LOTUSLAND NEWSLETTER VOLUME 26 NO. 3SUMMER 2017 A Forest of Cactus: The Dunlap Collection BY PAUL MILLS I have received many strange letters at one time or another from all over the world but yours, I am sure, was the strangest of all. —Ganna Walska, August 1, 1966 OUR DAYS PRIOR, Merritt “Sigs” Dunlap sat at his typewriter and Fcrafted this “strange” letter to Madame Ganna Walska that would set in motion the creation of one of the great displays of cacti in a public garden and one of the most dramatic gardens at Lotusland—The Dunlap Cactus Garden. The letter stated that he wanted to be- queath his cactus collection to Lotusland. In 1966, Merritt Dunlap, or “Sigs” to his friends, had been developing his cactus collection for 37 years, which was near its peak with “approximately 1200 plants, of 880 species and varieties.” Sigs got his first plant in 1929 and his last in 1999—70 years of The Cactus Garden at Lotusland embodies the collaborative genius of a devoted collector, a visionary horticultural history. His passion was designer, numerous botanical experts and imaginative donors all coming together to create an iconic Continued on page 2 garden that could only exist at Ganna Walska Lotusland. IN THIS ISSUE A Forest of Cactus: The Dunlap 1 Forces of Nature 9 Fall Harvest Dinner 15 A Lotusland Food and Wine Fête Collection Benefit Shopping Extravaganza9 Exceptional Plants 15 Director’s Letter 4 Honoring Members of 10 Lotusland Auction and Sale C Magazine Features Lotusland 4 The Lotus Society The Spirit of Lotusland 15 Horticultural Happenings 5 Restoring Body & Spirit11 A Cocktail Competition ACP HLB Preventative Measures Japanese Garden Renovation Capital Campaign Volunteer Profile: Harry Linden 16 Farewell, Monterey Cypress 5 Montecito Birdman Japanese Garden Renovation 12 Collections News6An Inspired Gift Help Make Lotusland’s 16 Wishes Come True Building Botanical Bridges Members’ Family Day 13 Become a Lotusland Docent 17 Paul Mills Named Lotusland’s 6 A Magical Garden Reception for Prospective Docents Curator of the Living Collections LotusFest! 14 Volunteer Appreciation Picnic 17 Remembering Michael Towbes 7 Fruzsina Keehn Fine Jewelry14 Lotusland Says Thank You Lifetime Honorary Trustee William Laman Private Viewing and Sale Garden Champions, Visionaries, 17 Lotusland Celebrates: Avant Garden 8 Summer Twilight Tour 14 Stewards and Guardians 2 The LOTUSLAND NEWSLETTER and Fallbrook, transporting the medium- is published by sized cacti, clearing the way for access Ganna Walska Lotusland to the 30 or so largest plants to be 695 Ashley Road Santa Barbara, California 93108 boxed and crated for transport. 805.969.3767•www.lotusland.org Mark Holland, formerly of Big Trees of California and now of Environmental 2017 BOARD OF TRUSTEES Design, Inc., was contracted to move Connie Pearcy, President the largest cacti. Mark writes that “in Daniel Bifano, Co-Vice President 35 years of moving thousands of trees Crystal Wyatt, Co-Vice President and plants,” the Dunlap project was Ian Fisher, Secretary Mick Thomas, Treasurer “the most technically and logistically Belle Hahn Cohen challenging of all.” Mark remembers Geoff Crane that “the size, the terrain, the fragile Lesley Cunningham plants, and the fact that this man, Mr. William M. Daugherty Dunlap, spent the better part of his life Ian M. Fisher amassing this wonderful collection of Dorothy H. Gardner Suzanne Mathews priceless cacti from around the world Mimi Michaelis added to the complexity.” Figuring out Eileen Rasmussen how to load the plants onto the two George Schoellkopf flatbed trucks was like a jigsaw puzzle, Mick Thomas This first cactus that Sigs Dunlap collected 88 years and other than turning some heads on Caroline R. Thompson ago, an Echinopsis spachiana, is located just off their travels through Southern California, John Van Donge the path on the southeast side of the garden. the trip went without mishap. Yasmine Zodeh During these months of moving Lifetime Honorary Trustees Continued from page 1 plants, Esau and I often joined Sigs in Merryl Brown growing cacti from seed, which the evenings for a refreshment and Robert J. Emmons accounted for about 40% of the col- sharing of stories. Sigs recounted his Arthur R. Gaudi lection. He acquired seed or small work on the California aqueduct in the Kisa Heyer plants from only the most reputable 1920s and 30s, being stationed in Santa Michael Towbes nurseries, researchers and explorers of Barbara during World War II to oversee Gwen Stauffer the time. The irreplaceable cacti from the construction of the Hoff Hospital, Executive Director the Galapagos were from David serving as the first President of the Walkington of Fullerton Arboretum and Theodore Payne Foundation dedicated Rebecca Anderson Yale Dawson, then Director of Darwin to California native plants and, of course, Director of Development Research Station; South American cacti