Come Into the Garden

Tomatoes The Basket of Apples is one of Cézanne’s most famous still-life paintings. Today he might have chosen to paint a basket of colorful heirloom tomatoes. History of Tomatoes Tomatoes are native to the Americas and can be traced back to the Aztecs around 700 A.D. Early Aztec writings reveal recipes for a dish that uses tomatoes, peppers, and seasoning. However, it was not until around the 16th century that Europeans were introduced to this fruit. Throughout Southern Europe, the tomato was quickly accepted into the kitchen, but as it moved north, many Europeans feared that the tomato was poisonous, and the tomato’s reputation was ruined. You can’t keep a good plant down, though, and despite its ill-deserved bad reputation, eventually, the taste of the tomato TRIUMPHED and became popular the world over.

Come Into the Garden

Bougainvillea This exotic plant catches your attention and steals your heart with its beauty. It is the Cinderella of the garden. Its colorful flower brings a bright burst of excitement to every breathtaking landscape. Bougainvillea is a subtropical flowering vine named for Admiral Louis Antoine de Bougainville (1729 – 1811), the first Frenchman to circumnavigate the globe during a three-year voyage in the mid-1700s. Philibert Commerson, a flagship botanist was the first to describe this plant in scientific literature, but it was his assistant, an herbalist named Jeanne Baret, who found it growing in the hills near Rio de Janeiro and carried it back on board.

Come Into the Garden

“A bit of fragrance always clings to the hand that gives you roses.” – Chinese Proverb The past year has reminded us how much relationships mean in our lives. Nothing expresses this sentiment better than the rose, which has been a symbol of love and friendship for centuries. Garden cultivation of roses began some five thousand years ago in China where they grew in the imperial gardens of the Chou dynasty. The Romans used roses to make garlands and crowns for celebrations. In Roman homes, petals were used to carpet the floors, to fill bathwater, and to drop as confetti at parties. It is said that Cleopatra covered the floor of her chambers with over a foot of rose petals to intoxicate her lovers and demonstrate her power.

Come Into the Garden

With our Mediterranean-style climate in Los Angeles, we have more opportunity than most to explore the natural world and to be creative, surrounding ourselves with nature’s favorite flowers and plants of the season. There is a special kind of joy when one puts their hands-in-the dirt gardening. The result is a happy blend of mental relaxation and creative energy. Our garden star this month is the CAMELLIA, one of nature’s greatest fall gifts. They are the jewels of the shade garden that brighten the winter months with blooms of incredible variation and beauty. Camellias were also one of Virginia Robinson’s favorite flowers. The pink flower pictured here was named after Virginia Robinson at “Nuccio’s” famous camellia nursery.

Our Garden Tour Star Kayla Sweet-Newhouse

Each month, we are highlighting “Our Garden Tour Stars” -- landscape architects, florists, artists, 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 artist Kayla Sweet-Newhouse. We asked her these 5 questions:

Our Garden Tour Star Christine London

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 internationally renowned British landscape designer Christine London. She has designed many spectacular gardens that have been on Garden Tour over the past 20 years. We are so fortunate to have had Christine as a participant!

We asked her these five questions.

Our Garden Tour Star Krista Everage


Each 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 interior designer and Friends of Robinson Gardens member Krista Everage, whose work has been published three times in Architectural Digest, once highlighting the interiors she designed for the actor Dennis Quaid!

We asked her these five questions:

1. How did you decide to become an interior designer?… Read More

Virginia Robinson Gardens Offers Extraordinary Salve: Volunteering at the Gardens

An Inspirational Message from Friends of Robinson Gardens Member Laura Coleman.

Mornings spent in the Virginia Robinson Gardens are among the most beautiful experiences imaginable. From walking through the King Palm Forest in the mist, the scent of water lifting off leaves, to that first rewarding vista of Virginia and Harry Robinson’s onetime home, every moment spent at the Gardens is a treasure.

Amidst the turmoil of the pandemic, all of us are living life to the best of our capacities. And all of us have fear in our hearts that our loved ones could be afflicted. To say that the Gardens offer an immensely soothing respite during this time is truly an understatement.

Message from President Betty Goldstein

“The transformation of the butterfly inspires, as life continues in a new and graceful form.”

Dear Friends,

The monarch butterfly is a creature of great beauty and immense strength. It works diligently and fortifies itself as it gets ready to build its home to reproduce again. Here at the Virginia Robinson Gardens, we are busy “strengthening our home” and revamping our programs to meet the needs of today and the future. The preservation of the Robinson estate and gardens and its legacy is of upmost importance at this difficult time. The Robinson estate has always been a crucial part of the history of Los Angeles, and it is our responsibility to help ensure its conservation.

Our Garden Tour Star Pamela Burton

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 internationally renowned landscape architect Pamela Burton.

We asked her these five questions:

1. What garden changed your life or made an impact on you?

My understanding of art and architecture was completely transformed when, at twenty-two years old, I took time off from studying architecture at UCLA to visit Kyoto.
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