www.rsabg.org California’s Native Garden

GaRdenVarietye Newsletter of Rancho Santa ana BotanIc GaRden

SPRING 2012

How RSABG Grew 1950-70

BIG BUGS in the Garden

In

RANCHO SANtA ANA BOtANIC GARDEN

| Welcome

1

85 Years and Growing e Newsletter ofRancho Santa anaBotanIc GaRdenSPRING 2012VOLUME 27, NUMBER 1

edItoR/deSIGneR

Pauline Amell Nash

contRIBUtoRS

Debbie Carini, Eric Garton,Patrick Larkin, Rebecca Lerback,Lucinda McDade, Linda Worlow

emily Green is a journalist, blog-ger, gardener based in Los Angeles.She was a columnist for the LosAngeles Times and is the publisherand editor of Chance of Rain.

edItoRIal offIce

Send letters and submissions to:RSABG, Public Relations, Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden 1500 North College AvenueClaremont, CA 91711Email: pnash@rsabg.org

GardenVariety is published fourtimes a year by the Office of Development. Copyright 2012 byRancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden.Postage paid at Claremont, 91711.

Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Gardendisplays, documents and conservesthe native flora of California.Members enjoy many benefits andhelp renowned horticulture, science and education programsflourish.

to become a member visitwww.rsabg.org or call (909) 625-8767.Patrick Larkin

Executive Director

GaRdenVariety

In 1927, history was being made in California: two U.S. Army Air Corpslieutenants flew the first successful nonstop flight from Oakland to Hon-olulu, the first feature-length sound movie, “e Jazz Singer,” premiered inLos Angeles and the world-famous Grauman’s Chinese eater opened.

A little further south, on a parcel of land purchased from Bernardo Yorba’sRancho Cañon de Santa Ana in 1875, Susanna Bixby Bryant established abotanic garden on 200 acres of her family’s ranch.

Much has changed in 85 years. Movies now offer 3D special effects. Aflight to Hawaii takes one-fifth of that first 25-hour, 50-minute adventure.California’s population has grown from 5.6 million to more than 37 mil-lion, complete with all the trappings of urban development.

And Bryant’s concept—to set aside land for the study and appreciation ofnative California flora—has grown to a world-renowned research institu-tion and garden dedicated to the preservation and cultivation of Californianative plants. Her mission to protect California’s native plants was pre-scient, and continues to be as important as ever.

From little changes to big throughout its history, Rancho Santa AnaBotanic Garden continues to educate and inspire the public, serve as a sci-entific scholarship center and as a sponsor of vital fieldwork.

Looking forward, we will continue to encourage people to understand theimportance of conserving the native treasures of California, and to presentnative plants in the best possible light. One recent change you may havenoticed is our redesigned GardenVariety newsletter; its updated look pro-vides opportunities to present information in a colorful, vibrant and moreaccessible format and achieves a 22 percent cost savings including the ad-ditional expense for Forest Stewardship Council-certified paper.

Change is good, but so is preserving what is best about the world in whichwe live. Susanna Bixby Bryant appreciated the beauty of her natural sur-roundings and valued its importance to all Californians. At Rancho SantaAna Botanic Garden, we honor our founder’s vision as we continue to in-vest in the educational efforts and scientific understanding that will helppass this treasure, and the pleasure, of native plants to future generations.

Spring 2012

Contents |

2www.rsabg.org

Features

Depar tments

BIG BUGS in the GardenDavid Rogers’ Big Bugs comes to California’snative garden

How RSABG Grew 1950-70Journalist Emily Green elegantlysummarizes a critical period in thehistory of the Garden.

Garden SceneHappenings Around RSABG

california native PlantsRSABG Earns U.S. Fish and WildlifeService 2011 Recovery Champion Award

herbarium cornerCreating a Virtual Herbarium

Member SpotlightGrowing the Percy Everett Memorial Garden

community connectionsStudent Club Raises Awareness and Funds

Garden GuideEvents, Classes and Programs on the coveR:

Salvia spathacea (hummingbird sage) thrives and Roger’s Dragonfly hoovers

in the California Cultivar Garden.PHOtO: PAULINE AMELL NASH

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GaRdenVarietye Newsletter of Rancho Santa ana BotanIc GaRden

SPRING 2012

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Garden with a View

RSABG was pleased to honor Los AngelesCounty Supervisor Michael D. Antonovichat the best garden party in town—Gardenwith a View, which was held May 6. Supervi-sor Antonovich has worked on behalf of openspace, parks, trails, green technology, waterconservation and clean air, improving thequality of life for the residents of greater LosAngeles. to see pictures and read more aboutthe 2012 Garden with a View, visitwww.rsabg.org.

