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 by Jeff Hyland on legendary estates in Beverly Hills, a private tour of the Lichtenstein exhibit and lunch at the Skirball Museum, an extraordinary tour of Regina and Bruce Drucker’s magical gardens and home filled with beautiful antiques, to an inspirational tour of the mansions and gardens in Newport, Rhode Island, all the events were exquisite and truly memorable.
Our incredible superintendent Timothy Lindsay gave a tour of the Italian Terrace Garden. Many of the spouses of the members had not previously seen that part of the garden. Tyson, the husband of our wonderful President Marian Power, remarked that Tim’s tour was so exceptional that it was equivalent to Victoria Kastner’s tours (a fantastic speaker and historian of the Hearst Castle in San Simeon.)
The house with its exquisite rooms was also open for the Fellows to view. Guests dined on tables beautifully set with pink tablecloths as well as ones depicting the banana leaf motif of the iconic Don Loper designed wallpaper at the Beverly Hills Hotel. The Kitchen for Exploring Foods served delicious wines, sea bass, short ribs, and an excellent peach cobbler.
Tim and Marian gave speeches, heaping accolades on our beloved Jeanne. Marian added that thanks to the generous funds from the Fellows, the scope of the Children’s Program and renovations of the estate will be expanded. All in all, the guests had such a glorious time that the party ended one hour later than expected.
If you haven’t already done so, consider upgrading your membership to the Fellows level to enjoy these exclusive and extraordinarily special events! You can upgrade here:
And last, but not least, a Save the Date card was given, detailing the following upcoming events:
September 9, 2017 – Loveliest Night of the Year Patron Gala
December 1 and 2, 2017 – Holiday Open House
May 19, 2018 – 30th Annual Garden Tour
Post by Linda Meadows
Friends of Robinson Gardens Board Member
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