his travails growing cacti from seed. Diane Figueroa, CPA from Hildegart Winter, sister of inde- After the plants had been at Director of Finance fatigable explorer Friedrich Ritter; and Lotusland for 11/2 years, we wondered Bob Craig additional rarities from famed botanist how long these massive cacti would Director of Marketing and nurseryman Harry Johnson, just to remain healthy in their relatively small Tyler Diehl name a very few. boxes. Anne Dewey, Director of Director of Gardens and Facilities By the mid-1990s, Sigs was having Development at the time, remembers a Dorothy Shaner difficulty navigating the steep, hilly pivotal moment at a Lotusland Board of Director of Public Programs terrain of his garden so, to his delight, Trustees meeting in which Michael Esau Ramirez and I, along with other Towbes asked then Director Steve Steven Timbrook, Ph.D. Director Emeritus Lotusland staff, started visiting the Timbrook, “Are they okay being stored property quarterly to help maintain the like that for a while longer?” Steve Printed by Jano Graphics collection. In 1999, Sigs turned his emphatically said, “No, they are not; Lindse Davis, Design bequest into a donation, hoping to see they need to be planted or we are going his plants in their final home at to start losing them.” Michael Towbes Lotusland, where there was a sense of asked for an estimate and said right Mission Statement urgency to complete this project within there on the spot, “I will give half if Sigs’ lifetime. Bob Emmons, then Presi- you raise the rest.” That is when Steve We preserve and enhance the unique dent of the Board of Trustees, fearlessly conceived the I Like Mike campaign. historic estate of Madame Ganna Walska, care for and improve its collections, and said, “Let’s do it!” even without having The fundraiser was a huge success with develop its conservation and horticulture funding in place. people marching around town wearing programs, so they educate us, inspire us, Moving Sigs’ collection was like I Like Mike buttons on their lapels to and advance our understanding and untangling a knot, with cacti inter- honor one of Santa Barbara’s greatest appreciation of the importance of plants in our lives and in the life of the planet. mingled and vying for space. We began philanthropists, a longtime board mem- making weekly trips between Lotusland ber and dear friend of Lotusland. 3 The Cactus Garden steps under construction in April 2003. Two large cacti are View of the Cactus Garden in 2003 from the elevated viewing platform looking still in the crates built to safely transport the plants from Fallbrook to Lotusland. southwest toward the Great Lawn. At the beginning of the second to and involvement with Lotusland What was a collection of plants phase—garden design and creation— continues to this day. shoe-horned into a Fallbrook hillside Virginia Hayes, former Curator, recruited We planted the garden with a geo- became a sprawling forest of cacti. It’s locally and internationally renowned graphic theme, as it was at Sigs’ house. hard to believe how much the garden garden designer Eric Nagelmann for the The cactus family is almost entirely has grown in the 14 years since Sigs’ project. Eric’s gardens are known to be from the Americas—except one species birthday, with some of the plants bold and exciting to the senses, much in western Africa—so a stroll through putting on 10–20 feet of growth. And to like Lotusland itself. Eric admits, “When this garden allows one to essentially think, it all started 88 years ago with I was first approached on this garden, it Sigs’ first cactus, an Echinopsis spachiana, experience the great deserts of the was quite an intimidating prospect!” which we still have in the garden. New World. Eric donated his services to design the In 2014, Lotusland began an endow- In August of 2003, Sigs celebrated new cactus garden and was on site ment for this quintessentially “Lotusland” nearly every day for more than four his 97th birthday in the newly com- garden. Honorary Chairman of the months to oversee its installation. pleted garden. He marveled at the campaign, the late Michael Towbes, When Eric presented his design to the manner of which his collection was was once again the first to step up to trustees, one remarked that entrance displayed and later said that the last grow an endowment to care for this from the formal olive alleé would be an year had been the best year of his life. unique and iconic garden in perpetuity. abrupt or shocking transition. Eric We all felt lucky to have been part of Maybe it’s time to dust off those I Like replied, “I hope so.” Eric’s dedication fulfilling his dream and his legacy. Mike buttons. Y EWE D LL BI Ganna Walksa and Merritt Dunlap in an October 1967 snapshot LTOR:Eric Nagelmann, Esau Ramirez, Michael Towbes, Steve Timbrook and Paul Mills at the during a tour and picnic for the Theodore Payne Foundation.