| Garden Scene

RANCHO SANtA ANA BOtANIC GARDEN

LaFleur Digs in as New Horticulture DirectorOn March 15, 2012, Scott LaFleur joined the

Garden as the new director of horticulture. e directoris responsible for overseeing the Garden’s living collec-tion, nurseries and greenhouse operations and grounds.He succeeds Susan Jett, who accepted the position ofdirector of the Vets’ Garden and associate director ofhorticulture for nursery operations last fall. Jett has beenwith the Garden for 20 years, six of which she spent asthe director of horticulture.

Before coming to the Garden, LaFleur was on thestaff at the New England Wild Flower Society (NEWFS)for six years, most recently as the director of horticulture.NEWFS, a non-profit dedicated to native plants of NewEngland, is the oldest plant conservation organization inthe U.S.

“I am really excited to have Scott join our leadershipteam. He brings great experience from the world of pub-lic horticulture and conservation,” said Patrick Larkin,Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden executive director.“His enthusiasm for energizing people about nativeplants will be a valuable asset as RSABG increases itsengagement with the greater SouthernCalifornia community about the importance of natives.”

As NEWFS’ director of horticulture, LaFleur was

responsible for the operations for the public botanic gar-den and native plant nursery. He modernized and ad-vanced awareness of the botanic garden by designing anew public entrance, emphasizing the NEWFS’ connec-tion to conservation through the landscaped living col-lection, designing a demonstration garden to helphomeowners appreciate the beauty of native plants andcreating a native edible garden. LaFleur also reorganizedthe nursery operations, which resulted in a rapidly grow-ing native plant nursery, which produces more than75,000 plants each year for homeowners, landscape pro-fessionals, restoration projects and towns. A 1994 gradu-ate of the University of New Hampshire, he worked inprivate landscape design and installation before joiningthe NEWFS team.

As the director of hor ticulture, Scott LaFleurrepor ts to the RSABG executive director.

www.rsabg.org

Garden Scene |

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On January 19, 2012, members ofRSABG’s Director’s Circle, Boardsof trustees and Overseers, andspecial guests joined the Board ofthe American Public GardensAssociation and directors frommajor botanic gardens throughoutSouthern California for anevening at e HuntingtonBotanic Garden and Library.Huntington Curator, Hal Nelson,led a fascinating private tour ofthe exhibition “e House atSam Built: Sam Maloof and Art inthe Pomona Valley 1945-1985.”Over dinner, Beverly Maloof, for-mer RSABG Overseer and currentmember of the Garden with aView committee, delighted guestswith her personal anecdotes abouther husband’s long and creativelife. RSABG appreciates Mariaand Richard Grant for generouslyhosting the dinner. Richard is theChairman of the Board ofRSABG; Maria is an Overseer ate Huntington.

Sam Maloof,The Huntington

and RSABG

Since its inception, RSABG has had a library that furthers its mis-sion of research, conservation and education. What began withbooks from Suzanna Bixby Bryant’s personal collection has grownto an impressive holding of 50,000 bound volumes, many ofwhich are in the special collections. Additionally, the library is alsothe steward of many interesting and important archival materialssuch as field notes, photographic images (from as early as the turnof the 20th century), and manuscripts by noted plant collectors.

While the collection is research focused, specially selected rarevolumes are now being exhibited for Garden visitors to enjoy. InDecember 2011, a volume of “Les Roses” by Pierre-Joseph Redouté,was the first book to be showcased, followed by “Birds in Print—Words and Pictures,” an exhibit highlighting several of RSABG’sbeautiful bird books and original paintings. e exhibits are re-searched and curated by dedicated RSABG volunteers, under thedirection of Irene Holiman, library specialist. Current exhibits willbe featured on the RSABG website, and can be viewed in personby inquiring at the California Garden Gift Shop between9 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.

In celebration of special occasions or visits of honored guests,the library staff has started a new tradition of ceremonial pageturnings of the great books on exhibit. Recent page turners includeJennifer Letscher, program officer from e Ralph M. ParsonsFoundation, among others.

RSABG is grateful to David Moore, RSABG member, who re-cently made a generous contribution to provide new shelving, cab-inetry and archival supplies for the library’s special collections.

“As a native plant lover and librarian I was pleased to supportthis important project at the Garden,” said Moore. Private support like Moore’s is vital. Contact Rebecca Lerback atrlerback@rsabg.org for more information.

