News from the Garden

Issue 29 I April 2025

From buds to blossoms.

The bounty this April is breathtaking. Cool days and late rain brought incredible blooms this year.

The rhododendrons are gigantic and the camellias are still going — much later than usual. The golden locusts are leafing out and the dogwoods are full of flowers. The columbines are showing off in indigo, cream, and peachy pink. And while the viburnum flowers only come in white, their big, bunchy balls hang heavy on their branches, as do the bright, yellow tree peonies, in stark contrast to the tall spires of blue, bee-filled echium. We could go on and on, but we’ll save some secrets for you to see for yourself.

Scroll down to make a day visit, reserve a spot in an upcoming program, and read about our spring membership drive. Lots of ways to sink into the abundance.

Throw open the windows, grab the hand of a friend, and come experience the garden. It’s that kind of day.

Upcoming programs.

Justin’s Hort Report.

As the Horticulture Manager, I'm paid to take care of the plants at Western Hills Garden. I can't help it if lately I'm distracted from the leaves, flowers, and bark of our collection. It's the birds. So many birds! As I write this from a picnic table in the Commons, I can hear the calls of the black-headed grosbeak, the Western flycatcher, hooded oriole, California towhee, Anna's hummingbird, Wilson's warbler, and brown creeper. If I wait a few minutes there will be others. You might think I'm some kind of "bird nerd," that I know all the calls of all the birds. I'm not. I just have the Merlin app from Cornell University, which tells me what I'm hearing. Try it! With the din of our lives it's easy to miss the symphony in the trees surrounding us. Come by the garden soon with Merlin and hear for yourself. 

Spring membership drive.

There are lots of great reasons to join our membership program – to see the seasons change, to find and return to a favorite spot over and over, to share the beauty with friends and family, to receive invites to occasional members-only activities. The list goes on….

During our spring campaign, we’re hoping to double our membership. We have four different levels to suit different individual, family, and group needs.

• Sonoma County Local ($50) – unlimited day visits for one Sonoma County resident, invites to members-only activities.

• Day Tripper ($50) – four day visits for member + 1 guest, invites to members-only activities.

• WHG Fan ($120) – unlimited day visits for member + 1 guest, invites to members-only activities.

• WHG Super Fan ($1200) – unlimited day visits for four people plus 12 guest passes, two free tickets to one of our classes or workshops, invites to members-only activities.

As an extra incentive, we are running a buy-one, get-one free offer for Sonoma County Local and Day Tripper categories. And all new members will receive a free plant from our nursery.

We’ve also just joined the American Horticultural Society so your membership to Western Hills Garden grants you access to over 380 affiliate gardens across the United States!

All memberships are subscription-based and renew annually unless cancelled. They are not tax deductible.

Members provide critical support to our ongoing operations and demonstrate community commitment to our funders.

Our next members-only gathering will be on Friday, May 30th to launch our spring plant sale weekend. Members will receive an invitation shortly.

We hope you will become part of our member community.

Shout outs.

LAND/scape is a public art project organized by the Occidental Community Council (which we are a part of) designed to bring joy, build community cohesion, and create a visual identity that connects the entire downtown corridor from north to south.

It includes the development and installation of a temporary participatory mural on two sides of the Occidental Community Center, installation of colorful lamp post flags from one end of town to the other, and connected activations at local businesses.

We are seeking an artist to help lead this project. Please help spread the word! Details about the project and the open call are located on the Occidental Community Council website.