Message from President Betty Goldstein
To nurture: “care for and encourage the growth or development of”
Dear Friends,
In the garden, I think of May as the nurturing month, where we continue to nurture the last of our fading winter plants and vegetables while nurturing the new seedlings for the coming season. The gardens are full of spring blossoms, the deciduous trees are leafing, and the birds are building their nests. But we also have the lettuces that are starting to fade, the celery that needs to be picked, and the last of our fall and winter avocados that need to be harvested.… Read More
Our Garden Tour Star Marianne Yamaguchi
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 Marianne Yamaguchi, owner of Yamaguchi Bonsai Nursery, whose father was a famous bonsai specialist. Her nursery has very unique plants.
We asked her these four questions:… Read More
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.… Read More
The Rose Sale Enchants VRG Members
The sun was shining brightly, but not even the sun could compete with the smiles on the faces of the members of the Friends of Robinson Gardens. Everyone wanted to be a part of Jeanne Anderson’s exquisitely planned Rose Sale.
Greeting guests at the refreshment table were Ellen Lipson, Kerstin Royce, and Chava Gerber. The Friends enjoyed salted caramel cookies and individually wrapped brownies, while they sipped rose-flavored lemonade and Arnold Palmers through agave straws.
It was Roses, Roses, Roses, in a rainbow of beautiful colors available in bouquets for purchase from Rose Lane Farms. On the tennis court, an enthusiastic group of “gardeners” were having a difficult time deciding which of the rose bushes they wanted to purchase. Also spotlighted was Virginia Robinson’s favorite rose — the beautiful and fragrant pink Eiffel Tower.… Read More
Spotlight on Cindy Fields
Each month we spotlight a volunteer, staff member, docent, donor, or sponsor of 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 Cindy Fields, a wonderful and dedicated longtime Friends of Robinson Gardens Member. Cindy has volunteered numerous times for many committees over the years, and she is very stylish, reflecting her love of fashion.
We asked her these three questions:… Read More