Library Turns a New Page

Spring 2012

Gloria Slosberg, sitting in one ofSam Maloof’s iconic chairs, joinedRSABG at The Huntington event.

IN MARCH, tHE U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE

(USFWS) ANNOUNCED tHAt RANCHO SANtA ANA

BOtANIC GARDEN WAS SELECtED AS ONE OF ItS

2011 RECOVERY CHAMPIONS.

RSABG, one of two award recipients from the Pa-cific Southwest Region, was selected for the recoverywork being done to conserve more than 100 feder-ally listed plants.

“to have the hard work and dedication ofRSABG staff and volunteers recognized by the U.S.Fish and Wildlife Service in this way is exciting,”said Patrick Larkin, RSABG executive director. “It isgreat to have the support of such an important fed-eral partner as we continue to realize Susanna BixbyBryant’s vision of protecting California’s nativeplants.”

e USFWS award acknowledges RSABG’s con-servation of several plants including three plants onthe federal register of endangered and threatened

plants: Trichostema austromontanum subsp. com-pactum (Hidden Lake bluecurls), Eriogonum ovali-folium var. vineum (Cushenbury buckwheat) andMonardella linoides subsp. viminea (willowymonardella). RSABG has collected and maintainedseeds of federally listed plants of Southern Califor-nia and raised plants for restoration sites, which hashelped stabilize otherwise declining populations orreclaimed habitat. e private, nonprofit organiza-tion’s extensive seed bank program serves not onlyas a safety net for listed plants, but also for plantslike Chorizanthe parryi var. fernandina (San Fer-nando Valley spineflower), a candidate species.

“Recovery Champions are helping listed speciesget to the point at which they are secure in the wildand no longer need Endangered Species Act protec-tion,” said Dan Ashe, USFWS service director.“ese groups and individuals have done amazingwork in helping to bring dozens of species backfrom the brink of extinction, while improving habi-tat that benefits many other species and local com-munities.”

Representatives from the Carlsbad Fish andWildlife Office, including Jim Bartel, USFWS fieldsupervisor, and Scott Sobiech, USFWS deputy fieldsupervisor, visited the Garden to present the awardto Larkin and RSABG staff on Friday, April 20.RSABG’s nomination for the award was submittedby Gary Wallace, RSABG research associate.

| California Native Plants

RecoveRychampion

RANCHO SANtA ANA BOtANIC GARDEN5

Trichostema austromontanum subsp. compactum(Hidden Lake bluecurls)

L to R: Erika Gardner, Duncan Bell and Naomi Fraga working in the field torecord Trichostema austrocontanum subsp. compactum data.

tHE IMPORtANt WORkOF HERBARIA DAtESBACk NEARLY 500 YEARS. Cataloging plant life serves todocument relationships among plant species, plant evo-lution and the plants of an area. at scientific initiativehas, in recent years, intersected with modern technolo-gies making the critical data stored inside herbariumcabinets more widely available.

In 2009, Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden(RSABG) staff completed database entries for plantspecimens in the herbarium from Southern California,including many that reached back before the foundingof the Garden. And with adding new records each day,they are on track to complete databasing of the collec-tion’s holdings for essentially all of California this year.

Each of the organi-zation’s California plantherbarium electronicrecords are included inthe searchable databaseshared by the Consor-tium of CaliforniaHerbaria, a gateway to California plant information heldin 20 herbaria collections.

Herbaria help scientists determine the correct iden-tity (scientific name) of plants and paint a vivid image ofa region’s flora. Herbarium specimens constitute basic re-search material for plant taxonomists and systematists.Foresters, agronomists and ecologists consult herbaria todetermine the identity and distribution of plants as doc-umented by specimens. Conservation biologists takespecial interest in using herbarium records to learn moreabout the ranges of endangered species. If a plant be-comes extinct, the most important record of their char-acteristics and former distributions lie in herbariumspecimens.

When the Garden moved to Claremont in 1951,Pomona College moved its herbarium specimens to thenew Garden facilities. e combined herbaria ofRSABG and Pomona College (identified as RSA-POM)house more than a million specimens (approximately780,000 and 300,000, respectively).

e herbarium at RSABG has anemphasis on arid regions, especially South-ern California and Baja California, Mexico.A second emphasis is plants from regionsthat share our Mediterranean climate (i.e.,cool, wet winters and warm, dry summers).More generally, plants from across the globeand other notable gardens join native speci-mens inside the steel cabinets.

Presently, nearly 37 percent of the herbar-ium’s total holdings—primarily California na-tive plants—are in the database.

