On July 19, Lotusland patrons, clad in fine garden party attire, enjoyed a Jardin des Rêves (Garden of Dreams) themed event, which raised an undisclosed record amount for the magnificent estate and botanical gardens. With a single, donated auction item garnering $1.5 million and the least expensive ticket option being a pair for $4,000, the proceeds went beyond the planners’ dreams and into the stratosphere.
The 500 guests were greeted with champagne, gourmet appetizers, and parasols as they enjoyed a leisurely stroll through the fantasy-like gardens. In the Bromeliad Garden, a local lepidopterist, Kim Zsembik, encouraged guests to participate in releasing young Painted Lady butterflies, witnessing them take their first flight from their hands into the world.
Over in the famed Water Garden, another piece of Lotusland paradise, guests marveled at the lotuses and water lilies in full bloom amid their stunning natural backdrop and flanked by the George Washington Smith–designed bath house.
On the Great Lawn, guests were transported to an upscale Parisienne neighborhood by a dreamy covered, open-air market, complete with bakery, cheese, and floral shops and a champagne bar.
On the lawn adjacent to the market, guests admired a collection of vintage automobiles, curated by David Jones and Dana Newquist. One highlight was Jim Hull’s 1947 Delahaye 135MS Vedette.
After the extended reception, guests dined on the Great Lawn. During the program, actor Camilla Belle lauded Lotusland for hosting two free access days in the aftermath of the L.A. fires for evacuees. Belle was among those who attended, having lost her home to the fires, and attested to the benefit of the experience in that trying time.
The program also featured the premiere of Botanical Beauty, a short film about Lotusland, shot and directed by Louie Schwartzberg and narrated by Lotusland member Gwyneth Paltrow. An auction led by Jim Nye featured several extravagant offerings, including the $1.5 million item — a weeklong voyage on a 317-foot private yacht.
The funds raised at the event will help with Lotusland’s $6.1 million annual operating costs as well as establish a reserve and renewal program for long-deferred maintenance and natural resource management.
While the pricey nature of this event put it off-limits to many in the community, the funds raised are critical to Lotusland’s operation, enabling it to meet its expenses, which it cannot do with admission ticket revenue. Lotusland’s location in a Montecito residential neighborhood subjects it to a county-imposed cap of 20,000 visitors per year, which significantly hampers its ability to generate funds through regular ticket sales.
In fact, ticket sales cover only 13 percent of its annual costs. The 20,000-visitor cap includes all types of visitors, including the more than 2,300 students who visited Lotusland last year. Its major educational program, the grant-funded 4th-Grade Outreach/Junior Botanist Program, provides students with a free, enhanced field trip experience at Lotusland. Moreover, last year several hundred visitors received free or discounted admission under Community Access and Museums for All programs.
Board President Mari Mitchel shared that she was thrilled with the execution and success of the event. She noted that guests really got into the spirit, including greeting each other with French double-cheek kisses. While excited about the significant sum raised, Mitchel pointed to the costliness of running Lotusland to ensure the perfect experience toward which it always strives and the need to upgrade and enhance its aging infrastructure.
Lotusland is a 37-acre botanical garden home to 23 individual, extraordinary gardens. A staff of 37 full-time staff; eight part-time, seasonal workers; and 243 volunteers keep it and its programs running.
Guests enjoy the reception. | Gail Arnold
Guests settle in for dinner. | Gail Arnold
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