News from the Garden

Issue 37 I December 2025

A gift of thanks.

If you’ve visited us, you’ve felt it. There’s a sense of care in this garden — for plants, for people, for ideas, for time itself. It lives in the garden beds, in the way visitors are welcomed, in the patience given to learning, and in the relationships that form over repeated visits. It draws on the legacy of folks who have taken a risk and followed a dream that turned into a life’s work.

Over the past year, as Western Hills Garden has grown more deeply into a public-serving nonprofit, that care has reached further. Visitors – more than three times the number that came in 2024 – linger longer. Artists and thinkers come to stay and create – over 15 writers, painters, and photographers last year alone. Children experience the wonder of nature play during a summer camp, made possible through a partnership with our friends at Clayfolk in Occidental. Student interns come to learn what it means to steward a garden with curiosity and responsibility during ten weeks of immersion in the garden. A dozen or so dedicated volunteers dig in each week – weeding, propagating, and pruning – all while enjoying one another in the peace of the plants and trees. And our growing donor and membership base demonstrates the community’s belief in the value of this place.

It’s thrilling to see our start-up nonprofit with a storied history find its legs. And 2026 will bring more of this care and opportunity. We hope you’ll be a part of it.

Please come visit soon. As a token of our appreciation, use the code 2026GIFT for a free day visit, good through March 31, 2026. If you’re a member, use it to bring a friend or family member. Children under 12 are free and friendly dogs on leash are welcome. Bring a picnic, a book, a journal, a sketchpad, your bestie…and settle in to savor the magic.

Justin’s Hort Report.

Man, what a year it’s been! My first full year as horticulture manager, and looking back at my completed task sheets, what incredible progress we’ve made in 2025! I could list a million things we “got done,” this year, but I’m currently most excited about the plants. I feel like we’ve finally got a solid handle on our plant collection - what’s there, what’s working, what needs work, and what will never work.

As you may know, Western Hills today is a bit of a vegetative enigma, the result of five owners over nearly seven decades adding their own personal design touches everywhere. Sometimes that works wonderfully, other times…not so much. It made us ask the question: What is Western Hills today? What do we want it to be?

This year we made a lot of progress towards answering those questions. From a plant collection perspective, we’ve finalized our Curatorial Vision to ensure that future design decisions are intentional and cohesive. We’ve also completed a comprehensive Plant Collection Policy and Best Management Practices document. Got a question about how we acquire, inventory, and maintain records for our plants? It’s in there. Wondering how exactly we care for our plants and soil? It’s in there.

Our plant inventory and mapping has taken leaps this year as well. You can now reference our online Tree Inventory and cross-reference it with our garden map to find out where any tree is in the garden. We’ve also digitally mapped the location of all 730+ trees in GIS (see image). This nerdy, behind-the-scenes work helps to elevate WHG as a professional public garden with a museum-like seriousness and a commitment to professional horticulture.

In 2026, the progress will continue. This winter, we will be applying to become an officially accredited “Arboretum.”  By summer we’ll have made some bold changes at the garden, namely redesigning the “Australian” and the “native California” sections with new plants and new seating areas. Don’t worry, Western Hills won’t lose any of its naturalistic woodland charm with these changes. With guidance from some of the best minds in California horticulture, and with growing support from our community, we’re making this place even more beautiful, peaceful, and inspiring for everyone. Cheers and happy New Year!

Insider invites.

We occasionally send out exclusive invitations to experiences and programs to those on our Insiders list. You can join the list by becoming a member, making a donation, or indicating your interest via the link below. We’ve got a lot in store for 2026, and our Insiders will be the first to hear!

Shout outs.

We had quite a storm over Christmas at WHG. We lost power for over two days (thank goodness for our generator), the wood shed was destroyed, and many giant branches fell across the garden. The Octagon roof was compromised, though miraculously did not leak.

We are eternally grateful to the friends who wrote and offered condolences, help, and resources. Our team is incredible and came to the rescue working to prepare to re-open for day visitors by raking, chain sawing, chipping, and picking up piles and piles of debris. There are still remnants of the damage but the garden is largely back to its (new) self, just in time for the next round of rain.

Help us thrive.

This garden has always grown through care and intention. The work now is simply to hold that care well by expanding our team, strengthening our systems, and continuing to imagine what it means to link people, plants, and place with possibility. Please consider a donation to translate this momentum into sustainability — and generosity into lasting stewardship.