Charles Glass…In His Own Words INTRODUCTION by VIRGINIA HAYES

LOTUSLAND NEWSLETTER FOR MEMBERS ◆ VOLUME 18 NO. 2 ◆ SPRING 2009 Charles Glass…In His Own Words INTRODUCTION BY VIRGINIA HAYES HARLES GLASS came to work at Lotusland with his business partner C Robert Foster in 1973. Foster soon decided to go back to his other work as a cactus and succulent specialist, and Glass continued on as the director of the garden until 1983. During his tenure, the original succulent garden was renovated and many new specimens added, the cacti and euphorbias were reorganized and replanted along the main driveway, and the aloe garden was totally revamped with impressive boulders and many more species of aloes. His largest project was the design and installation of the cycad garden, but he was also instrumental in adding azaleas to the Japanese garden, renovating the upper bromeliad garden and creating the lower bromeliad garden as well as all of the myriad tasks necessary to maintain the property. Glass was dedicated to Madame SYLVESTER Walska and her vision for Lotusland. Ten years before his death in 1998, he wrote ARTHUR ARTHUR of his experiences with her and in the Glass (FAR RIGHT) and Madame Walska (CENTER) escort visitors through the garden on this rare public tour garden. With this issue of the Newsletter in 1978. for Members, we begin a series of excerpts from his unpublished memoir with the IN THIS ISSUE working title of Experiences of 12 Years as Director of Lotusland: The Fabulous Estate Charles Glass…In His Own Words 1 Summer Solstice Twilight Tour 10 of Mme. Ganna Walska. Director’s Letter 3 Volunteer Profile: Alan Johnston 11 LotusFest! 4 Captivated by Nature’s Wonders HAD MANY TIMES thought of Mother’s Day Tea and Tour 11 writing of my experiences with New to the Collections 5 IMme. Walska at Lotusland. She was Cycads Annual Meeting 12 such an incredible and unique character Garden Tour Series 5 In Memoriam: Tom Hugunin 12 Three Eras of Lotusland that I was daunted by the near impossi- IRA Rollover Provisions Extended 12 bility of capturing her in words without The Lotus Society 6 making her seem a clown or a fool, Lotusland Celebrates 12 Horticultural Happenings 7 Our Secret Gardens which she wasn’t. Green Garden Strategies My first introduction to Mme. New Member Benefit 12 Members’ Family Day 8 Walska was at Mme. Lotte Lehman’s for Levels I, II and III master classes in the summer of 1957. In Memoriam: Carol Valentine 10 Thank You to Our Garden 14 Continued on page 2 Santa Barbara Gardens Tour 10 Benefactors and Sponsors 2 The LOTUSLAND Continued from page 1 property that was now Lotusland and NEWSLETTER FOR MEMBERS At each class she would arrive in fairly who had worked with Mme. Walska. is published by Ganna Walska Lotusland Foundation flamboyant clothing, and a great splashy My partner, Robert Foster, and I 695 Ashley Road hat and deposit an extravagant bouquet owned what was one of the largest and Santa Barbara, California 93108 of lotus flowers—from her estate, most respected succulent nurseries in 805.969.3767 • www.lotusland.org Lotusland—on the piano. I knew that the country: Abbey Garden. We also BOARD OF TRUSTEES she had been an opera singer, or perhaps were the proprietors of Abbey Garden W. Mason Farrell, President more accurately, had pursued an operatic Press, founded in 1929, the oldest Jill Levinson, Vice-President career for about 40 years. publishing house specializing in books John Tilson, Vice-President Sherry Gilson, Secretary Later that summer season I went and magazines on cacti and other Linda J. Gluck, Treasurer with my mother on a garden tour of succulents. In November of 1972, we Jane Gail Copelan Lotusland and this was one of my first had written and published an article on Geoffrey Crane introductions to cacti and succulents, Lotusland in our Cactus and Succulent William M. Daugherty Larry Durham other than a couple I had grown up Journal, which we edited and published Ian M. Fisher with in our rockery in New Jersey and at the time. It was entitled “Lotusland, Kisa Heyer those I had seen on our trips across the the Fabulous Garden of Mme. Ganna Harry W. Kolb country. What made the most profound Walska.” In the article we wrote, “We Michael Mayfield Sandra Nicholson impression upon me, however, was the recently had the privilege of revisiting Chapin Nolen “Blue Garden” at Lotusland. Everything Lotusland and went prepared with pads Brett M. Posten was in shades of pastel blue: blue fescue and pencils and good intentions of Barbara Siemon Cynthia Spivey grass, blue spruce, blue Atlas cedars, blue making like reporters to write an article Marianne Sprague Erythea [Brahea] fan palms! The effect