Adding accessioned specimens into a data-base began in the late 1980s at RSABG. today,when scientists and staff bring in plant speci-mens from the field, Erika Gardner, RSABG herbariumworkroom manager, assures each is a high-quality plantspecimen and accessions it as an official herbarium sheetin the collection.

A weekday morning visit to the herbarium work-room would most likely find a group of dedicated vol-unteers around the large table with glue pots,paintbrushes and tweezers carefully affixing dried plantsto acid-free paper. taking pride in creating specimens forscience, the volunteers often accomplish 40 to 50mountings daily and are responsible for about 90 per-cent of the herbarium mountings done at RSABG.

e specimen is labeled with taxonomic denomina-tion (family, genus, species, etc.), collector and locationinformation and accessioned. Before being tucked awayin one of nearly one thousand herbarium cabinets, theCalifornia specimens are entered into the Consortium ofCalifornia Herbaria database.

On the floors above the hustle and bustle of theworkroom, the herbarium team is scouring through thecabinets to find the California specimens not yet cata-loged electronically.

e virtual herbarium movement ensures the survivaland usability of these records and improves access to thestory of California native plants for today’s students, re-searchers and the public.

virtual

herbarium

Spring 2012www.rsabg.org

Herbarium Corner |

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Adiantum jordanii (California maid-enhair fern) collected by John ThomasHowell in Aliso Canyon, OrangeCounty, was the first accessionedplant specimen in the Herbarium.

If a plant becomes extinct,the most important recordof their characteristics andformer distributions lie in

herbarium specimens.

~ Pauline Amell Nash

In March, the U.S. National Climatic Data Center tagged December, January and February2012 the fourth warmest winter for the Lower 48 on record. The warm weather has triggereda hypnotizing horde of giants swarming amongthe trees and flowers of the Garden.

RANCHO SANtA ANA BOtANIC GARDEN7

We jest, but the larger-than-life dimensions of Big Bugs,which crept into the Garden in February, challenge a hi-erarchical division that is easily taken for granted. Ants,beetles and so on outnumber humans millions to one.But what if the roles were reversed and you looked up atthe ant? Questions such as this suit David Rogers’ BigBugs exhibition showing at Rancho Santa Ana BotanicGarden until July 15, 2012.

Mild winter weatherprompts ginormousgrowth for Garden bugs!

The spider, in the Trustees Oak Grove,is carved eastern red cedar and hangsupon a web of willow on armature thatis more than 12-feet in diameter.

by Pauline Amell Nash

PHOtO BY CARRIE ROSEMA

PHO

tOBY

CAR

RIE

ROSE

MA

Spring 2012 8www.rsabg.org

Long Island-based Rogers seeks out natural materi-als, like eastern red cedar, black walnut, black lo-cust and willow saplings, and turns them into

huge sculptures of arthropods by carving and polishingthe dense woods and bending young trees.

“e limbs are within the limbs,” said Rogers of hisinspiration. “Sometimes I pick up a piece of wood and itresembles a finished piece. e piece I used for the firstgrasshopper was like that—it was already oval, tapered.e finished work was visible before I began.”

Inspiration isn’t always that easy, but it certainlybegan that way. During a visit to a Vermont farm in1990, he saw a sapling bowed from a winter ice storm.e backbone of a large beast became apparent to Rogersas he studied the contorted tree’s posture. After 12 daysof working in the field with dried branches and treesaplings, Stickasaurous was born.

e outdoor sculptures soon molted into Jurassic-sized bugs. He kept the use of natural materials andadded modular, square steel tube frames to add portabil-ity, strength and stability.

e whimsical exhibition has traveled to botanic gar-dens across the nation since its Dallas debut in 1994, buthas not been in Southern California since 2000. Rogers’bug collection consists of 40 sculptures of 14 unique

subjects. e installation at the Garden has eight differ-ent artworks including a 1,200-pound praying mantis,7-foot long ladybug and a spider on a web that spans a12-foot expanse between the beautiful California nativeoaks of the trustees Oak Grove.

Spiders, dragonflies, ladybugs are many things—excellent hunters, gardeners’ helpers and some mighteven be considered beautiful—but they are not insects.e only true bug in the collection is the Assassin Bug(look for piercing, sucking mouthparts to help identifythe true bug).

But the Praying Mantis, Ants, Damselfly, Dragonfly,Spider and Web and Ladybug sculptures, are bound to-gether by the common theme of beneficial creaturesworking side by side with humans in the garden.

ese helpful hidden gardeners, like native plants, arevital to ecosystem health. And insect and other arthro-pod biodiversity is a hub of the web of life—they arecritical intermediaries between plants and the animalworld.

