Ganna Walska Lotusland Named Recipient of the Jean and John Greene Prize for Excellence in American Gardening

Water Garden, Ganna Walska Lotusland, CA | Credit: Kim Baile

The Garden Conservancy is thrilled to announce that Ganna Walska Lotusland is the recipient of the esteemed Jean and John ePrize for Excellence in the Field of American Gardening. The prize, which comes with a generous $30,000 grant will help support the ongoing efforts to safeguard this remarkable garden for future generations as part of the Garden’s 30th Anniversary Lotusland Forever Capital and Endowment Campaign.

The prize has been made possible by a transformational estate gift of nearly $3 million to the Garden Conservancy from John Kaul Greene, who passed away in September 2019, after expressing his intention to create an award to recognize excellence in American gardening. John is survived by his wife, Jean, who shared with him an appreciation for the ways gardens enrich our lives, an appreciation that deepened during the four years the couple lived in Europe. John joined the Garden Conservancy’s board of directors in 1998, and he served on the board of trustees of the Chicago Botanic Garden for more than half a century

Main lawn and Blue Garden, Ganna Walska Lotusland, CA | Credit: Kim Baile

Recognizing the importance of this whimsical and dramatic oasis back in 1991, the Garden Conservancy chose Lotusland, in Santa Barbara, CA, as its second preservation project. Now, three decades later, Lotusland is one of the most important and celebrated public gardens in the United States. 

In recognition of both the aesthetic and scientific value of the collection as an irreplaceable national resource, the Conservancy played an important role in the preservation of the Garden and its opening to the public in 1994. Today, Lotusland stands as a testament to the Conservancy's mission and what it means to preserve a garden—unceasing action and ongoing commitment. 

Lotusland holds immense significance as an artistic expression, a place of wonder, a haven of biodiversity, a laboratory of sustainability, and an incomparable archive of plants and seeds, some of which grow nowhere else. Ganna Walska's legacy, deeply rooted in Lotusland, continues to inspire and captivate visitors. With ample space slotted for growth and evolution, Lotusland remains a beacon of beauty and botanical preservation. 

The Lotusland Forever Campaign aims to preserve and revive the estate’s historic buildings, conserve non-living collections, improve natural resource management, revitalize the decades-old nursery, enhance access for visitors, and establish endowments for each of thediverse gardens. "This gift will enable us to enhanceour stewardship of this extraordinary garden,ensuring its longevity and allowing us to share its magic with visitors,” said Rebecca Anderson, Executive Director of Ganna Walska Lotusland.

“This campaign exemplifies the Garden Conservancy’s mission to protect and preserve exceptional gardens of cultural and historical significance. By investing in this visionary initiative,the Conservancy is helping to safeguard the legacy of Lotusland for future generations, ensuring that its uncommon beauty and botanical treasures continue to inspire and delight a broad audience of visitors from around the word,” said James Brayton Hall, President and CEO of the Garden Conservancy.

In 2022, the Garden Conservancy awarded the Greene Prize to Wethersfield Estate & Gardens in Amenia, NY to enable them to complete a cultural landscape report.

To learn more about Ganna Walska Lotusland visit lotusland.org.