Tags: 2012, Corey Welles, Ganna Walska Lotusland, lotus flower, Meeting, Season 2011-2012

Well-known horticulturist Corey Welles presented on the famous Ganna Walska Lotusland garden in Santa Barbara CA.

Lotusland encompasses 37+ acres of exotic and rare flora composed in 14 magnificent historic gardens. Under Welles guidance, Madame Ganna Walska’s Lotusland estate contains gardens of exceptional design and artistic creativity with botanical and horticultural depth. The estate has a large rare cycad collection garden, containing some rare plant species no longer extant in their original native habitat. The gardens were created over four decades by Madame Ganna Walska, an opera singer, who owned the property as a private residence from 1941 until her death in 1984.

For the past 20 years, Welles has managed the plant domains at Lotusland, one of the nation’s premier exotic gardens, which has earned him numerous garden awards. He is recognized for being the leader in the field of sustainable horticulture.

Mr. Welles is a graduate of the Santa Barbara City College Environmental Horticulture Program with expertise in botany, zoology, ornithology, entomology, and marine biology. As one of the leading sustainable horticultural experts, he consults such groups as U.C. Berkeley Botanic Garden, Descanso Gardens, The Huntington Garden, Santa Barbara City, and other national and regional garden groups.

In demand as a public speaker, his engagements take him across the country to address important botanical symposia. He is a recognized expert on how to implement and customize sustainable systems for garden landscapes. A former triathlon champion in the Southern California area Welles is also an inspirational teacher on how to successfully partner with and embrace the environment.