Camellias in the Italian Terrace Garden, photo by Superintendent Emeritus Timothy Lindsay

Spring has arrived. The camellias and azaleas did not disappoint this year.

We had a beautiful display of the camellias here in the gardens and some of the azaleas are still blooming.

Gardening Tips: Camellias should be lightly pruned as soon as they finish blooming and before new growth begins. Make your cuts close to a live leaf bud. Azaleas should be shaped now. This is a good time to start marigolds. Seeds take three to six days to germinate or buy bedding plants instead. Marigolds are believed… Read More

Co-chair Elaine Stein

The quarterly Tea, Scones & Gardens Book Club met Saturday March 21, 2026, at its usual venue at The Virginia Garden’s Pool Pavilion and was a repeat sold-out session.  The book, Dark Side of Fortune: Triumph and Scandal in the Life of Oil Tycoon Edward L. Doheny by Margaret Leslie Davis reveals the ups and downs, the failures and successes, the torments and the glories, which were all part of the lifetime of Edward Doheny.

Guests told of visits to locations where artifacts of the family legacy exist, including 8 Chester Place, Los Angeles, (the original home … Read More

Left to right: Domiane Forte and Diane Sipos

On March 12, 2026, Domiane Forte gave a talk as part of the Architectural Lecture Series, curated by Superintendent Diane Sipos, titled, In Search of the Beautiful: Architecture, Painting and Furniture at The Virginia Robinson Gardens.  Domiane Forte received his master’s in architecure from the University of Notre Dame. After 25 years of working for several top architecture firms in Southern California, he turned his passion for furniture making into a second career.  The theme of his talk was what underlies the nature of beauty in art and the natural world, our … Read More

As part of the Architectural Lecture Series curated by Superintendent Diane Sipos, landscape designer Christine London shared her journey designing a garden on February 5, 2026, at The Virginia Robinson Gardens. Aptly titled  The Story the Landscape Tells Back, Christine explained her intentional process.  She began by saying that gardens engage the five senses: sight, sound, smell, touch and taste, but there is a sixth sense evoked by gardens: a feeling of well-being. Drawing inspiration from a former garden she designed, the goal was to create an edited, restrained palette providing numerous moments of the human experience. Whether the … Read More

On February 26, 2026, art historian Mumsey Nemiroff gave a delightful and beautiful, sold-out, lecture on the painter Claude Monet and his gardens at Giverny at The Virginia Robinson Gardens. A long-time friend of Mumsey, Friend Ann Petersen introduced her, saying that Mumsey was raised in Beverly Hills and graduated from UCLA with a degree in art history. She taught at UCLA for 18 years. Mumsey has led tours all over the world and has gone to Africa 42 times, supporting hospitals for injured animals. She has lectured at many museums. “I am her total fan,” declared Ann. “She is … Read More

The Friends of Robinson Gardens are pleased to present our summer fundraiser 

An Evening Under the Stars Saturday, June 27, 2026

This special event will be hosted at an exclusive Beverly Hills estate.  Notably, our host has offered this unique evening as his gift!  The Friends will use the funds raised from ticket sales and donations to directly benefit Virigina Robinson Gardens.

$1,000 per Person or $5,000 for a Table of Six
(Tax deductible amount: $265/ticket or $1590/table)

Includes: delectable plated dinner, Broadway-level performances, valet parking and so much more!

Those who purchase tickets/tables prior to April 1 will be recognized as Platinum Sponsors and will … Read More