Spotlight on Connie Ching

From time to time, 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 Connie Ching, a wonderful and dedicated Friend of Robinson Gardens and Fellow Member. Connie generously offered a luncheon/dinner featuring Chinese cuisine for 10 people in her beautiful home and garden for the silent auction at Garden Tour.

1. How did you first learn about VRG, and what inspired you to become a Friend? 

I was introduced to VRG by Superintendent Emeritus Tim Lindsay. After he helped with our garden design and construction in San Marino in 2012, we were invited by Tim to visit the Garden Tours of VRG. Due to the long travel distance from the Pasadena area to Beverly Hills, at first we were reluctant to come for the Garden Tour. However, out of curiosity I came along on a Friday (This was when the VRG tour was held on Fridays) and what an amazing show of gardens and flowers I saw that was presented by VRG. It was such an unforgettable experience as I was touched by the thoughtful and elegant design of each unique garden and finally the charming Virginia Robinson Gardens at the end of the tour. After I enthusiastically described the Garden Tour and the experience to Walter, my husband, we attended an alfresco luncheon at Ellen Lipson’s olive grove allée in the Pacific Palisades (a silent auction winning bid from the gala) where my friend Wendy Pylko performed arias from various operas. After the luncheon, we were inspired to join the Friends of Robinsons Gardens to help preserve and promote this beautiful space.

2. What is your role – how do you contribute to VRG? 

Being a Fellow of the Friends, I like to invite my friends to come see the Garden Tours and attend the lectures at VRG. Seeing the big smiles on their faces in the gardens is very gratifying for me. In addition, I truly enjoy going on the Fellows trips to various private gardens and local monuments. I do sponsor the volunteers’ lunch on the Garden Tour day.

3. Can you please share a favorite VRG memory with us?

At one of the Fellows’ appreciation dinners one year, due to the rain, the event took place inside the estate instead of on the Great Lawn. Consequently, we were seated in the Loggia by Jeanne. It was a magical experience to be in that space next to the Australian King Palm Forest. A special energy was there for we felt so welcomed as if Virginia was there dining with all of us.

4. Please add any additional information you would like to share!

I enjoy the lectures, flower arrangement classes, 1-day field trips to local museums and gardens and especially the annual cultural 3-day private garden trips for the Fellows.

The most memorable Fellow’s field trip for me is the visit to Taliesin West, the winter home of Frank Lloyd Wright in Phoenix, Arizona in 2020. Before leaving Los Angeles, I was a bit concerned about the news of some virus affecting travelers on a cruise ship embarking in Japan. After confirming with Tim, everyone was on board to go on the trip. Therefore, not a single person was absent in the group. In Phoenix, most of us stayed at the well-preserved Biltmore Hotel where there was a beautiful Frank Lloyd Wright stained-glass piece, “Saguaro Forms & Cactus Flowers.”

Moreover, the Fellows visited amazing private homes and gardens designed by the famous architect, especially that of David Dodge whose home is primarily made up of windows that frame views of mountains and nature. We dined in the secret room in the Biltmore where if alcohol was consumed during the Prohibition era, a secret exit door served as an escape route in case of the arrival of the police. The dinner on the last day of the tour was at Taliesin West which had been transformed into the architectural school of Frank Lloyd Wright. At last, it was extraordinary to have the chef-prepared dishes in an incredibly tranquil ambiance within the FLW architecture for our last dinner in Phoenix.

After returning from the Arizona trip a week later, Los Angeles, as with the rest of the country, was under the pandemic confinement ordinance. The memory of a joyful “sejour” nearly immediately followed by a shocking and surreal pandemic event created a truly unique and memorable experience for me. Fast forward to 2024, now looking back to the year 2020, I will always remember and appreciate the special VRG Fellow’s trip to Phoenix, Arizona.