LOTUSLAND NEWSLETTER FOR MEMBERS ◆ VOLUME 21 NO. 2 ◆ SPRING 2012 The Gavit Era BY VIRGINIA HAYES OME GARDEN HISTORIANS have called the first three decades of Sthe 20th century “The Golden Age” in California garden development. Immigrants from other parts of the country and the world prospered in many new enterprises and began to beautify their new homes as well as their cities. Santa Barbara was definitely one such city. For many visitors to Santa Barbara, the perpetual summer filled with year-round blossoms enticed them to visit and, for many, to return and make it their home. The Gavit family— E. Palmer, his daughter Marcia Ann and his second wife Marie—made their first visit to Santa Barbara in March 1915. The next year, they returned and purchased the estate then known as Tanglewood, beginning construction of PHOTOS FROM LOTUSLAND ARCHIVES LOTUSLAND FROM PHOTOS their new home in 1919. It was com- View from the house looking down the parterre, a series of terraces and garden areas opening off the pleted a year later, and they took up dining room, circa 1920s. Note areas of lawn that are now planted in roses. residence during the winter months only. Top designers and architects such as IN THIS ISSUE Reginald Johnson, George Washington Smith, Paul Thiene, Ralph Stevens and The Gavit Era 1 A Rich Spot of Earth: 10 Thomas Jefferson’s Revolutionary Peter Riedel were responsible for the Director’s Letter 3 buildings and landscaping. By the mid- Garden at Monticello with Peter Hatch LotusFest! 4 1920s, the Gavits became year-round National Public Gardens Day 10 Ganna Walska: Collections and 4 residents. Marcia Ann, who was now Solstice Twlight Tour 10 grown and known simply as Ann, Keepsakes on View through April 21 Lotulsland Welcomes 11 married Charles H. Jackson, Jr. They Collections News 5 New Trustees established their own home (completed Madame Walska’s Scrapbooks Monday Morning Lecture 11 in 1932) on East Valley Road. Palmer Two Garden Tours 5 and Marie lived at Cuesta Linda until with Virginia Hayes Lotusland Celebrates 11 their deaths in 1930 and 1937. Ooh La La! Lotusland Cacti and Cocktails 5 In April 1926, the Garden Club of Volunteer Profile: Len Grabowski 12 America had its annual meeting in Mother’s Day Tour and Tea 5 Thank You to Our Garden 12 Santa Barbara. This was the first time in The Lotus Society 6 Stewards and Garden Guardians its 13-year history that the members Horticultural Happenings 7 Help Makes Lotusland’s 12 convened on the west coast. Travelling Behind the Scenes in their own train, the Garden Club Wishes Come True Members’ Family Day 8 of America Special, they crossed the Exceptional Plants: 14 Continued on page 2 Annual Meeting 10 Lotusland Auction and Sale 2 The LOTUSLAND Continued from page 1 NEWSLETTER FOR MEMBERS country, reading up on the natural is published by Ganna Walska Lotusland wonders of California in anticipation of 695 Ashley Road visiting as many as they could. Among Santa Barbara, California 93108 their activities, they toured a number of 805.969.3767 • www.lotusland.org local gardens, including the already BOARD OF TRUSTEES notable Gavit estate, Cuesta Linda. Larry Durham, President 1926 also marked the year that the Andrew Chou, Co-Vice-President Connie Pearcy, Co-Vice-President gardens of Cuesta Linda began making Ian M. Fisher, Secretary a regular appearance on Pearl Chase’s William M. Daugherty, Treasurer garden tour docket. These popular tours Marc Appleton were held weekly through the summer Debby Baldwin Mason Farrell months, and funds raised were used Dawn Lafitte to plant trees and otherwise beautify Michael Mayfield the city. One notable visitor was presi- Chapin Nolen dential candidate Herbert Hoover in Joey Pearson Eileen Rasmussen August 1928. Tim Schiffer What made these California gardens One of the many fountains that grace the patios as John Tilson so special? For visitors from the east it appeared in the 1920s. Susanne Tobey coast and midwest, the Spanish Revival Leland Walmsley Lynda Weinman architecture that was newly in vogue down the length of two levels of the Peggy Wiley must have been both exotic and roman- parterre. Another tiled fountain in a Crystal Wyatt tic. The gardens that graced these estates classic shape glinted between hedges Merryl Brown were also styled after those of Spain and that opened onto the great lawn. A Robert J. Emmons other Mediterranean countries. Cuesta staircase of watery basins overflowed Arthur R. Gaudi Linda was a fine example. Both the into the existing lake, and water lily Kisa Heyer Anne Jones house and pavilion (a cottage originally ponds even flanked the swimming pool. Michael Towbes built for Ann and her husband) opened Near the tennis court, a mythological Carol L. Valentine onto charming terraces and patios on all hippocampus carved in marble was Lifetime Honorary Trustees sides that were filled with potted plants