his never before published drawings from the period. Robinson Gardens is honored to have both Hutton and Flynn speak about their masterful literary work on Tony Duquette and Elsie De Wolfe Friday, October 28th in … Read More

2016 Spirit of Beverly Hills Award Joni Smith

The Friends of Robinson Gardens will present the Spirit of Beverly Hills award to Joni Smith at the 2016 La Dolce Vita Patron Gala on October 1, 2016

The Spirit of Beverly Hills award is given annually by the Friends of Robinson Gardens to an individual who, like Mrs. Robinson, has a deep commitment to community, cultural, and charitable causes.

In her day, Mrs. Robinson was deemed the “First Lady of Beverly Hills” because she championed and cared about social and cultural causes. Joni Smith is a woman of today, who embodies those same commitments through her work as one … Read More

Laura Alpert and Julia Klein

Rose Garden Patrons:
Laura Alpert and Julia Klein

The Friends of Robinson Gardens is proud to honor members Laura Alpert and Julia Klein with two beautiful donor plaques installed in the Display Rose Garden, in great appreciation for their very generous gifts to Virginia Robinson Gardens. According to our wonderful superintendent Timothy Lindsay, these lovely plaques have been received by visitors with great fanfare and will perhaps inspire others to share in Julia and Laura’s exemplary philanthropic spirit and support of Virginia Robinson Gardens.
[one_half] Laura Alpert

A member since 2003, Laura has also been very devoted to Virginia Robinson … Read More

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