“One of the things I enjoy most about the project,”said Rogers “is that botanic gardens all have missionstatements that essentially talk about preservation of thenatural world. And by displaying my art there I get to, insome small way, participate in that great goal.”

The Praying Mantis installation crew included Rogers and staff and vol-unteers. R to L: Eric Garton, David Rogers, Michael Gregory, Susan Jett,Cecil Garcia, Patrick Larkin, Fred Garcia, Dago Lopez and Josh Kreutzen.______

David Rogers’ Ladybug makes itself at home on Indian HillMesa. Each location was selected to connote a sense of naturalhabitat for the animals.

PHOtO BY CARRIE ROSEMAPHOtO BY PAULINE AMELL NASH

As earlyas the 1920s, the Southland’s oakwoodlands, wetlands, riparian corri-

dors and coastal sage-scrub communities were alreadybeing destroyed at such a rate that heiress Susanna BixbyBryant offered roughly 200 acres of her family cattle andcitrus ranch in Orange County for the creation of a nativeplant botanic garden. e objective, recalled Rancho di-rector Philip Munz in 1947, was collecting, growing andthus preserving “a very large percentage” of a very largestate’s plants.

to establish what became the collection, Bryant em-ployed the good and great of American botany. Amongthem: Munz, then a taxonomist at Pomona College;Ernest Braunton, British-born naturalist and garden editorat the Los Angeles Times from 1903-36; father of Americanlandscape architecture Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr; Los An-geles nurseryman eodore Payne and Berkeley botanistWillis Linn Jepson.

Starting in 1926, a botanic garden with herbarium andlibrary were installed on Bryant’s ranch overlooking theSanta Ana River in what is now modern Yorba Linda. Asthe gardens were developed, a series of superintendentsand resident botanists recorded every stage of every treat-ment of every plant, from collection in the wild, to propa-gation, to planting, to illness and health, to success ordeath. If you’ve ever wondered how seed packets can carryseemingly simple information such as germination timesand interval from cotyledon to fruit, it’s years of mind-numbingly detailed work like this.

Susanna Bixby Bryant died—suddenly and unexpect-edly—in 1946 shortly after the first rough summary of theGarden’s work on 1,500 species, sub-species and varietieswas given to her. Four years later, the [trust] that sheformed and largely funded moved her native garden fromthe 200-acre Santa Ana Canyon site to a new 80-acre loca-tion on a mesa in the San Gabriel foothills near Mt. Baldyand e Claremont Colleges. Official documents explain-ing the move cite the happy proximity of Rancho SantaAna Botanic Garden (RSABG) botanists to the most

learned colleges. Contemporary accounts mention prob-lems with fire and floods. How those natural hazards madeSanta Ana Canyon safer for houses than a native plant gar-den is unclear but Bryant’s heirs eventually sold the ranchto developers. An original ranch house is now occupied bythe Yorba Linda Heritage Museum and Historical Society.

e Garden’s move to Claremont in 1950 brought anopportunity for both smart choices and silly ones. A sillyone according to the editor of the new summary,[RSABG] Director of Special Projects Bart O’Brien, wassalvaging the old site’s clapped out irrigation pipes and re-installing them in Claremont, where they have causedproblems ever since. A smart one was changing the origi-nal Garden’s basic division of California plants from twoclassifications of “cover plantings” (shade trees such aspines, cypresses and oaks), and lower growing, assiduouslytagged “bed plantings” to a design that organized plants bygeographical communities. ese communities, identifiedin part by Munz while at Pomona College, would groupplants from similar floristic provinces within California,including five of types of scrub (including our local coastal

RANCHO SANtA ANA BOtANIC GARDEN9

by Emily GreenHow RSABG 1950-70grew

One from the vault: visitors stop onthe Indian Hill Mesa trail, 1963.

sage), six sorts of coniferous forest, six kinds of woodlandand chaparral. Quite apart from being a healthy way togroup the plants when it comes to watering regimens, forvisitors, this organizational element is an important passiveteaching tool about California’s many climates (and hintnot to partner desert agaves with woodland coral bells.)

When the late [RSABG] superintendent Percy C.Everett neared completion of the second summary detailingthe whys and wherefores of the successes, failures and per-sistent mysteries encountered between 1950 and 1970, hisrecords included notes on 112 plant families, 407 genera,1,345 species, sub-species and varieties, and hundreds ofmore cultivars. As [RSABG] staff put in what felt like end-less hours digitizing the opus, in 1993, O’Brien startedwork transcribing what were often clipped notes into prose.All totaled, he guesses the work took a year and a half.Every entry had classifications and nomenclature updatedto reflect the terms of the 2011 second edition of e Jep-son Manual.

