Ganna Walska Lotusland has received the Jean and John Greene Prize for Excellence in the Field of American Gardening, the Garden Conservancy has announced.

Lotusland's salmon-toned Cuesta Linda (main house) with iconic red-tile roof was commissioned by the Gavit Family in 1915 and designed by the architect Reginald Johnson. (Bob Craig photo)
Lotusland’s Cuesta Linda (main house) was commissioned by the Gavit Family in 1915 and designed by the architect Reginald Johnson. (Bob Craig photo)

The prize, which comes with a $30,000 grant, will help support ongoing efforts to safeguard Lotusland 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 major estate gift of nearly $3 million to the Garden Conservancy from John Kaul Greene, who passed away in September 2019. Greene had expressed his intention to create an award to recognize excellence in American gardening.

Greene’s widow Jean shared with him an appreciation for the ways gardens enrich people’s lives, an appreciation that deepened during the four years the couple lived in Europe.

Greene joined the Garden Conservancy Board of Directors in 1998, and served on the Board of Trustees of the Chicago Botanic Garden for more than half a century.

Recognizing the importance of the whimsical and dramatic oasis that is Lotusland back in 1991, the Garden Conservancy chose Lotusland, in Santa Barbara as its second preservation project.

Today, Lotusland is one of the most 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 a key role in the preservation of the garden and its opening to the public in 1994.

Ganna Walska’s legacy, deeply rooted in Lotusland, continues to inspire and captivate visitors, according to the Garden Conservancy.

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 the diverse gardens.

“This gift will enable us to enhance our 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,” said James Brayton Hall, president/CEO of the Garden Conservancy.

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