News from the Garden

Issue 45 I August 2026

August was a hoot!

We started August with a hootenanny. More than 110 friends, neighbors, supporters, volunteers, and plenty of people we'd never met before gathered at Mighty Arrow Ranch for an evening of good food, music, and celebration in support of Western Hills Garden.

There were Hog Island oysters and Hell Chicken barbecue, a handmade WH Ale, Freeman wine, music from the Crooked Jades, and the pleasure of seeing so many different parts of our community gathered in one place. Thanks to Kim Jordan, WHG Founding Board Chair, and her husband Dick Cantwell for hosting us at their incredible property.

Beforehand, we welcomed a smaller group to the Garden for a pre-party reflecting on the past, present, and future of Western Hills. R.G. Turner shared stories from the Garden's earlier days, while members of our team talked about the work underway today. Founding Board member Bonnie Bridges spoke about her own connection to Western Hills and why places like this matter.

It was a chance to take stock of how much has happened here, and how many people are now helping shape what comes next. We’re wrapping up the last of our three-part 2026 Gather in the Garden fundraising events in a couple of weeks. We’re excited to start planning what’s next.

August was also a month of comings and goings. We said goodbye to our Emerging Horticultural Leaders after a summer full of learning, working, and becoming part of the daily life of the Garden.

We also welcomed Will and Thomas for short-term work stints. Will jumped into facilities and electronics, including repairing a washer and getting a dryer back online, a surprisingly meaningful accomplishment in a place that generates so much laundry. Thomas helped set up our woodshop and taught Kent spoon carving, a step towards establishing a spoonarium, a concept discussed at the APGA conference that we are excited to explore. We said goodbye to them last Saturday.

All these arrivals, departures, conversations, and new projects feel connected. People come to Western Hills and bring skills, histories, questions, and ideas with them. Some stay for an afternoon, some for a few weeks or a summer, and some become part of the place for much longer. Each contributes something. Those relationships help shape what Western Hills is becoming.

And now we're turning toward a very full fall. We've been busy planning, building new relationships, and creating reasons to gather, learn, make, and spend time in the Garden. You'll find all that's coming up below.

August was a hoot. We can't wait to see what comes next.

Justin’s Hort Report.

It's quieting down around here. With our summer interns back at school or starting a "real job," the garden takes on a quieter tone  - having fewer folks working means the sights and sounds of wildlife (birds, bees, and squirrels mostly - no deer, thankfully) are more noticeable to me.

The plants wave and shimmer with the wind and, like me, seem to lament the loss of their summer stewards with all their energy and curiosity. I also see the results of all the hard work our interns accomplished this summer. I'm especially impressed with each of their capstone projects.

We always hope our interns' capstone projects add value to the garden and make them proud. I think they all met those goals this year. But don't take my word for it, come visit and see for yourself!

So much goodness ahead.

Blessings to Tassajara.

Tassajara is an inspiration for Western Hills Garden. Hadley started going there on annual retreat with some friends in 2014, right before moving to Park City, UT.

It’s been a constant for her for over a decade, even when it was closed during the pandemic and this year when her scheduled retreat was cancelled due to the zendo fire….

Tassajara is a place of constant change. Of giving and receiving. Of connecting on a higher level to the past, present, and future. And of immersing yourself deeply in a natural environment. The picture above and the text below are from a recent Instagram post by @tassajaratales.

“Although we began late due to fire, and ended early to fire, in between them we made a peaceful dwelling between us: a summer of such warmth and spiritual friendship that the flames, for all they might consume, could not touch.”

Smoky sunrise as the Timber Fire continues to burn, casting its hazy glow on the now empty zendo grounds from the Zendo Fire. Our evacuation vehicles stand ready, as we depart from the valley for an unknown period of time. Sending deep gratitude and love to our fire marshal Russell Kennedy. And the deepest of bows to all the firefighters and first responders, we are so very grateful 🙏❤️‍🩹🙏

#timberfire #wildfire #zen #meditation #tassajara

Seasonal snaps.

Captions: Cornus capitata (Himalayan dogwood), Helianthus sp., Leycesteria formosa (Himalayan honeysuckle), Cercidiphyllum japonicum (weeping katsura)