What is the audience for this massive effort? “ere arepieces in there for everybody,” said O’Brien. “ey talkabout how plants did in both locations. For people whohave clay soil, there’s a lot to gain from looking at that man-uscript. ere’s a lot about transplanting fairly mature orgood-sized plants.”

Some moments are thrilling. One can practically seeEverett running back to the herbarium from the desert col-lection in March 1969 to jot down the moment thatO’Brien translates as: “Plants of our accession number7193, grown from seeds that germinated on October 26,1950, produced four inflorescences in March 1969 …ese were the first Joshua trees to ever bloom in the gardensince its founding in 1927.”

O’Brien also commends Everett’s records for exactingdetail on seed germination times, something that willsoothe the anxious brows of many a nursery worker.One element of the summary that leapt out at him was howgrowing conditions are changing, even at the same location.During his study of the first 20 years in Claremont, Everettnoted a high summer temperature of 110 degrees Fahren-heit. Since then, O’Brien remembers “horrendously hotdays” during which the mercury has spiked to 115. A River-side citrus station roughly 30 miles away recorded a stagger-ing 117 high. “Much of this area was still citrus [in Everett’sday],” he said. “I think we are seeing some climate changeand some urban heat island effect as well,” said O’Brien.“It’s one of the reasons that I wanted to get this thing pub-lished. It does tell you: things have changed.”

time will tell if we change too, first and foremost bylooking more appreciatively at the stoic California flora thatSusanna Bixby Bryant did so much to protect and explain.

This article was originally featured on Ms. Green’sblog “Chance of Rain” on March 13, and has beenrepublished with permission.

www.rsabg.org Spring 2012 10

As wild California has steadily succumbed to development during the last

century, a doughty effort to conserve its native plants has been underway

at the Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden, first at the original grounds in

Santa Ana Canyon in Orange County and latterly in Claremont in Los Ange-

les County. This month, the Claremont garden quietly published a meticu-

lously noted and just as meticulously translated summary of two decades

of goings-on inside what amounts to a Noah’s Ark for California’s flora.

RANCHO SANtA ANA BOtANIC GARDEN11

| Member Spotlight

e Percy C. Everett Memorial Garden has become oneof RSABG’s most important displays of shade-lovingnative California plants. anks to a generous gift fromkathy and Bruce Chester, the Memorial Garden wasrenovated in 2006 to include innovative design ele-ments, such as shade sails, which not only help protectthe plants but provide inspiration for landscape design-ers and homeowners alike.

Last fall at a Gold Card members’ event, theChesters asked Susan Jett, associate director of horticul-ture, about what else they might do to help the Gar-den’s horticulture department.

“My dad, Percy Everett, was the Garden’s superin-tendent for many years,” kathy said. “I wanted ournext gift to honor what he cared about the most, andthat was the plants, and the hardworking people whotended to them.”

It was easy for Jett to come up with a wish list, asRSABG always needs supplies, tools and plant materi-als to maintain the 86-acre living collection. What shedid not expect was that the Chesters would fund al-most every item on her list.

In keeping with the Chesters’ desire to honor the

legacy of Percy C. Everett, their recent gift made it pos-sible to purchase a fog and reverse osmosis system forthe Memorial Garden. is system will simulate themoist-aired environment of the Vancouverian Province,and will remove problematic organic materials andharmful minerals from the water to improve the healthof the plants. Additionally, by funding a new leaf vac-uum and shredder, their gift will enable staff horticul-turists to save valuable time with grounds maintenance.A final portion of the gift was designated for horticul-tural supplies, and qualified for the 2:1 matching fore Garden Fund challenge. “I am truly touched thatthe Chesters have chosen to do so much for RSABG,”stated Patrick S. Larkin, executive director. “Percy C.Everett was instrumental to the Garden’s early success,and also deservesto be remem-bered for his en-duringcontributions toCaliforniahorticulture.”

The percy c. everettmemorial Garden;continuing the Legacy

Kathy and Bruce Chester

Spring 2012www.rsabg.org 12

e Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) Business Clubof Pasadena City College made a generous donationto e Garden Fund in December. ey raised fundsby selling native plants on their campus.

“After visiting [RSABG], we were impressed bythe amazing work done by the garden staff,” said tinaXi Yao, the club’s president. “We also learned thatthere are many good programs for native plants con-servation.”

