Pioneering Dlantsmen of Santa Barbara

Nt:WSLt:TTt:R FOR Mt:MBt:RS VOLUMt: 6 NO. 3 & AUTUMN 1997 PioneeringDlantsmen of SantaBarbara THE LATTERHALF of the last century and the first half of this century saw a plethora of horticu ltural activity in Southern California, including the pioneering work of several plantsmen in and around Santa Barbara. Their legacy remains today in the myriad plantings along the region's streets, freeways, and parks, and on many of its former great estates. Species commonly used in landscaping today were first introduced to the area by these men (and women) who worked to increase horticultural diversity in Santa Barbara's temperate, sunny ( :lime-one in which almost any in troduced plant species would thrive. In an earlier issue (Vol. 5, No. 2; Summer 1996), we gave a broad introduction to the work of these early horticulturists as it related to the subsequent development of Santa Barbara's great estates and famous gardens. Here we profile in more de tail five of these pioneering plantsmen. EllwoodCooper utilized the versatileoil of the olivetrees that he grew on his 2,000-acreSanta JO~t:PH SEXTON (1042-1917) Barbararanch in commercialproducts such as cookingoil, soap, and candy. FATHEROF SANTA BARBARA 40RTICUL~UP.E AMONG THE FIRSTto work with exotic IN THIS ISSUE and tropical plant introductions was PioneeringPlantsmen DeadllJDuo Destrol)sPines 9 Joseph Sexton. A native of Ohio who of SantaBarbara moved to Southern California as a CSSAConvention Report 10 LotuslandCelebrates the Diva 4 child, he established a nursery in 1867 VolunteersCelebrated II in Santa Barbara with stock from DeidreCantrell, 6 Art in Full Bloom his father's Petaluma nursery and a New ExecutiveAssistant 12 120-pound sack of Persian walnuts LotuslandPlans for the Future 6 HelpUs Train DocentsThis fall 12 shipped from Chile. Two years later MericosFoundation Awards Grant New to the Collections 7 the nursery moved to Goleta to take LotuslandRemembered 13 ( advantage of better weather and Art at Lotusland 7 blJ Noll Bequest topsoil that reached 33 feet in some New SantaBarbara Gardens 7 Statuan1lnventon1 Completed 13 places. In the 1870s Sexton began HorticulturalHappenings 3 RestoredWall Dedicated 13 raising pampas grass (Cortaderiase/1- Frank Fujii:ThirttJ Years and Counting oana)commercially and by 1895 was SummerIntern Eric Martin Calendarof Events 16 THE LOTUS!..ANDNEWSLETTER FOR MEMBERS is published by Ganna Walska Lot;1,1slandFoundation 695 AshleyRoad Santa Barbara,California 93108 (805) 969-3767 Boardof Trustees Carol L. Valentine,l'residem Menyl Brown • ElizabethW Dake Robert Emmons • Arthur R. Gaudi Anne W. Jones • Stanya Owen PamelaB. Pesenti • David Potter Michael Towbes Steven Tunbrook, Ph.D., ExewtiveDireaor Anne Dewey. AssistamDirector VirginiaHayes, Curatorof the UvingCollwio11 Mike Iven, GroundsSuperinte1uf 1mt Janet Eastman, Editor Lindse's Letter PerfectGraphics, Design Printed by J& S Graphlx ,· n: Printed on recycledand recyclablepaper -.,,j Earlynurseryman Joseph Sexton next to a cherimoyatree amid palms 011 his Goletapropeny. exporting 500,000 plumes annually obtained to Sexton in Goleta. His however, was the work he carried to the East and Europe. 1877 catalogue was illustrated with out with eucalyptus. He grew Sexton imported so many exotic rare shrubs and plants. In this way he 150,000 trees of 24 varieties for winq ) and tropical plants from Australia, was able to introduce the Norfolk breaks and landscape effects and Asia, and Europe that he maintained Island pine from a single burlap distributed thousands of them his own depot for plants arriving by wrapped specimen . The first to offer throughout the area. He even wrote steamer. An associate in San Franciso the cherimoya (Annona cherimola), a book on the subject (Eucalyptus would also meet clipper ships and Sexton also introduced many varieties Trees), and in 1875 gave a public send any rare seeds and plants he of avocado and is responsible for lecture about the tree's many uses. developing a variety of soft-shelled At the same time Cooper grew walnut still sold today. For ten years 7,000 olive trees and 12,500 walnut (1885-95) he maintained a flower trees and operated the largest olive and retail store in downtown Santa mill in the U.S. A second book on Barbara in addition to his nursery olive culture explored the methods and mail order business. A man of of utilizing this fruit's versatile oil in vision and courage, it was his choice to settle in Santa Barbara that opened the door for others interested in fur thering the expansion of horticulture. ELLWOODCOOPER (1329 - 1913) AMERl~S OLIVE Oil l'ilN(r DURING THIS SAME PERIOD,Santa Bar baran Ellwood Cooper was estab lishing his 2,000-acre "pocket ranch" outside of the city. There he grew olives, figs, walnuts, deciduous fruits, The '1897catalogue of the So. California AcclimatizingAssociation contained a citrus, and rare ornamentals amid summarydescription , degreeof hardiness, the oaks and sycamores. His main and hintsto cultureof 1,500 sortsof plants. contribution to early horticulture, EllwoodCooper. species. It was Stevens who first introduced the Indian lotus (Nelumbo nucifera), dragon trees (Dracaena draco),and nine varieties of rare palm trees to Southern California in addi tion to providing local ranchers with i;t\cal:)1)tus TTees. lemon trees for their orchards. 