Let’s give a cheer for progress, folks! Thanks to outstanding effort from the Mormon Helping Hands and other community volunteers, we’re more than half-way done building the planter beds that will make up our Community Garden site. The hillside at the back of our property behind the new Greenhouse will soon hold up to 80 raised beds available for Walnut Creek residents to rent annually. Isn’t that exciting?

Made of recycled, food grade plastic, the garden beds will be irrigated to make for easy watering. Most of the boxes will be 4′ x 12′ plus a few smaller and three ADA accessible for those with special needs, and we hope to have all 80 beds in place by the end of summer.

If you’re interested in participating in the box construction or working on the community garden project, please contact Joan Lucchese, Executive Director, at 925-947-0571 or joan@gardenshf.org.

More details about the Community Garden program, such as membership, rates and rules, will be announced soon. There is a waiting list to secure a plot in our garden, and you can add your name to the waiting list.

In the meantime, start gathering ideas for winter plants you can drop in your Community Garden bed later this year!

Relish in the joys of a warm, summer night with sweet treats and outdoor activities for families in a beautiful garden! On Thursday, August 9, the popular S’mores at Sundown event returns for its fourth consecutive year with another magical evening of homemade s’mores, live music, stories, crafts, games and more.

Kids love exploring along the garden paths and dancing on the lawn. Parents love the relaxed atmosphere and chance to socialize with friends. And the highlight of the evening is roasting marshmallows over the grill to make fresh s’mores!

In addition to family-friendly songs and popular musical favorites, this year’s S’mores at Sundown will feature local party service company, ANDentertainment making their Gardens debut offering free face painting and balloon art.

The perfect summer family event for all ages, S’mores at Sundown provides support for The Gardens at Heather Farm’s nonprofit public garden and nature education center which brings natural and environmental science classes to over 17,000 local school children annually.

Admission fee collected at the door includes all activities and treats.

Bring a picnic dinner along to enjoy before your s’mores! Strollers, wagons, camping chairs, and picnic blankets are welcome!

S’mores at Sundown
Thursday, August 9
6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Admission: $5.00 per person (free for kids under age two)

Check out our new series,  Concerts in the Garden, presenting outstanding live music in a stunning outdoor atmosphere. Be entertained in a totally unique and natural setting, with the beautiful garden landscapes as a backdrop for some of the Bay Area’s best local musicians.

Julia Joy Photography

6/24: CLASSICAL ROMANCE TRIO

Revel in the beauty of our gardens while enjoying an enchanting selection of classical favorites including Bach, Elgar, Piazzola, and more! Performers Larisa Smirnova (harp), Ernie Mansfield (flute) and Pawel Walerowksi (cello) perform their first-ever concert in the garden as the Romance Trio, offering inspiring arrangements to thrill the spirit and soothe the soul.

Pawel Walerowski (cello): Originally from Poland, Pawel graduated from the Conservatory in Poznan in Cello Performance. An award-winning performer, he served in numerous European ensembles and toured across Europe as a lead cellist with an original cast of Andrew Lloyd Webber musicals. For the past 10 years he has toured the U.S., premiered musicals, played at Berkeley Rep, worked for SF Symphony’s education department and freelanced with many ensembles. Currently, Pawel serves as a musician at St Mary’s church in Walnut Creek, where he plays piano, organ and cello.

Lisa Smirnova (harp): Bay Area-based harpist and pianist, Larisa performs regularly as soloist, accompanist, and orchestral musician. Born and educated in Russia, she received both her Bachelor of Music and Master’s Degree in Piano and Harp Performance there before coming to the United States where she performed in various cities. She has given numerous recitals in Russia (Moscow, Great Composers Performance Hall) and throughout Northern California (CSU Sacramento, UC Davis, Sonoma University, Mondavi Center, among others). Her recent performances include collaborations with the Kensington Symphony, Auburn Symphony, Folsom Symphony, Camellia Symphony, and Camerata California.

Ernie Mansfield (flute): Ernie is a classically-trained musician, with experience performing classical, pop, rock, and jazz. He studied flute, sax, piano, and music composition at Interlochen Arts Academy, Oberlin Conservatory, University of Illinois, and University of the State of New York, and has played in numerous ensembles. Ernie has produced four albums on his own label, Windsailor Music, which include many of his own compositions, arrangements, and performances and has also worked as a producer, arranger, and performer on a number of other albums, including work with Narada Michael Walden, Fantasy Records, and California Symphony.

