WHG News - July 2024

News from the Garden

Issue 20 I July 2024

Getting grounded.

It’s already the second week of July, but it still feels like June to us. The last six weeks have been a blur of celebrations and chaos. Our daughters both graduated (one from high school, one from college), and we attended four ceremonies, helped host two parties, and made three trips to LA.

We also gave up our rental in Berkeley and ended the month moving all our possessions to our home in Western Hills Garden. The dust is still settling. Special thanks to the friends and family who pitched in to get everyone through and everything done. We are thrilled to ground ourselves in the garden.

We’re looking forward to all the things we can accomplish now that we are here full-time. First though, we need a minute to catch our breath, find places to put things, and let our adrenals chill out a bit.

Luckily, our garden team is humming. Among many things, Joel, our lead gardener, has been fixing irrigation problems and making improvements. Justin, our horticulture manager, has been building a bed numbering system to enable better communication and garden management. Jaden, our summer garden fellow, has taken on the glasshouse. (You can see through the windows for the first time in years!) Zaccai (one of our work/stay crew members) has sifted and sorted our biowaste in preparation for an entirely new and redesigned compost area. Dick Miner, our beloved compost expert and chipping volunteer, returned after a long, health-related hiatus to advise on the overhaul. Clara, who just arrived from London for a three week work/stay, dove right in despite the oppressive heat. And Helen, Jude, Janet, and Merel, our core group of volunteers, continued to share their talents propagating, pruning, guiding tours, and weeding.

It’s grounding to have such support and to see so much get done. We’re excited to hole up and stay a while, present new programming, build new partnerships, and get ready for a fall of fundraising. Scroll down to see a bit of what’s in store.

Some words from Jaden.

“It blows me away that my first month at Western Hills has already come and gone! The contrast with my hometown of Niagara Falls, Canada continues to be day and night. It is so beautiful to see Northern California's interesting plant palette, which is especially unique within the garden gates. From the redwood groves, to the gorgeous succulents and tropical palm trees, this place is so diverse. I'm continually amazed by the wonders I'm able to experience.

A favourite experience of mine is noticing the continuous changes of the plants we care for here. Each day hosts a new discovery; a new bloom, a pop of colour or texture that wasn’t there before, or even the appearance of new weeds (or at least our definition of them). The garden feels like it is living life much faster than any of us – yet it still encourages us to stop, take it all in, and appreciate.

Not only is the plant collection impressive, the wildlife that thrives here is remarkably diverse. From the tiny alligator lizards to the gorgeous zebra swallowtails, I am fortunate to be in such a vibrant place.

It’s incredibly rewarding to feel as though I’m fitting into this new position and unique place, both horticulturally as well as within the sweet community at Western Hills. I’m very lucky to be an addition to such a wonderful team, and I’m grateful for feeling like I am right at home.

I look forward to my next few months of adventure here!”

A special drawing class. Join us.

On Saturday, August 17th, from 10-2pm, long-time educator and acclaimed artist Lisa Ostapinski will offer an Observational Drawing class at Western Hills Garden.

This class is designed for everyone – from those who have never drawn before to established artists – and Lisa teaches with humor and joy. She will help you overcome any trepidation and push your practice forward. The class will include exercises to get everyone grounded in the garden along with exploration and study of plant and tree specimens. Each participant will leave with several blind and modified contour drawings as well as a completed drawing of a chosen plant on paper.

$80 for adults, $50 for children over age 10 (requires the attention span to draw for at least 1 hour). All materials Included.

Snacks, hot and cold drinks, and a simple vegan lunch served. Please bring your own if you have dietary restrictions.

We always reserve a few spots in our programs for students, teachers, and others who are on limited incomes. Reach out via email to inquire (hello@westernhillsgarden.com). And as we’re a nonprofit, if you can pay more and are so inclined, please add on a tip to your registration!

LEARN MORE + REGISTER

Planning our fall fundraising campaign.

From September-December, we will hold a fall fundraising campaign to help support the growth of our garden operations team along with some critical infrastructure items, including a water storage tank and an ADA accessible restroom.

A membership drive, silent auction, and major donor appeal are part of our plan. Many of the auction items will be WHG experiences and opportunities. We will also include objects from artists and makers who know and love the garden. If you have ideas of things you’d like to bid on (or can think of to donate — such as restaurant or boutique gift certificates, horticultural services, etc.) please let us know by completing the form linked below.

A few teaser auction items include a night in the Octagon, lunch for 10 with the owners, coffee and muffins with Justin, and a takeover of the main house for a weekend. If you ever imagined a private, bespoke experience at WHG, now is your chance to make it happen!

LET US KNOW YOUR AUCTION ITEM WISHLIST

blue background with walnut ink hand drawing

Shout outs.

We’re strengthening our partnership with other botanical gardens, particularly those in Sonoma County. We intend to cross promote and even collaborate on some programming down the road. For now, the Sonoma Botanical Garden has a new Acoustic Sunsets program that’s worth mentioning. Every Wednesday until October 30th, from 6-8pm, they extend their hours with special activities for all ages including live music in the amphitheater. Picnics and dogs welcome. Check it out, and tell them we said hi!

ACOUSTIC SUNSETS LINEUP

A visit from the Aesthetic Pruning Club.

Our YouTube channel has another video for you to view. It’s a short clip from our time with the Aesthetic Pruning Club from Merritt College. The club is led by Allison Levin, who has over 20 years of experience enhancing the natural beauty of trees and shrubs. Allison is also a Merritt Aesthetic Pruning Class instructor, and she wrangled nine club members to come and focus on our maples and camellias. We’re thrilled to be in rotation with the club now and look forward to their return visit in November! Click the image below to view the short piece about their time at Western Hills Garden.

COME VISIT SOON

Western Hills Garden is a fiscally sponsored nonprofit organization with a mission to link people, plants, and place to possibility. Support our work by visiting the garden, becoming a member, spreading the word about us, or making a tax-deductible donation.

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