on this outstanding garden. We didn’t Nancy L. Wood was overwhelming and one felt cooler take a single note, and almost forgot to just walking through the area. This take any photographs! One does not eat Merryl Brown Robert J. Emmons section had been designed by Santa the lotuses at Lotusland, but one does Arthur R. Gaudi Barbara landscape architect Ralph experience the lotus-eater’s dreamy Anne Jones Stevens, who had grown up on the forgetfulness of the outside world. Michael Towbes Carol L. Valentine Lifetime Honorary Trustees Gwen Stauffer, M.S. Executive Director Steven Timbrook, Ph.D. Director Emeritus Anne Dewey, CFRE Director of Development Deanna Hatch Communications Manager Virginia Hayes Curator of the Living Collection Michael Iven Director of Grounds and Facilities Dorothy Shaner Public Programs Manager Karen Twibell Manager of Administration and Human Resources Printed by Jano Graphics Lindse Davis, Design Printed on recycled and recyclable paper with vegetable-based inks Mission Statement To preserve and enhance the spectacular collections of exotic plants and the historic Montecito estate of Madame Ganna Walska, to provide public access N to their remarkable beauty and diversity and, through interpretation of these collections, ERMA to foster increased knowledge and appreciation of the importance of plants JOHN EY and the need for their conservation. Madame Walska in 1958 posing near the blue garden as it must have looked to Glass on his first visit to Lotusland. 3 Lotusland is meant to be experienced, rarely had conversations. After living in different and enumerated our dreams not to be documented. In the midst of America, at the time for two and a half and goals: our expeditions in the field such beauty and dramatic impact, what decades, she still spoke English with a in search of new plant material, the does it really matter how long the garden thick Polish and French accent. I teased introduction and propagation of new existed, how many acres it contains, that this was because she so rarely and rare documented material of cacti or how often the plants are fertilized?” heard English spoken, since she did all and succulents, the maintenance of a Little did we realize that we would soon the talking! Her ploy was to talk or reference collection of cacti and succu- be involved with those very feeding expound or berate as the occasion lents, etc. This made her all the more schedules! We went on to explain that demanded, and when you would open determined to get us up to Lotusland: Mme. Walska unquestionably is “the your mouth to speak, you’d get an “That’s exactly what I’ve been wanting creative force behind Lotusland and it is exasperated “Pleeeeease, let me finish, to do, but I am old now and will die her garden, as unique as she is herself. then you can talk!” When she did finish soon and I can get no one who under- She refers to herself as head-gardener, her last comment was always, “Now I’m stands and who can help me achieve and indeed her greatest problem is too exhausted, so no more of this now! those goals! We could combine our finding someone who can fill this role We’ll talk more another time!” And there collections and collectively accomplish for her and eventually try to take her you were left with your mouth open and great things!” I still demurred. We loved place. But the job calls for remarkable your finger up in the air for attention our work. We were ecstatically happy abilities, foremost among which are the and no one looking or listening. So not doing what we were doing. We often ability to appreciate beauty without a having a chance to respond on the said that if we had enough money that desire to change it and the knowledge phone, I would answer her in letters. She, we didn’t have to work and could do to maintain it.” on the other hand, never wrote about anything we wanted, we would be doing Soon after the article appeared, important matters, for she was too cagey exactly what we were doing! What’s Mme. Walska started calling me and to be caught committed on paper! more, I was well aware of Mme. Walska’s talking for hours on the phone, trying to At any rate I wrote her back that fabled idiosyncrasies and foibles. persuade us to come and work with her while I loved Lotusland for what it was, at Lotusland. I say “talked to me” rather a visually beautiful and unique garden, NEXT TIME than “conversed” for Mme. Walska that our interest in plants was totally How Madame Walska has her way. Director’s Letter T HAS SEEMED a very short year tured in Sunset magazine and the Santa since I joined the Lotusland family Barbara media. These recreated garden Ias your Executive Director.

Load more