CLASSICAL ROMANCE TRIO
Sunday, June 24, 2018 at 7:00 p.m.
Tickets: $40 per person, general admission

9/9: SUNDAY JAZZ WITH TOM LILIENTHAL & FRIENDS FEATURING JENNIFER LEE

Don’t miss a Sunday evening of swing, bop, blues and bossa as Bay Area bassist and band leader, Tom Lilienthal, brings sensational jazz vocalist, Jennifer Lee, and an all-star quartet to The Gardens to showcase lively jazz tunes sure to get you grooving.

Jennifer Lee (vocals): Vocalist extraordinaire, Jennifer Lee has played many of the Bay Area’s best jazz clubs. Whether doing classic songbook tunes or eclectic Brazilian ballads, she impresses audiences with her smooth, sophisticated voice and relaxed, heart-felt style.

Tom Lilienthal (bass): Tom has shared the stage with many renowned musicians including members of Tower of Power, the Yellowjackets, and Santana. He has performed at numerous festivals including Monterey Jazz Festival.

Bob Athayde (keyboards): Respected music educator at Lafayette’s Stanley Middle School, Bob has been a mainstay in the Bay Area music scene for decades as a composer, arranger, keyboardist and band leader.

Jim Thorne (drums): Jim has played with a wide variety of jazz and Brazilian groups throughout the Bay Area.

Bernie Rivera (saxophone): A master of the reeds, Bernie plays tenor and alto saxes, as well as flute. He’s made a name for himself as a valued sidemay for various Bay Area jazz groups and has played at the renowned Monterey Jazz Festival.

Sunday Jazz with Tom Lilienthal & Friends featuring Jennifer Lee
Sunday, September 9, 2018 at 5:00 p.m.
Tickets: $40 per person, general admission

Proceeds from the Concerts in the Garden series support The Gardens at Heather Farm’s nonprofit programs.

Bringing inspiring Bay Area artistic talent to the six acres of lush, natural landscapes at The Gardens at Heather Farm, our Artist in Residence program supports the creation of innovative and transformative artworks which inspire both artist and visitor to engage with the natural world.​ Now through July, artist Maureen McCourt showcases her colorful textile creations in and around the new Children’s Garden in a special exhibition entitled KNITTASTIC + POM! POM! galore.

KNITTASTIC is a knit bombing project meant to highlight the beauty of the Gardens. The magenta yarn wrapped around trees leads viewers through the garden landscape to the new and amazing Children’s Garden. Inside the Children’s Garden, viewers will find the eye-popping POM! POM! galore, a fun interactive installation that invites people to pet the sculptures and be dazzled by the rainbow colors!

Ever see a bird perched on a tree branch and wonder what it was? Curious about environmental impacts on bird nesting and rehabilitation for birds injured in the wild?

The Gardens is proud to introduce a new five-part series, The Ecology of Heather Farm Pond Birds, on Thursdays in May and June. Designed to teach participants skills needed to identify, appreciate and track the diversity of birds around our neighboring lake and pond, the course will be led by GHF’s Natural Science Teacher and bird enthusiast, Noelle Pipa, and will feature expert guest presenters including renowned naturalist, John Muir Laws, and conservationists from Lindsay Wildlife Experience, Mt. Diablo Audubon Society, and California Bluebird Recovery Program.

The course starts Thursday, May 10 at 4:30pm, and participants can register for the five-class series (at a discounted rate), or individual classes.

Wedding season 2018 is finally here, and over the next eight months, more than 90 engaged couples will be celebrating their nuptials at our beautiful, nature-themed venue. While many couples pick The Gardens for its flexibility, affordability and relaxed atmosphere, most folks are drawn to our unique spaces, including a lush and flower-filled garden, festive outdoor patio and bar, and spacious indoor reception hall with gorgeous garden views. Couples also consistently love how easy our venue is to customize to their personal designs and dreams for that special day.

www.OliviaSmartt.com

Que Bonita Photography

Blue Lab Media

Here are some recommendations for styling your wedding at The Gardens: With a neutral-toned banquet space and diverse garden landscapes, COLOR is where your wedding details start to come alive. Bright, bold colors or soft pastels play equally well during both ceremony and reception, so just choose what you like based on your theme, the season, or your favorite color when you were nine! With so many plants and flowers out in the garden, you rarely have to decorate outdoors, but we recommend investing in floral designs for bouquets and dining tables that will really impress. Make the reception room pop with draperies or string lights, and consider upgrading to Chiavari or cross-back chairs to elevate the look further. Colored up lights and dance lights provide even more visual interest, and don’t forget to dress up the tables with candles, lanterns or other small decor pieces. And our wall-mounted shelves near the bridal dressing room are a great place to showcase your theme and tell your story as a couple with framed photos, floral, craft items and other wedding decor.

