Lotusland: World renowned garden launches campaign to raise $30 million during 30th anniversary in Montecito
MONTECITO, Calif. - This year marks a special anniversary and a new campaign for a world renowned garden in Montecito.
In a time of chaos, visitors from around the world are coming to a place of tranquility.
{Sonia Tsao Lotusland Visitor} “It’s just beautiful and I feel like it is clearly a work of love … from the families that have invested in this space,” said visitor Sonia Tsao of Lotusland.
Spanning 37 acres of lush gardens, tucked away in the hillside of Montecito, Lotusland has attracted more than half a million visitors for several decades.
30 years to be exacts.
“On September 15th, 1993, after nine years of trying to open the garden visitors arrived for the first time. It’s special to me because it took a great deal of community effort to get us here," said executive director Rebecca Anderson of Lotusland.
In addition to celebrating its 30th anniversary of opening to the public, the botanic treasure is also launching the biggest ever restoration project to secure Lotusland forever.
After all, the grounds are a hundred years old.
“It’s an old house. And so there’s a lot of things we want to spruce up if you will … and make it even better for the next generation to keep coming in. You have to maintain a garden like this," said docent Cindy McClelland of Lotusland.
McClelland is hoping to raise $30 million to enhance the garden for the next generation.
"Due to time and weather and other things … people maybe stepping on them or whatever … they have kind of deteriorated … and shells don’t last forever anyway … so this is one of the areas that we feel … need to be a little bit spruced up … need a little loving," said McClelland.
Directors of Lotusland believe the historic site has also become a forefront of practicing sustainable horticulture.
“Including several thousand fourth graders … they get to come in during their botany classes … they come in an experience parts of the garden as part of their curriculum," said McClelland.
Where historic preservation and conservation are paramount, directors at Lotusland hope the community will help keep this century-old Montecito jewel gleaming for years to come.
