In honor of his lifelong efforts and promotion of horticulture in the Santa Barbara area, former director of Ganna Walska Lotusland, Steven Timbrook was awarded the Bouquet of the Year award by the Santa Barbara County Horticultural Society.
Mr. Timbrook, who is the director emeritus of the internationally recognized garden, received the award Wednesday night at the Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church.
Viewed as a long overdue recognition, Mr. Timbrook was instrumental in opening the garden for public access and served as its first director from 1987 to 2005, considered “the most critical time in the development of this cherished and wonderful garden,” read a certificate he was presented Wednesday.
Prior to his work with Lotusland he was the education coordination director at the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden.
“Through promotion of the horticultural pursuits of Madame Ganna Walska, you kept interest in horticulture thriving in Santa Barbara, focusing widespread attention on the plants at Lotusland and its unique theme garden areas,” the certificate read.
The bouquet presented to Mr. Timbrook is made up entirely of live air plants.
The award is the highest honor given by the society, which is one of the longest running horticultural societies in the country having been established in 1880. The award was bestowed during the earliest days of the society and re-established in 1959. It has been given every year since to a person or organization that has excelled in the advancement and promotion of horticulture in the Santa Barbara area.
The recipient is determined by a committee of the past recipients and is presented at the January meeting.
The 37-acre Montecito estate was once owned by the late Ms. Walska. A well-known opera singer and socialite, she purchased the property in 1941 and spent the next 43 years transforming it into a unique horticultural nirvana now recognized as one of the world’s best gardens. Featuring 25 different gardens, it is home to more than 3,000 different plants from around the world.
For more information, visit www.lotusland.org.