Ditto Photography

Custock Photography

Kristen Hope Photography

www.OliviaSmartt.com

Kristen Hope Photography

So, whether you follow Pinterest, Style Me Pretty, or Martha Stewart Weddings, whether you’re looking for lights and lanterns or drapes and lounge furniture, whether you’ve got big plans or no plan, The Gardens at Heather Farm is the perfect place to see your dream wedding come to life.

The Gardens at Heather Farm recently held a “battle of the devices” at the STEM & EdTech Symposium on Saturday, February 24th to pilot the new Nature Techies lesson in our Natural Science Classroom program for local school children.

Teachers and students pitted Apple iPads against Amazon Fires to determine which tablet device was better for documenting, analyzing, and reporting results of their on-campus biodiversity surveys in a real-time collaborative effort. Our brave pilots then used these findings to brainstorm ways to promote biodiversity at their school sites.

As our society becomes more tech-oriented, The Gardens at Heather Farm strives to maintain a vital connection to the natural world. Nature Techies updates our Nature Detectives lesson by utilizing handheld smart devices so that students can communicate their findings with their classmates in real time. We encourage them to use this experience to make real life decisions about preserving plant and animal life on campus.

New garden map from Guida Surveying, Inc. helps our nonprofit and wins ACEC award!

Early in 2017, we found ourselves desperate for an updated topographical map of our garden. The map is crucial for use when designing and developing garden areas (such as our new Children’s Garden) as well as for general garden visitors. A Board member reached out to Guida Surveying, Inc. who, after visiting the property and assessing our needs, offered to donate their services for the project.

In the fall, it was announced that Guida had been selected by the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) to receive an Honor Award for their work surveying and designing our map. Guida will be recognized on Thursday, February 8th at the Engineering Excellence Awards Banquet in Los Angeles. The project will also be featured in ACEC California’s magazine, Engineering and Surveying Business Review, News & Events newsletter, and on the ACEC California website.

The Gardens at Heather Farm would like to extend our sincerest thanks and congratulations to the team at Guida Surveying, Inc.

From Cuba to Mexico, from Puerto Rico to Peru, savor the flavors of Latin America at The Gardens’ Annual Gala Fundraiser, Fiesta Nueva!

Join us on Sunday, May 6th for an afternoon garden party on the beautiful, flower-filled grounds of The Gardens at Heather Farm. Guests will enjoy a variety of Latin American-inspired appetizers, refreshing beverages and live salsa music while celebrating spring in the garden and raising funds for The Gardens’ nonprofit programs.

At Fiesta Nueva, we’re bringing the spirit of some of Latin America’s most iconic cities to Walnut Creek, where you’ll feel as though you’re sipping margaritas in Cabo, savoring ceviche in Lima, trying tasty tostones in San Juan, grabbing some gaucho-style steak in Buenos Aires, and salsa dancing through the streets of Havana.

Event admission includes:

• A selection of tasty items such as ceviche, tostones, chimichurri steak skewers, Cuban sliders, pineapple margaritas and more from catering sponsor, A LOVEABLE FEAST
• Live music by authentic salsa band, VISSION LATINA, plus salsa dancers
• Craft beer from LOST COAST BREWING COMPANY and a selection of wines
• A chance to donate and win raffle items and prizes, including gift cards, gift baskets, wine and more
• All attendees will be entered for a chance to win a five day/four night vacation stay in CANCUN, MEXICO (some restrictions and fees apply*)

FIESTA NUEVA: ANNUAL GALA FUNDRAISER
Sunday, May 6, 2018 from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Tickets: $75 per person, ages 21+ only

On the day of the event, tickets will be available at the door.

Oops, scheduling conflict? No worries. If you are unable to attend the event, you can still support The Gardens’ fundraising efforts by making a donation online.

THANKS TO OUR EVENT SPONSORS:

Joan and David Lucchese

Bruce and Trudy Presser

Linda Womack

Cancun Vacation Prize Contest Rules: Attendees at Fiesta Nueva will receive one grand prize raffle ticket. To be eligible, attendee must provide name and phone number or email address. Raffle ticket is valid for entry in the drawing to win a vacation certificate for five days and four nights of accommodations in Cancun, Mexico at either Laguna Suites Golf or Spa (www.lagunasuites.com.mx) or the Ocean Spa Hotel (www.oceanspahotel.com). The vacation is valid for travel by two adults (30 years old and older) and two children under the age of 12. Reservations are based upon availability; however, there are no blackout dates and no expiration date. Certificate valued at $699. To redeem, the winner will be required to pay activation fee and hotel taxes totaling $199.