Firooz Zahedi and City of Angels: Houses and Gardens of Los Angeles

Thanks to Fellows Chair Jeanne Anderson, the Fellows were invited to a wonderful lecture and panel discussion on Firooz Zahedi’s new book, City of Angels: Houses and Gardens of Los Angeles on December 6, 2018. In this publication by author Jennifer Ash Rudick and photographer Firooz, homes of renowned architects, interior designers, garden designers and others are featured. The Fellows were very fortunate to have three of the talented individuals – Richard Shapiro, Art Luna and Hope Warschaw — give a slide presentation using Firooz’s extraordinarily beautiful photographs of their gardens.

Founder and past President of the Friends Joan Selwyn … Read More

Ron Fleming and the Gardens at Bellevue House in Newport, Rhode Island

The Fellows and Friends of the Virginia Robinson Gardens were treated to a wonderfully informative and entertaining lecture by Ron Fleming at the Beverly Hills Hotel on November 2, 2018. Fellows Chair Jeanne Anderson introduced Fleming as “A recognized authority in the role of creating vibrant, livable places, adding luster to Newport’s worldwide reputation as a showcase of art and architecture.” Almost 20 years ago, Ron purchased Bellevue House, a 1910 Federal Revival mansion, designed by architect Ogden Codman, Jr. for his cousin Martha Codman, a Boston heiress.

A fourth-generation Californian, Ron told the attendees, “As a native son, I … Read More

Fellows Trip to Penny Bianchi’s Home in Montecito

On October 1, 2018, thanks to Jeanne Anderson who organized this amazing excursion, the Fellows were treated to a delicious lunch and wonderful lecture by interior decorator Penny Bianchi at the Coral Casino Club in Montecito, followed by a tour of Penny’s extraordinary home. This event was postponed three times, twice for the fires in the area and the last time because of the mud disaster that not only closed the Coral Casino, but overwhelmed and destroyed most of Penny’s neighborhood.

Jeanne introduced Penny, saying, “Penelope Bianchi has been an interior decorator for 48 years. She was rearranging the furniture … Read More

Fellows Trip to Napa

Thanks to our amazing Jeanne Anderson, the Fellows of Virginia Robinson Gardens enjoyed a marvelous and fascinating trip to Napa, California on April 22 – 25, 2018. Fabulous wines, the most delicious and outstanding luncheons and dinners, and exclusive entrees to beautiful private gardens melded into a special and magical experience.

The tour started with a wonderful lecture by Historian Nancy Levenberg. In Victorian times, settlers and visitors alike arrived in Napa County in droves.  New residents were drawn to the beautiful and fertile valley rich with farming, incredible resorts, mining, bridge building, stonewall and road building, vineyard development, and … Read More

Annual Fellows Thank You Dinner

A Lovely Evening Honoring Donors at the Annual Fellows Thank You Dinner

The beguiling, purple bougainvillea and the enchanting wildflower meadows at the entrance of the Virginia Robinson Gardens, and the profuse plantings nestled among the cypresses on the Great Lawn were all in full bloom, conspiring to create a rich and magical setting for the annual Fellows Thank You Dinner on June 16, 2018. This event is held in appreciation of the Fellows’ generous support of the restoration and preservation of Robinson Gardens and the very popular children’s and adult education programs.

Guests mingled on the back terrace while … Read More

Benefactors and Patrons visit Suzanne Reinstein for a Private Home Tour


Suzanne Rheinstein, renowned interior designer, and former Grand Marshal welcomed the Patrons and Benefactors of Robinson Gardens to a personal tour of her Georgian style home and stunning garden in Hancock Park

It’s a perennial pleasure to come into her kingdom… it does, in fact, feel like its own beautifully harmonious and intricately integrated world…and it was looking particularly wonderful this morning as we got a chance to examine things close-up, and to have Suzanne’s explanation of their provenance, as well as her truly illuminating narrative thoughts and reasoning about their placement and combinations.

It’s remarkable how innovative and individual … Read More

The Fellows Visit Kusama Exhibit at The Broad


Spend the day surrounded by art, friendship, delicious food, and the result is pure merriment.  The Fellows of Robinson Gardens were welcomed by the VSA (Visitor Services Associate) at The Broad on Tuesday, November 28th, 2017.

The Broad is a contemporary art museum, founded by philanthropists Eli and Edythe Broad on Grand Avenue in downtown Los Angeles.  Designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro in collaboration with Gensler, the museum offers free general admission to its permanent collection.  The Broad is home to the 2,000 works of art in the Broad Collection, which is among the most prominent holdings of postwar … Read More

Fellows trip to “Visual Voyages” Exhibition at The Huntington Library

It takes a moment for the eye to settle on the star of the show: a Tupinamba feather cape. Originated in Brazil from the 17th century, it is over 70” high and 59” wide. The entire piece is made of feathers and nothing else. The cape is quill woven together to produce this object of art. “It’s astonishing!” beckons Catherine Hess, Interim Director of the Art Collections at The Huntington, who invited the Fellows from Robinson Gardens to a special curator-led tour on October 24th, 2017.

“Visual Voyages: Images of Latin American Nature from Columbus to Darwin” illustrates the natural … Read More

Fellows Trip to Newport Rhode Island

Virginia Robinson Fellows enjoy a week of East Coast gardens

The Fellows trip to Newport, Rhode Island was an extraordinary and inspirational tour of magnificent mansions and gardens, thanks to our amazing Jeanne Anderson who organized the tour. The Fellows were also very fortunate to have the help of noted author and blogger Bettie Bearden Pardee, a resident of Newport, who graciously arranged many of the exclusive private home and garden visits that were truly spectacular. John Tschirch, an award-winning architectural historian, was our excellent guide throughout the tour.

Redwood Library

Our first evening was spent at the Redwood Library … Read More

Fellows Thank You Dinner 2017

A Golden Evening at the Fellows Thank You Dinner

Bathed in golden light, the breathtaking gardens at Virginia Robinson Gardens provided a magical setting for the annual Fellows Thank You Dinner. This party is held in appreciation of the Fellows’ generous support of the preservation of our legendary Robinson Gardens and the very popular children’s and adult education programs.

The dinner capped off a year of extraordinary events, created by our very special and talented Chair Jeanne Anderson who gives so much of herself selflessly to the Friends of Robinson Gardens. From a lovely garden tour in Ojai, a lecture … Read More

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