From the Board President

Each year in the April issue, we thank those who have made contributions to the Friends of Pacific Horticulture over the past year. We are fortunate to have the support of a community of Friends, both individual and corporate, whose donations make it possible for us to maintain the high quality of the magazine, and to offer a variety of educational programs. Support from our donors is vital; subscription fees only cover one third of the cost of producing Pacific Horticulture!

Pacific Horticulture is the magazine for West Coast gardeners who appreciate its well-written articles, calendar of events, special features, and readable format. We depend heavily on enthusiastic gardeners, writers, photographers, and illustrators who donate their stories and images to the magazine. Our new website offers content beyond that found in the magazine; it was made possible by generous funding from the Pendleton and Elisabeth C Miller Charitable Foundation, by the late Peter Newton, a long-time Friend of the foundation, and by individual members of the board.

Our Gardening Under Mediterranean Skies V symposium was a great success last year in San Diego. This year, it will take place in Monterey in partnership with the Mediterranean Garden Society, and planning is underway for another MedSkies symposium to be held in Santa Barbara in 2009. In addition, we will be co-sponsoring programs this year in Seattle, San Francisco, and Walnut Creek, with Northwest Horticultural Society and with the Garden Conservancy.

In keeping with our educational mission, Pacific Horticulture offers garden and botanical tours to exciting destinations around the world. This year our tour program includes visits to exceptional gardens and landscapes in Sardinia, Spain, New Zealand, and Santa Barbara. Planned for small groups, our tours get high marks for their unique and appealing itineraries.

Pacific Horticulture is much more than a magazine: it represents a community of gardening enthusiasts, a notion that is central to our organization. We value our close connections with West Coast horticultural societies from San Diego to Seattle, including our sponsoring and affiliate societies. And we appreciate the generous support we receive from our subscribers and Friends as we plan for the future with new ideas and programs to inspire our readers in the art and science of gardening on the West Coast.
Katherine Greenberg, president, Pacific Horticultural Foundation