SIFE’s mission is “to create a better, more sustain-able world through the positive power of business.”e SIFE organization exists on more than 800 collegecampuses, and each chapter fundraises for different proj-ects.

According to Yao, selling native plants to raise fundsfor native plants conservation provides club memberswith the opportunity to make a difference in the com-munity while at the same time developing the skills tobecome socially responsible business leaders.

e group, which is 30 members strong and growing,became interested in native California plants after learn-ing about them in their physical science class.

“ese plants have three major benefits,” said Yao.“ey can save water. By adopting California plants forxeriscaping (the landscaping strategy that reduces oreliminates the need for supplemental water from irriga-tion) tons of water can be saved. ey can save money.Since more than 70 percent of home water usage comesfrom the expense of irrigation, people save on their water

bill and enjoy lower maintenance overall. In terms ofcolorfulness and diversity, a cost-efficient xeriscape gar-den outperforms a green lawn and can increase homevalue.”

Before the group conducted research on nativeplants, they had several misconceptions.

“We thought that California native plants were equalto cacti,” said Yao. “When we asked one of our membersabout the implementation of native plants, he replied ‘Idon’t want the front of my yard to look like a desert.’ Wehelped people understand that many beautiful flowersare native to California and that these plants can save alot of water and money.”

e group plans on continuing with activities to pro-mote the use and preservation of California nativeplants.

“We’re going to make every effort to call on people toprotect our environment,” said Yao.

PasadenaStudentclub Raisesawarenessand funds

~ Debbie Carini

CaliforniaNative Plants

InspireStudents

Community Connections |

Free Enterprise BusinessClub members Xi Yaoand Yun Shen

MayMay 11national Public Gardens dayFree Garden admission day.

May 12, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.Butterfly Pavilion openstickets: $2 per person (under 3 free).

May 13, 1 p.m.Mother’s day lunchtickets include Butterfly Pavilion entry. Members: $45 adults, $25 under 12.Public: $60 adults, $40 under 12.

May 19, 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Join experienced herbalist WilliamBroen for a Garden walk and presenta-tion featuring medicinal and edibleplants native to California. Fee: members $20, public $25.

May 24 - June 21, urs., 6 - 8:30 p.m.Bugs and BrewsMicrobrews and Macrobugs! A new event for guests 21 and up. Local brothers Curt and Andy Dalebring their distinctively Californiabeers to California’s native garden andlocal musicians provide the soundtrackto the Garden and David Rogers’ BIGBUGS playful art exhibition.tickets available at gate or by calling(909) 625-8767 ext. 224.Members $10, public $15.

May 26, 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.

Explore the amazing world of local but-terflies and moths in this presentationby entomology enthusiast and photogra-pher Clark ompson. All participantsreceive a free Butterfly Pavilion ticket.to register call (909) 625-8767 ext.254. Fee: members $15, public $20.

May 26 - Sept. 3Blue Star daysFree admission forall active-duty mili-tary personnel, their immediate familymembers (military ID holder and fiveimmediate family members) and veter-ans (admission fees still apply for fam-ily members).

JuneJune 2 and 3, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.art in the GardenA weekend showcasing California artistswith art exhibited across Indian HillMesa. A portion of sales benefits theGarden. Free with Garden admission.

June 9, 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.herb Join experienced herbalist WilliamBroen for a Garden walk and presenta-tion featuring medicinal and edibleplants native to California. Registertoday, call (909) 625-8767 ext. 254. Fee: members $20, public $25.

June 10, 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.

Explore the amazing world of local but-terflies and moths in this presentationby entomology enthusiast and photog-rapher Clark ompson. All partici-pants receive a free Butterfly Pavilionticket. Register today, call (909) 625-8767 ext. 254 Fee: members $15, pub-lic $20.

June 28 - aug 2.urs., 7 p.m.Garden GrooveEnjoy great music,picnic dinners andcool summerevenings.tickets available online or at the gate. Members: $6 adults, $3 seniors, students and children 3-12.Public: $10 adults, $5 seniors, studentsand children 3-12.

JulyJuly 14, 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.

Explore the amazing world of local but-terflies and moths in this presentation byentomology enthusiast and photogra-pher Clark ompson. All participantsreceive a free Butterfly Pavilion ticket.Register today, call (909) 625-8767 ext.254. Fee: members $15, public $20.

