Sadly The Great Park didn’t turn out to be so great, nor is it much of a park. If the collection were to be moved, a better choice IMO would be the San Diego Botanic Garden which is about an hour south of Irvine in Encinitas. They have a wonderful South African exhibit that would be a perfect complement. I am close to both the Executive Director and the Horticulture Manager, both of whom I am sure would be delighted to take responsibility for the collection and host it on public display. The South Coast Research Center in Irvine is a research facility used by the University of California and the UC Cooperative Extension. Any plants housed there are part of approved research projects conducted by faculty or cooperative extension agents. While the research station has been open to the public for special events from time to time, it is not a place for a public display - public access is very limited. This may be putting the cart before the horse... > On Oct 24, 2021, at 10:47 AM, Makiko Goto-Widerman via pbs <pbs@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net> wrote: > > I used to live in Orange County for almost 20 years. There is a relatively > new garden park, Great Park in Irvine similar to the > Central Park in New York. I remember when it started. I used to belong to a > local garden club, and we invited a Founding Member to our > meeting. Then the real estate recession stopped the project after 2009 for > a while. It must be closed again due to this COVID, but it must reopen now > or soon. > It can be a good place to transfer the bulb garden if it is true to be > closed. The park is surrounded by newly developed housing > for young families. Unfortunately the > public schools in reputable Irvine city do not (or did not) have a school > garden or a local garden club. They should offer more > educational gardening/horticultural > programs. > > There is a public fruit (avocado, citrus and dragon fruit) research center > of UC > system nearby the park. I used to visit the farm with my family. They > offered a large event for the public to present new avocado varieties. > Many international > avocado researchers were also invited. > > > *Makiko Goto-Widerman* > > > On Sun, Oct 24, 2021 at 10:28 AM Makiko Goto-Widerman < > mfdgardenclub@gmail.com> wrote: > >> Yes, Mr. Harold Koopewitz. He is a member of PBS. >> He used to be a Director of the arboretum, Emeritus Professor of UC Irvine. >> He lives in Orange County. I thought he initiated the South African Bulb >> Garden because he is originally >> from South Africa. >> >> >> >> On Sun, Oct 24, 2021, 8:42 AM R Hansen via pbs < >> pbs@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net> wrote: >> >>> Regarding the concerns about the UC Irvine SA Bulb Garden, I am >>> attempting to confirm whether this is an unfounded rumor, a possibility or >>> a certainty. So we can speculate but until there is confirmation, ideas are >>> good but let's see what turns up. Their website is in no way up to date >>> that I can see, as I briefly checked... >>> >>> Does anyone have the ability to contact someone they know at the garden >>> directly regarding this situation? >>> >>> Thanks, >>> >>> Robin Hansen >>> President, PBS >>> >>> An early coastal storm is blowing and raining like crazy >>> Southwest Oregon >>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> pbs mailing list >>> pbs@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net >>> http://lists.pacificbulbsociety.net/cgi-bin/… >>> Unsubscribe: <mailto:pbs-unsubscribe@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net> >>> >> > _______________________________________________ > pbs mailing list > pbs@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net > http://lists.pacificbulbsociety.net/cgi-bin/… > Unsubscribe: <mailto:pbs-unsubscribe@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net> _______________________________________________ pbs mailing list pbs@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net http://lists.pacificbulbsociety.net/cgi-bin/… Unsubscribe: <mailto:pbs-unsubscribe@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net>