Spotlight on Andrea Layne

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 Andrea Layne, a dedicated Friends of Robinson Gardens member. Always eager to help, her first volunteer job entailed helping host the florists for the walk-through before Garden Tour. We asked her these four questions

A Tribute to Harry the Cat

Harry was always waiting for you on the kitchen terrace. Weaving between your legs with a straight tail and a slight curl at its end was a sign of his fondness for you. Friends, staff, volunteers, and children couldn’t resist Harry’s meowing. He would always be by your side to help in the garden, but he expected rubs and hugs first. A keen eye, great hearing, and a strong sense of smell kept Harry in tune with his surroundings. We lost our dear cat, Harry. He was a strong & brave guardian of the Gardens and worthy of being its mascot. But more importantly, he was an unending source of love, a daily inspiration, and a living being with a heart of gold

A Great Day at the 2021 Membership Luncheon

On a beautiful, sunny day on September 23, 2021, the Friends enjoyed a very well-attended Membership Luncheon on the Great Lawn at the Virginia Robinson Gardens. Our wonderful President Betty Goldstein, Chairperson Andrea Layne, and Co-Chairs Elaine Stein and Ellisa Bregman warmly welcomed the festively dressed attendees who were so delighted to see each other again. It was a particularly joyful celebration since the Friends were not able to experience this annual luncheon in 2020 due to Covid

George Geary Takes Us on a Tasty Trip down Memory Lane

“When you are in Love’s, the whole world’s delicious!” This famous slogan brought back decades-old memories of my favorite barbecue sauce and wonderful family dinners at the old Pico Boulevard restaurant. It was a full house as George Geary spoke to members of the Friends about his latest book Made in California: The California-Born Diners, Burger Joints, Restaurants & Fast Food that Changed America. Eloquent and dapper as ever, Geary, the former pastry chef and best-selling author, charmed us during his second engagement at the Gardens by helping us to remember those restaurants that formed our first experiences as children and the ones that became our favorite haunts in our adult years.

Message from President Betty Goldstein

Dear Friends, Fall has begun. We may not have the Eastern “turning of the leaves” in Southern California, but if you take a moment to look around your garden, your neighbors’ gardens or down the streets as you drive, you will see our California Sycamores and Liquid Ambers turning a variety of rusty gold colors. In my yard, the oakleaf hydrangeas are turning a reddish-brown as are my Japanese maples. These bright, beautiful eye-catching colors are the prelude to our winter season. Here at the Gardens, the last of the Concord grapes have been harvested, the magnolia tree is heavy with the magnolia seed cones, which will soon release their rose-red coated seedlings, and the persimmon trees have an abundance of fruit on their branches. And as the days shorten, the hens lay fewer and fewer eggs, and they start their winter rest

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