RANCHO SANtA ANA BOtANIC GARDEN

| Calendar

13

2012 concert Lineupe Lindy SistersLew Ellenhorn Jazz Comboe Iliana Rose BandRemember enSqueakin’ WheelsDoc Rock-It

6/287/5

7/127/197/268/2Medicinal Plants of california herb Walk

Medicinal Plants of california herb Walk

natural history of l.a. Basin Butterflies natural history of l.a. Basin Butterflies

natural history of l.a. Basin Butterflies

Young Rembrandts in the Garden. Nature-inspired drawing workshops for children to register visit www.youngrembrandts.com/ESGVor call (626) 974-1806. Class sizes are limited.ree workshops to choose from. $34 each series.

All sessions held tues. - urs., 10 - 11:30 a.m.June 26 - 28, “Junior Zoo,” Ages 5 - 7July 10 - 12, “ Animal Cartoons,” Ages 6 - 12July 24 - 26, “ African Safari,” Ages 6 - 12

July 21, 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.

Prof. of Horticulture Dave Lannomshows how to maintain tree and shrubhealth with proper maintenance. Reg-ister today, call (909) 625-8767 ext.254. Fee: members $25, public $32.

July 22, 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Join experienced herbalist WilliamBroen for a Garden walk and presenta-tion featuring medicinal and edibleplants native to California. Registertoday, call (909) 625-8767 ext. 254.Fee: members $20, public $25.

Augustaugust 11, 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.

Prof. of Horticulture Dave Lannomprovides the basics of plant nutrition,the roles of nitrogen, phosphorous,potassium, iron and magnesium andhow to spot deficiencies. Registertoday, call (909) 625-8767 ext. 254.Fee: members $25, public $32.

august 25, 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.Plant Propagation for homeownersProf. of Horticulture Dave Lannomwill introduce you to plant propaga-tion and how to increase in number,the plants you already have. Registertoday, call (909) 625-8767 ext. 254.Fee: members $25, public $32.

Ongoingnow - July 15david Rogers’ BIG BUGSFree with Garden admission.

May 12 - July 29, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.Butterfly Paviliontickets: $2/person (under 3 free)

first Sun., 8 a.m.May 6, June 3 (no walks in summer)fRee Beginning Bird WalkJoin Pomona Valley Audubon Societyon guided bird watching walks.

ird Sun., 10 a.m.May 20, June 17, July 15Guided tram tourtickets: $5/person.

Wed., 9:30 a.m., May - aug.YogaMembers: $10, public: $12/each class.

urs., 9 a.m., May - aug. tai chi, Six-week sessions.Members: $50, public: $60/session.

Sat., 8:30 a.m.Garden Walking clubFree with Garden admission.

Garden hoursDaily 8 a.m. until 5 p.m.

Closed Jan. 1, July 4, anksgiving and Dec. 25

admissionFree for RSABG members

$8 Adults$6 Seniors (65+) and Students

$4 Children (3-12)

MembershipIndividual $45

Family $75

Spring 2012

Calendar |

14

Grow native nurseryOur nursery staff is ready

to help in all aspects of your projectfrom expert consultation, to design,

to fresh, vibrant native plants.West l.a.

VA Greater Los AngelesHealth Care System

One Davis Ave.Los Angeles, 90049

(424) 234-0481

claremontRancho Santa Ana

Botanic Garden1500 N College Ave.Claremont, 91711

(909) 625-8767 ext. 404

Grow native nurseryWest l.a. (Westwood)

Second Sun.May 13, June 10, July 8free Worm tea SundaysBring a liter container andtake home worm tea.

May 6Garden conservancy’sopen days Garden tour

Grow native nurseryclaremont

first Sat., 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.May 5, June 2, July 7free native Plant clinicNative plant gardeningquestions answered.

May 28claremont nursery closesfor the summer.

Select nURSeRY eventS

www.rsabg.org

Medicinal Plants of california herb Walk

Soils and fertilizers: time to Get dirty

cut it out! an Introduction to Pruning

RANCHO SANtA ANA BOtANIC GARDEN

1500 North College AvenueClaremont, CA 91711

Address Service Requested

Non-Profit OrganizationU.S. Postage PAID

Claremont, CA 91711Permit No. 469

Your gift helps close the nearly $1,000,000gap between income and expenses; and en-ables the Garden do what it does best:

to make your gift visit www.rsabg.org/annual-giving or call (909) 625-8767, ext. 221.

Welcome visitors.•Make lasting impressions through engaging•programs and classes.Give all age groups, from schoolchildren to•seniors, a greater appreciation for plantsand native California environment.Support important conservation efforts and•scientific study.

keep the Garden growing!Support e Garden Fund