Lotusland: A Photographic Odyssey - Hardcover

Why go to Disneyland when you can visit Lotusland? If you've never heard of this unique garden 100 miles north of the Magic Kingdom, you may want to plan a detour to Santa Barbara next time you're in Southern California. Tours are limited; however, this book enables garden enthusiasts to tour year-round the crowning achievement of opera singer Ganna Walska, who spent more than 40 years designing and nurturing the 37-acre property she called home. William B. Dewey, Gregory L. Padgett, and Robert Glenn Ketchum are among the photographers whose breath-taking color images of the eclectic, surreal gardens contribute to this volume.

An Interview with Theodore Roosevelt Gardner II Author of Lotusland A Photographic Odyssey What inspired you to write about Lotusland and the famed Madame Ganna Walska? It was my wife's idea, she is a docent at Lotusland, as well the proprietor of a Horticultural and Botanical books business. She knew there was a demand for a picture book of this spectacular garden, as well as for information about its colorful creator and her many husbands. You obviously researched extensively for this book. What avenues did you use, since the Madame had already passed away? I gathered the majority of my research from The Lotusland archives. Ganna Walska never threw anything away. The archives contained a treasure trove of letters and memorabilia. I also interviewed many people who knew her. What surprises did you encounter in your research? How much information there was. Her faculty with marriage proposals. The utter devotion of her husbands.The disappointing quality of her voice (which I heard on an old recording). Her erratic nature: generous one day, berating the next. What captivated you about Ganna Walska? Her zeal for amassing things. Her garden. All those rich husbands. Her lifelong futile struggle to achieve operatic fame. The startling, intuitive art she displayed in her garden. Her unbridled zest for life. And she was a kaleidoscope of contradictions, but never dull. She liked to say she was the "enemy of the average." How would you describe the gardens to someone who has never had the pleasure of seeing them? One of a kind. A personal statement. Massed plantings, priceless cycads (the rare jewels in her collection) extremes from a sublime Japanese garden, to a kitschy aloe pond with giant clam shells. There's so much to this garden and the magnificent photographs in the book truly capture its uniqueness. REVIEW: More than 230 excellent photographs in LOTUSLAND: A PHOTOGRAPHIC ODYSSEY give a splendid impression of the garden, its wonders, rarities, and excesses. Other pictures show Ganna Walska during her years in the theater, and there is an account of her life and multiple marriages that is essential in understanding her motivation and the garden's origins and inspiration. It is a beautiful reminder of a visit to Lotusland and a valuable contribution to the history of California's gardens. (Pacific Horticulture magazine)