News from the Garden

Issue 39 I February 2026

The bloom begins.

The magnolias began to unfurl this month.

Their thick, furry buds held through December and January, and now their petals (all hues of pink, yellow, and white) are unfolding against bare branches. A reminder that bloom arrives on structure, on wood shaped and strengthened long before flowers or leaves appear.

This past month we continued our focus on winter pruning. Across the garden, careful cuts—sometimes subtle, sometimes significant—are everywhere. Justin, our small garden crew, and our volunteers moved with swift precision – looking closely at each plant: its structure, its light, its airflow, and how it lives within the broader landscape. At times that meant removing very little. At others it meant cutting back hard so something could reset and grow stronger.

Work extended from hand pruners to professional arborist climbing crews, reducing weight and restoring balance to ensure the long-term health of our tree collection. Freshly cut curly willow served as a playful material to make a temporary, giant bird’s nest in the Commons (see Kat, our Living Collections Coordinator in it below). The branches will also be available for creative reuse and purchase—giving new form beyond the canopy.

Spring is not here quite yet but we see its possibility and are prepared.

Justin’s Hort Report.

Hands-down, my favorite part of hands-on horticulture is pruning. Pruning a plant allows me to develop an intimate relationship with it over time, letting me see the plant as an individual with its own needs and desires.

Before pruning a plant, I always take time to observe it, consider its needs for water, light, nutrients, and airflow, walk around it, and even shake it gently. I think about how it connects to the landscape and the community of plants here, and how it wants to grow this next year for its own health and for the sensory beauty it gives back to us. I also think a lot about the response the plant will make to certain cuts. All of these considerations can result in me barely cutting anything. At other times it means coppicing the beast to the ground, forcing it to "start over" and rejuvenate. It all depends on the plant, and what we want from it.

We've been lucky enough at Western Hills to have a lot of help with pruning. Volunteers Jude and Adina took care of our roses this year. The Aesthetic Pruners Club of Merritt College visits biannually to work on our Japanese maples, camellias, and conifers. Local expert aesthetic pruner Tim Hasken has become a mentor to me, schooling me in the Japanese pruning tradition applied to some of our smaller trees.

But what happens when your towering legacy trees need work? That's when you call in the climbers. Sandborn is a local family-owned tree service that we've contracted with to conduct deferred maintenance on our biggest trees. Merlin Schlumberger, one of their lead team members, is on the WHG Horticultural Advisory Committee and his invaluable insights are directing our efforts.

Last week, they arrived with an aerial crew to prune our large Japanese flowering cherry (Prunus serrulata), Montezuma Cypress (Taxodium mucronatum), and Curly Willow (Salix babylonia f. tortuosa). I was impressed with their professionalism, efficiency, and lack of any collateral plant damage (not an easy task in this densely planted garden!). Next week they return to reduce the end weight on our massive Zelkova (Zelkova serrata), among other important tree work. 

Pruning combines the science of botany with the art of landscape design. That's probably why I love it so. Want to know more about the art and science of pruning? Michael Alliger is using Western Hills as his classroom for three public pruning classes this year. Scroll down for more details or sign up here.

A new conversation series.

We are pleased to launch a new series of conversations at Western Hills Garden exploring horticultural preservation and stewardship. Questions we will consider include: how gardens and plant collections are meeting the current cultural moment, what long-term care looks like in practice at legacy gardens, and how knowledge is held and transmitted over time. We are thrilled to launch this series with a very special, not-to-be missed, conversation between two horticultural luminaries: Dan Hinkley and RG Turner.

Dan is widely regarded as one of the most influential living plantsmen. His work has shaped how modern gardeners think about plants, place, and care. RG is a noted landscape architect, editor emeritus of Pacific Horticulture, and served as the first executive director of the Ruth Bancroft Garden.

Other programs of note.

Clear the way: groom the broom

Just as we prune in the garden to strengthen structure and prepare for spring bloom, removing invasive broom from our land and roadways is a necessary thing for our broader landscape. Its bright yellow flowers may seem cheerful, but Scotch broom spreads aggressively—crowding out native plants and increasing fire risk.

This March, the Camp Meeker & Occidental Community Groom the Broom initiative invites neighbors to help clear broom and restore balance. When we remove what overwhelms, we make space for what belongs. It’s pruning at the community scale—and a meaningful way to prepare for spring. Scan the QR code for more information.

Community shout outs.

This month’s focus on pruning and preparation extends beyond the garden gates even further as we shout out an Occidental Community Council project unfolding in time for spring. The Friends of the Community Center committee is holding a community gathering on March 12, to unveil its new landscape design for the building (on the corner of Bohemian Highway and Graton Road).

Join the designers and community leaders for a first look at what’s possible, followed by a baked potato potluck (bring your favorite toppings or salad fixings to share; the basics will be provided). It’s an evening to gather, imagine, and take part in preparing the ground for what comes next.

Help us thrive.

WHG is a fiscally-sponsored nonprofit with a mission to link people, plants, and place to possibility. Thank you for reading our monthly News from the Garden and for supporting our efforts to share this special place with the public. Our work is possible because of people like you, and we’re grateful for your continued support as we steward and share the garden. Below is a snapshot of the magnolias in bloom right now.