RE: Why go to the MGS annual meeting?

Dear Cheryl,

You ask an excellent question!

I think there are at least ten good reasons to come to The Mediterranean
Garden Society's Annual General Meeting in Southern California this October
1st, 2nd and 3rd, with optional events on September 30th and October 4th:

1.	This is the annual meeting of the worldwide membership of the Society, so
you will be in the company of knowledgeable, interested, interesting and
nice people not only from northern and southern California, but also from
various parts of the Mediterranean basin and from Australia.  At the
events -- both formal and informal -- we'll all have a chance to exchange
information, to learn, to extend our gardening acquaintanceships, and to
have a good time.

Among others attending will be Society President Katherine Greenberg and the
immediate past president, Heidi Gildemeister (herself a consummate
mediterranean gardener on an island in the western Mediterranean and also
the author of Mediterranean Gardening, A Waterwise Approach, which is coming
in a new edition this fall, in hard and paperback version).

Members of the Society's Administrative Committee and several branch heads
will also be present.

2.	At the public gardens, we will receive special welcomes and introductions
from leaders of the gardens, special guided tours tailored to our interests
and, in most cases, refreshments.

At Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden, we'll learn about how mediterranean
plants are adapted to the climate and confirm that they can be beautiful and
fascinating event at the end of a long, hot, dry summer.

At The Arboretum, we'll have a chance to learn about their exciting
Conceptual Long Range Plan, which will guide its development as one of the
world's truly fine arboretums and botanic gardens.

At The Huntington, we'll have a close look at their new botanic center and
conservatory, and learn about plans for their important Chinese garden.

At The Getty, we'll have a guided tour of -- and see the newest developments
at -- light and air artist Robert Irwin's remarkable, always changing
Central Garden.

At La Casita (the community meeting house, water demonstration garden and
butterfly sanctuary in Pasadena), we expect to have with us the garden's
principal designer Isabelle Greene, the noted Fellow of the American Society
of Landscape Architects and granddaughter of one of the Greene brothers, the
famous arts and crafts architects who are said to have invented the
California bungalow.

At the new garden at the Norton Simon Museum, we expect to have with us
Nancy Goslee Power, the garden's designer and the person the Los Angeles
Arboretum has retained to prepare its conceptual long range plan.

3.	We'll see a number of choice private gardens.   We'll visit several in
Pasadena on the afternoon of October 2nd.  Those joining the optional tour
to Santa Barbara on September 30th will visit Lotusland with top docents and
visit several more private gardens.  On October 4th there will be a visit to
outstanding private gardens on the Westside of Los Angeles, including Nancy
Power's own garden.

4.	On October 4th, some might choose to hike in the San Jacinto Mountains
with highly knowledgeable Bart O'Brien of Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden.

5.	There will be several purely social events:  a reception in the courtyard
at the Pacific Asia Museum, small dinner parties one evening (depending on
the logistics, these might be at private houses and gardens) and a farewell
dinner at a new, somewhat upscale restaurant in Old Pasadena.

6.	Participants will attend the Society's annual business meeting, at The
Arboretum on October 2nd.  The Society's annual business will be conducted,
and reports will be presented on the Society's activities and plans around
the world.

7.	Those planning the events are working hard to see that everything --
including the meals, the refreshments, the transportation, etc. -- is nicely
done, so that everyone will enjoy themselves to the full.

8.	The cost is very reasonable, including the cost of rooms at the
Doubletree Hotel in Pasadena.

9.	The organizers have said they'll do their best to arrange homestays for
those who want them.

10.	If you're not familiar with the Society, or its California branches,
this will be an excellent opportunity to see the Society in action, to learn
about it.

11.	Those attending the Annual General Meeting might want also to attend the
Gardening Under Mediterranean Skies symposium at the Los Angeles Arboretum
on October 4th, 5th and 6th (also given at Strybing the previous weekend).
This Pacific Horticulture symposium -- cosponsored by Strybing Arboretum,
the Los Angeles Arboretum and the Society -- will be outstanding.  Visit
www.arboretum.org for more information.

***			***			***

I'm attaching a copy of the tentative schedule for the Society's Annual
General Meeting.  (Please note that the Hoecker garden has been withdrawn
from the program.)  Anyone having questions or wanting more information
about the events can visit www.MediterraneanGardenSociety.org or they can
email me or call me at 626.795.0315.

We hope to see ALL of you here this fall!

George

George A. Brumder
Chairman
Southern California Branch
The Mediterranean Garden Society

> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-medit-plants@ucdavis.edu
> [o*@ucdavis.edu]On Behalf Of Cheryl Renshaw
> Sent: Friday, August 02, 2002 11:41 AM
> To: Medit-Plants
> Subject: Why go to the MGS annual meeting?
>
>
> Hi everyone,
>
> I'm a newly minted member of the Medit Garden Society, and am considering
> going to the annual meeting in Los Angeles this October. Based on the
> tentative schedule I got yesterday, the meeting apparently consists mostly
> of visiting gardens (public and private) in the Los Angeles
> region. As much
> as I love visiting gardens, I'm having a hard time justifying the
> trip based
> just on garden visits, particularly when I can visit Rancho Santa Ana, the
> LA Arboretum and the Huntington gardens on my own. So tell
> me...why should I
> go?
>
> Thanks,
> Cheryl
>
> ------
> Cheryl Renshaw
> Landscape Designer
> Santa Clara, CA (Silicon Valley)
> cheryl@wr-architect.com
>
>

Attachment: 3.8.02 Tentative Schedule.doc
Description: MS-Word document

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