Our Garden Tour Star Sepideh Mianaby

From time to time, we highlight “Our Garden Tour Stars” — landscape architects, florists, and interior designers who have participated at our annual Garden Tour and Showcase Estate at the Virginia Robinson Gardens. We want to let you know about these very talented designers, their inspirations, and their creations.

This month, we are featuring Sepideh Mianaby of Ivory Floral Events. At the 2023 Garden Tour, the multi-talented Sepideh designed the most gorgeous creation of a mannequin “dressed” with pink roses, foliage, and blue and white feathers which “wowed” the attendees in the Great Hall of the house.

We asked Sepideh … Read More

Meet our Floral, Designer, and Culinary Stars at the “Back in Bloom” 2023 Garden Tour!

Prepare to be dazzled at this year’s Garden Tour as top Los Angeles florists and designers use their abounding talent to inspire guests with creative interpretations of the theme “Back in Bloom” at the famed Virginia Robinson Gardens Showcase Estate on Saturday, May 20, 2023. Each Garden Tour Star is listed alphabetically along with the room/area they are decorating or located so that you will know where to find them when you visit the Showcase Estate at Robinson Gardens

Famed Author Victoria Kastner is the 2023 Garden Tour Grand Marshal!

The Friends of Robinson Gardens are thrilled to honor Victoria Kastner, former historian of the Hearst Castle, as our Grand Marshal for the 2023 “Back in Bloom” Garden Tour. A spell-binding and fantastic speaker, she has generously given many talks at the Virginia Robinson Gardens. Her most recent lecture was on her newest book, Julia Morgan: An Intimate Biography of the Trailblazing Architect

Our Garden Tour Star Jean-Pascal Lemire

From time to time, we highlight “Our Garden Tour Stars” -- landscape architects, florists, and interior designers who have participated at our annual Garden Tour and Showcase Estate at the Virginia Robinson Gardens. We want to let you know about these very talented designers, their inspirations, and their creations. This month, we are featuring Jean-Pascal Lemire. At the 2022 Garden Tour, Jean-Pascal created beautiful floral displays in the Library and Library Terrace in the house at VRG. He also sold lovely bouquets in the vendor’s boutique on the tennis court. Following him on social media, Garden Tour co-chair Katie Marsano said that she is “a big admirer” of his work. Katie added, “I am captivated by his use of stems as an integral part of his arrangements; their perfectly fanned alignment gives way to a bounty of luscious blooms.  I find the contrast quite beautiful.” We asked Jean-Pascal these four questions

Our Garden Tour Star Lisa Zeder

From time to time, we highlight “Our Garden Tour Stars” -- landscape architects, florists, and interior designers who have participated at our annual Garden Tour and Showcase Estate at the Virginia Robinson Gardens. We want to let you know about these very talented designers, their inspirations, and their creations. This month, we are featuring garden designer Lisa Zeder. She has created exquisite gardens and spectacular public spaces in Southern California and other locations in the United States and England. Working in tandem with the Belgian firm Wirtz International, she designed a beautiful private garden on our members-only 2022 Garden Tour. We asked her these six questions

Our New Friend and Garden Tour Vendor Virginia Newman

Virginia Newman, Owner & Partner of Pennoyer Newman, LLC, creators of Distinctive Garden Pots Cast from Estate Originals, is pleased to present Virginia Robinson Gardens with the complete restoration of one of its original urns that was placed over the swimming pool pavilion area. From that restored piece, she has created a mold to cast four replicas for us to install in place of the originals that are cracking and are in disrepair. This gift from her is something that helps us celebrate the endurance of history in our garden and is something her firm has specialized in for the past 35 years. To preserve the legacy of the oldest and most distinguished garden objects of past centuries, many of Pennoyer Newman planters have been cast from the company's founder's family, J.P. Morgan, as well as those of dear family friends and neighbors, including Clay Frick and Daniel Guggenheim.

Our Garden Tour Star Sean Murphy, Owner Of Sean Murphy Catering And Events

Every month, we highlight “Our Garden Tour Stars” -- landscape architects, florists, interior designers, and chefs who have participated at our annual Garden Tour and Showcase Estate at the Virginia Robinson Gardens. We want to let you know about these very talented designers, their inspirations, and their creations. This month, we are featuring Sean Murphy, owner of Sean Murphy Catering and Events. Sean is the son of the famed restaurateur Jimmy Murphy who owned the iconic and elegant Jimmy’s in Beverly Hills that was frequented by many celebrities, such as Frank Sinatra, Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, and Ronald and Nancy Reagan. Sean catered a superb dinner at the Fellows Thank You Dinner in August 2021 as well as a splendid luncheon at the 2021 members-only Garden Tour in October. On a telephone interview, we asked Sean these seven questions

Our Garden Tour Star Andrey Yun: Life Before, During, and After VRG

Andrey Yun worked for the Virginia Robinson Gardens from 2017-2020. He is an immensely talented florist, designer, and horticulturalist that we were so lucky to have at the Gardens. An excellent pruner and plantsman, Andrey thoughtfully detailed the garden by pruning, dividing, and transplanting specimen plants. He also created VRG’s “succulent nurse” in 2020 to honor our medical heroes. The piece Audrey designed was a living sculpture constructed of metal netting planted with succulents in the form of a nurse. It was displayed in the Healing Gardens of Cedars-Sinai for all staff to enjoy on their breaks, as well as delighting the patients and visitors. Floral Tribute to Cedars from the Virginia Robinson Gardens. Read about his enthralling story

Our Garden Tour Star Jelena Trifunovic, Owner of Viola Floral

Every month, we are highlighting “Our Garden Tour Stars” -- landscape architects, florists, and interior designers who have participated in our annual Garden Tour and Showcase Estate at the Virginia Robinson Gardens. We want to let you know about these very talented designers, their inspirations, and their creations. This month, we are featuring florist Jelena Trifunovic, owner of Viola Floral. At the 2021 Garden Tour, Jelena created breathtaking and exquisite floral displays in the Yellow Salon in the house at VRG. After the tour, she donated these stunning flowers to her church and families affected by cancer. On December 7th, Jelena will be teaching a Holiday Wreath Making class, in-person at the Gardens and virtually for those who want to follow at home! We asked Jelena these four questions:

Our Garden Tour Star George Martinez, Owner of George’s Garden

Every month, we are highlighting “Our Garden Tour Stars” -- landscape architects, florists, and interior designers who have participated at our annual Garden Tour and Showcase Estate at the Virginia Robinson Gardens. We want to let you know about these very talented designers, their inspirations, and their creations. This month, we are featuring florist George Martinez, owner of George’s Garden. At the 2018 Garden Tour, George created an exceptional floral display with purple and burgundy snapdragons, lush peonies and roses, viburnum, and other flowers on the Pool Pavilion balcony. This stunning and exuberant arrangement, adorning the balustrades, was the favorite backdrop for photos that day. We asked George these five questions
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