1· Mature specimens of many of the plants Stevens introduced can be seen on his former estate, known today as Lotusland. Dr. Francese/toFranceschi . In conjuntion with other nursery men, he established the Southern California Acclimatizing Association to promote and document the on going introductions of non-native plant species to the region. His most important work, however, was an EllwoodCooper \flrote an authoritativetext 88-page inventory of plants in Santa on eucalyptusin 1876. Barbara from foreign countries (Santa BarbaraExotic Flora). Although only in commercial products such as cook Santa Barbara for 20 years, he was a ing oil and soap. By 1882 he also was prolific writer for periodicals, and his :growing grapes, oranges, lemons, home, Montarioso,remains today as a ( R. KintonStevens. and Japanese persimmons . public park displaying many of the In the early 1880s, Cooper was species he introduced . the first plantsman to use biological DR. FRANCESCOFRANCESCHI controls, importing thousands of (134J-1924) t . 0. ORPET(1063-1956) 'TAI IAN ~mrr1e JITLIRIST ladybugs from China-a natural ALL THAT 15 FINE IN THE WORLD 'Jf ~ORTlfULTl ,RE parasite that fed on the black scale THEESTEEMED DR. Francesco Frances attacking his considerable walnut chi, a native of Italy, introduced more ARRIVING IN SANTA BARBARA on groves . Within weeks the scale had plants into California than any other Thanksgiving day in 1920, English been stripped clean and farmers nurseryman. Arriving in this country man Edward Owen Orpet noticed a throughout the state followed his in 1890, he made his home on a Continuedon page 16 example, thereby saving the Cali 40-acre site on Mission Ridge over fornia walnut industry. Cooper was looking Santa Barbara where he grew honored with his election as more than a hundred varieties of President of the California State palms, acacias, eucalyptus, and other Board of Horticulture in 1883, and flowering plants. Among the plants ten years later received the highest he introduced and sold through his award at the Colombian Expo in catalogues were grape ivy, floss silk Chicago for his olive oil. tree, hopbush, pineapple guava, African boxwood, and mondo grass. R. KINTONSTEVENS His fifth catalogue, 93 pages issued (1349-1396) in May 1897, contained 1,500 plants, EPRL'. ' NONTECITQN 1JRSERY~ I\N including cycads, vines, trees, palms, IN 1885 ENGLISHMAN R. Kinton bamboos, shrubs, and bulbous mate ( Stevens established a nursery of rare rials. The first to experiment with plants on his 37-acre property in hardy orchids, he introduced cane Montecito. He was the first nursery type epidendrum . Franceschi was man to offer a catalogue devoted also a rose hybridizer best known for solely to tropical and subtropical 'Montecito' and 'Montarioso .' Edward Owen Orpet. U.S.TRUST COMPANY OF CA LIFORNIA& Nl:W Jl:RSl:Y ANDTl:Nl:T 1-11:AITHCARI:CORPORAT IONUNDl:R\XIRITI: SLICCl:SSFUL Lotuslar1dCelebrates the Diva the lotus pond. An array of Erte de portion of the event was under signs decorated the entryway of the written by a generous donation from Main House including a life-size cut Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Kendall. out of a woman wearing an Erte cos President of the Board Carol tume created by artist Stuart Brandt. Valentine thanked committee chair Guests enjoyed a spectacular exhibit Merryl Brown and decorations of hand-painted bronze statues, dynamo Lori Ann David for their embossed serigraphs, and watercolor hard work in making the event a costume designs in the sunken draw success. Following brief remarks by ing room-made possible by the Executive Director Steven Timbrook, generous loan of original Erte works guests enjoyed Adriatic seafood soup, of art by Hania Tallmadge, Mary Jane chicken scaloppini, and tiramisu Mori, Ross Barrett, Pamela and David served by the Four Seasons Biltmore. Taylor, and the VCSB Art Museum. A delicious chardonnay was donated Arias from Rossini's II Vtaggioa by Brander Vineyard. Reimswere performed with great skill The creative invitation and pro and pizzazz in the outdoor theatre gram were designed by committee by Music Academy of the West stu member Kim Hansen; the printing dents Randall Behr, Randall Jakobsh, costs were underwritten by Bryant & Sons Jewelry and J&S Graphi.x. TheLotus Diva reignsover the watergardens Joslin Romphf, Lynnette Tapia, and \ in an £rte-inspiredcostume by LoriAnn Miah Im . Director of the Voice As a delightful kickoff for Lotus I David as fiute musicwafis across the pond. Program at the Music Academy and /and Celebratesthe Diva, event donor special guest Marilyn Home said Nordstrom Paseo Nuevo hosted a THE GENEROUSSPONSORSHIP of U.S.

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