Message From President Betty Goldstein
Dear Friends,
It’s called June Gloom, overcast mornings; the sun shines through later in the day or not at all. Sometimes the ground is moist. I love these overcast mornings; the plants are covered with heavy mist, and as you stroll through your garden with your thick sweater on because the morning is chilly, you see the drops of water on the leaves and on the blades of grass. These are the perfect days for gardening, especially for planting in the early morning, and if the sun stays behind the clouds or breaks through, just a bit, the young plants can settle in before the heat of the coming days.… Read More
“Voices From The Garden”
A solitary walk through a garden can be a spiritual experience. The best ones always are. The feeling is one of many voices, your inner voice, calming your mind as nature washes over you. The voice of nature itself, the wind through the leaves, the birds moving about, and, at your feet, the smallest of creatures going about the business of living create their own background music. The deeper into the garden you go, the richer and more profound are the voices. Here you open up and allow nature to penetrate any armor you wear in your daily life. Walking further, the voices of the creation of the garden emerge. The energy of countless hours that created such an environment manifest themselves in something far greater than its small parts. Our endeavors are imbued with ourselves, a piece of our spiritual essence attaches itself to these deeds.
The Virginia Robinson Gardens has been blessed with many good deeds for over twenty-five years by Tim Lindsay. He has become a part of his creation. While strolling down one of Virginia’s many garden paths, stop for a moment, look and listen closely. You will hear the voice of Tim. Everywhere.
Here are some of the other “Voices From The Garden”… Read More
The Farewell Party for the Incomparable Superintendent Timothy Lindsay
On May 7, 2022, it was an emotional and bittersweet day for the Friends and LA County members as they celebrated Superintendent Timothy Lindsay’s Farewell Party at the Virginia Robinson Garden. Co-chaired by Jeanne Anderson, Maralee Beck and Joan Selwyn, it was an elegant and beautiful affair befitting our beloved, multi-talented, and extraordinary Tim.
As the attendees sauntered through the Main House, the very talented Diane Jenkins took expert pictures of the festively attired guests in front of Jeanne’s romantic flower arrangement. Enhancing the lovely atmosphere in the Great Hall, pianist Dale Witt played classical and jazz tunes… Read More
Fellows Visit Wondrous McQueen Exhibit at LACMA
On April 28, 2022, twenty Fellows of Robinson Gardens had the pleasure of viewing the recently installed exhibit: “Lee Alexander McQueen: Mind, Mythos, Muse” at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. The exhibit is currently on view through October 9, 2022, in the Resnick Pavillon. Costume and Textiles Curators of the exhibit, Clarissa Esquerra and Michaela Hansen, gave us a private tour of the exhibit, which featured a costume collection donated by Friends of Robinson Gardens Patron member Regina J. Drucker. Donated in 2016, the collection includes objects Fortuny to Charles James to Balenciaga, along with the largest collection of Alexander McQueen ensembles in a North American public institution outside of the London Studio Archive. 69 ensembles were donated which turned out to be McQueen’s personal magical number… Read More
Victoria Kastner Enthralls the Fellows with Her Lecture on Julia Morgan
To a mesmerized audience, noted author and former historian of the Hearst Castle, Victoria Kastner, gave a fascinating speech on her latest book, Julia Morgan: An Intimate Biography of the Trailblazing Architect on May 6, 2022, in the Main House at the Virginia Robinson Gardens. A fabulous speaker, Victoria was so knowledgeable and passionate about her subject that the Fellows could have listened to her all day!
Victoria highly recommended the review written on her book by Hannah Fish on April 6, 2022, for the Christian Science Monitor. Victoria said, “It is an excellent summary of my talk for VRG.”… Read More
Spotlight On Kate Oakland
Each month we spotlight a volunteer, staff member, docent, donor, or sponsor of the Virginia Robinson Gardens (VRG) — those that have made an impact on the organization. We want to let you know about these wonderful people and corporations that give so much to the Virginia Robinson Gardens and to the community, and what they do that is so impactful.
This month, we spotlight Kate Oakland, a wonderful Concierge Van Tour Hostess for Garden Tour and a very helpful, longtime, dedicated docent.
We asked her these three questions… Read More