mounted on a pink free-standing wall Gwen Stauffer, M.S. and decorated with colorful tile. The from which water gushed into a shallow Executive Director sound of the numerous fountains, with basin below. Another marble bowl Steven Timbrook, Ph.D. their burbling and splashing, made stood atop a pillar and dripped from Director Emeritus spending time in these outdoor rooms a four spouts. Anne Dewey, CFRE delight. A wall fountain and octagonal Long walkways traversed the garden Director of Development pond spilled into a runnel in the in several directions, creating drama Diane Figueroa, CPA pavilion patio. Water also sheeted over with their hedges. Roses and other Director of Finance the edges of a tiled star-shaped pond flowering shrubs were planted in the Deanna Hatch into a runnel that sparkled and rippled formal beds along these axes. Native Director of Communications oaks still flourished, as well as the iconic Virginia Hayes, M.A. palms and the mesmerizing double row Curator of the Living Collection of olive trees that survived from the Michael Iven Director of Grounds and Facilities original Stevens’ nursery and display gardens. One feature that still delights Dorothy Shaner Director of Public Programs today’s visitors was the lemon arbor, more accurately described as a pergola Printed by Jano Graphics Lindse Davis, Design with an abundance of bright lemons dangling from its beams. The intoxicat- Printed on recycled and recyclable paper with vegetable-based inks ing fragrance of the lemons and other citrus planted beside it would have beguiled even the most jaded of visitors. Mission Statement In 1976 the Garden Club of We preserve and enhance the unique, historic America sponsored a project to create estate of Madame Ganna Walska, care for modern slides from its collection of and improve its collections, and develop its conservation and horticulture programs, 1,800 historic glass lantern slides, taken so they educate us, inspire us, and between 1920 and 1933. Cuesta Linda advance our understanding and appreciation was one of 24 gardens in the Santa of the importance of plants in our lives Barbara area to be represented in this and in the life of the planet. This staircase was removed prior to Madame Walska’s purchasing the property. priceless collection. The project formed 3 part of the Smithsonian’s permanent allée has been re-created with new collection, used by scholars to research plants and bricks. Once again, the gardens of the era. creativity and vision of the Gavits By the time Madame Walska took sparkles, and visitors can view the up permanent residence in the 1940s, many eras of this historic garden. some of the garden areas were in need of attention; several non-resident owners between the years of 1937 and 1941 Referring to Cuesta Linda, had left fountains changed into planters Ervanna Bowen Bissell and brick walkways beginning to tilt writes in from invading tree roots. She retained Glimpses of Santa Barbara these more formal outdoor spaces, and Montecito Gardens, 1926: while beginning her significant exotic plant collections around them. Since her “So deftly, though, has the death, Lotusland’s trustees and staff present owner added to have maintained and restored elements and arranged the whole, that from the era during which the Gavit what is really an arboretum, Comfortable chairs, colorful flowers and trickling family lived here, as well as those that is also a lovely garden of paths fountains made the pavilion patio inviting. were created by Madame Walska. With the support of generous donors, the and steps and sloping banks the core of the Garden Club of America’s many fountains again burble and splash, with water always refreshing 65,000-image “Slide Library of Notable now with water-efficient recirculating the eye. Tall Palms, the Dragon American Parks and Gardens,” donated pumps; brick and tile pathways and Tree and Giant Bamboos amaze to the Smithsonian Institution’s Office benches have been re-laid and preserved; the gardener from frosty climes.” of Horticulture in 1987. The slides remain and even the historic look of the cypress Director’s Letter OTUSLAND OPENED to the public intended to buy Cuesta Linda—it was a mere 18 years ago, and while her husband, Theos Bernard, who L we may seem to be a “young” convinced her to buy the estate in 1941 organization, we revere the horticultural so they could create a center, called history—dating back 130 years—of Tibetland, for the study of Tibetan this very special place and honor the religion and the practice of yoga. While many people who made it so. Theos retreated in the main house, Three distinct and important eras immersing himself in his study of of estate-building make Lotusland so Sanskrit scrolls and yogic training, unique, starting in 1882 when Ralph Ganna collected plants, built gardens Kinton Stevens bought a wild tangle of and swam in the pool.