Mary Pickford & Douglas Fairbanks and the Tea, Scones & Gardens Book Club

On September 21, 2024, the Tea, Scones & Gardens Book Club met again at The Virginia Robinson Gardens, this time to enjoy a dissection of the lives of Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford as described in great detail in the book, Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks: The Most Popular Couple the World Has Ever Known by Booton Herndon. We discussed how the loss of their fathers early in life may have had a profound influence on their personalities and indeed the roles they played on screen and stage. 

Our Garden Tour Star Xoxo Pattisue

From time to time, we highlight “Our Garden Tour Stars” -- landscape architects, florists, and interior designers who have participated at 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 florist PattiSue of Xoxo PattiSue. At the 2024 Garden Tour, she decorated the Master Bedroom beautifully with stunning arrangements of soft-hued romantic roses. Her floral designs enhanced the feminine ambience in the room while in a corner, a mannequin, “dressed” with roses, foliage, and shawls added a whimsical touch.   We asked PattiSue these five questions:

A Perfect Night at the “Moonlight Serenade” 2024 Patron Gala

The Friends of Robinson Gardens’ annual Patron Gala, “Moonlight Serenade,” returned victoriously to The Virginia Robinson Gardens on September 14th after a five-year hiatus, co-chaired by Lori Greene Gordon and Natalie Gordon Beiser. The ladies dressed in their evening finery looked beautiful, and the men looked handsome, many even decked out in tuxedoes, as they entered the Great Lawn through the Estate. The moon was smiling down approvingly at our honorees Laura and Harvey Alpert and Kerstin Royce and Patti Reinstein.

A Walk in the Garden with Superintendent Diane Sipos

I’m pleased The Virginia Robinson Gardens will be hosting a special art installation in October featuring the work of Max Hooper Schneider. This installation is part of Southern California's landmark arts event, the Getty’s Pacific Standard Time initiative, which brings together more than sixty cultural institutions to stage installations throughout the region exploring the intersection of art and science. Mr. Hooper Schneider’s artwork is in the permanent collections of the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, the Hammer Museum, and many other institutions throughout the world.

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