I would like to celebrate the success of the Valentine’s Extravaganza! As you may know, I’ve had my eye on the ValX as an event with the potential to become a major community affair. This year, I was delighted by our success. By the numbers, we increased profits by 24% over last year.
I have fond memories of sitting around the kitchen table with my mother and sister, making Valentines for our friends and aunties, cutting out flocked roses from an enormous book of wallpaper samples, and adding doilies and crepe paper ruffles. Our mom encouraged handmade cards for every occasion, especially Valentine’s Day, a tradition I delight in upholding. For me, Valentine’s Day is about connection and affection, not empty signifiers of romantic love.
I’m excited to leave 2025 behind and stride into 2026. I am also eager for all of you to participate in the Valentine Extravaganza, the little sister of fundraisers! Bring a friend! Bring a container to buy plants, boutique items, and raffle tickets. Please bring your favorite thing about the garden club and share it!
On December 12, 2025, three of our members graciously opened their homes and gardens for the Holiday Member Tour. It was a festive occasion, providing a wonderful opportunity to reconnect with old friends and meet new members. This year our route took us to Laguna Beach at Lois Zeller’s home, San Clemente at Lisa Goodlad’s home, and Capistrano Beach at Barbee Martin’s home.
I am pagan at heart, and I love the echoes of the old traditions during this time of year. The history of Christmas is a tapestry woven from different cultural threads. Long before Christianity, many cultures celebrated festivals during the Winter Solstice. During the holiday season, take time to reconnect with the ancient links between this time of year and nature, and rediscover the real spirit of Christmas.
On November 1st, the Laguna Art Museum kicked off this year’s Art + Nature Celebration with Laguna Art Museum’s Upcycled Couture: Restoring the Future, the 2nd annual runway show combining community, creativity and environmental awareness.
On a Wednesday of beautiful fall sunlight, twenty-five Daytrippers made the 90-plus minute drive to the Getty Center. For some of our club members, it was the first time visiting, and for others, it remains a favorite destination.
Global warming is a major issue, and each of us can help solve it. My aha moment for switching to reusable shopping bags came when I saw my friend’s collection of bags used to bring in groceries, stacked by the door, ready to return to the car for reuse. Now it feels natural to me.
On a beautiful day in October, we took an easy drive to the Balboa Park in San Diego to explore a little further afield for our first Trips & Tours (T&T) of the garden club year. Our highlight destination was the newly renovated, historic Botanical Building in Balboa Park.
Several liquid amber trees grow on the route of my morning dog walk, and I always take a moment to appreciate the useless beauty of the colorful, fallen leaves. While it’s tempting to rake them up, one of the most valuable things you can do to support pollinators and other invertebrates is to provide them with the shelter they need to survive winter.