News from the Garden

Issue 33 I August 2025

The dog days. Two ways.

We’ve had some conversations lately about the band Florence and the Machine – Florence’s voice, the band’s danceable sound, their combination of soul, pop, and rock, their famous song, “The Dog Days Are Over”….

This time of year, as you’ll read in Justin’s Hort Report below, is typically dry, hot, and uncomfortable. It feels liminal in a way, the period between beauty and bounty, between growth and decline. We dream of crisp fall days while also feeling nostalgic for summer’s beachy vibes.

And still, there is beauty. The long shadows, the remaining late sunsets, the beginning color on the leaves. And much to celebrate. We have had a wonderful summer. It was mild which reduced our stress about watering. We had three hard-working and talented interns as part of our nascent Emerging Horticultural Leaders program who are leaving us soon (stay tuned next month to learn about their capstone projects). We also had the largest number of visitors since we reopened. A couple of guest comments:

• I am so glad it is available to visit and is being taken care of. It's just how I remembered it from the last time I visited 20ish years ago.

• i loved !t. Within moments i felt intoxicated! I'm hoping to return when i have a houseguest visiting. Thank you for the breathtaking experience.

The fuschia are coming into full bloom and the hydrangeas are beginning to dry on their branches. Lily’s pond is low, but the sunflowers are standing extraordinarily tall and bright.

We aim to enjoy and sink into this phase like all others. And before we know it these days will be over, and we’ll be sharing what comes next. For now, let’s sing, dance, and hold that this transition too, shall pass.

Justin’s Hort Report.

Late summer is a strange time in the garden. We aim to present a spectacular, lush, naturalistic garden all year round, so it's easy to be disappointed or concerned when some of our plant friends "aren't looking their best" come August and September. I try to remind myself that the view from every path can't always look like a postcard all year round. There is a seasonal shift happening that affects every plant differently. Some more delicate leaves get scorched by this time of the year, despite our best efforts to keep them watered. The diminishing daylight hours means less and less colorful flowers and bright new growth. The webs of spider mites appear overnight and turn our fine-textured shrubs into something from Mom's attic.

If this was a "native" landscape with no irrigation, almost everything would look near dead. Luckily, that's not happening. Not even close. Moreover, I know that those dead leaves, brown stalks, and spider mite webs are food and habitat for a myriad of creatures that are an essential part of this dynamic biological system. It's all part of the magic of Western Hills. So I give the garden (and myself) some grace right now. We still have plenty of visitors raving about the beauty they find here. I know the plants are naturally responding in the ways they know best. They'll show their best selves again, when they're ready. 

Upcoming programs.

The folly’s late summer stand.

One of our iconic structures, the Folly, was built during the tenure of Maggie Wych, WHG’s second owner who inherited the garden from Marshall in 1991.

A jeweler from England, Maggie was hired initially as the WHG “water carrier” moving hoses and hand watering beds. She became a close confidante of Marshall’s over the years, especially after Lester died in 1985. Despite the surprise of many when she was named the successor in Marshall’s will, she developed a huge following of her own and made significant improvements to the garden’s collection and infrastructure.

Maggie’s Folly was inspired by one designed by the great English gardener, Penelope Hobhouse. It is incredibly well built and serves as a structure for rare vines including a climbing hydrangea (Hydrangea seemannii x peruviana), Chilean jasmine (Mandevilla laxa ), Wisteria brachybotrys ‘Shiro Kapitan’.

The Folly rises out of a sea of dozens of other stunning plants including a beautiful “Lion’s Mane” Maple (Acer palmatum ‘Shishigashira’), a dozen Julia Child floribunda roses, and the ever-blooming Abutilon megapotamicum.

We joke about the meaning of the word folly which some define as a whimsical building with no real purpose, and others who believe it does have a purpose, which is solely for delight. Regardless of which is correct, the WHG folly is certainly delightful in these dog days. Below are a few snaps of it, but it’s way better in person. Come see!

Insider Invites

Last call to join our Insiders Invite List this year! Sign up if you are interested in getting invitations to special programs, discounts, gatherings or want to get more engaged with Western Hills Garden. The Insiders Invite List is tailored to those who want to be more in-the-know about behind the scenes goings-on here at the garden.

Public art in Occidental - shout out.

You may recall us mentioning our public art volunteer work with the Occidental Community Council. We helped the Council get a $7,500 grant from Creative Sonoma to develop a three part project:

• a 40 foot temporary vinyl mural on the Occidental Community Center (that will be repurposed into products like tote bags and wallets)

• the design and installation of flags from one end of the downtown corridor to the other

• opportunities for engagement - like our launch party!

The theme of the project is the Occidental landscape, the geography, environments, and people that reflect the beauty and possibility of our unique place.

The artist chosen to lead the project is Hunter Franks, a West County local who lives in Sebastopol. The mural design was informed by photos submitted by the Occidental community.

If you are in town next Sunday, September 7th please join us at the Community Center to meet the artist, view an exhibit of the submitted photos, and help paint benches, a planter box, and the handball backboard. A handful of locals will share five minute stories about their favorite Occidental landscapes. Sign up slots will be available if you’d like to offer some of your own! Plus a few golden tickets will be given out to helpers for ice cream.

Come on out to the launch, and stop at the garden while you’re at it!