SN7 - Ep273 - Michael DeRousse - Lotus Land Docent

RADIO VERSION - For the FULL INTERVIEW CHECK OUT THE PODCASTOur Special Guest today is Lotus Land Docent Michael DeRousse. He is also the owner of The Palace Grill in Santa Barbara.Michael is a Docent for Lotusland, recognized as one of the ten best gardens in the world. The spectacular collections of exotic plants on the 37-acre property are a personal expression of Madame Ganna Walska's penchant for the dramatic, the unexpected, and the whimsical. Lotusland Vision StatementWe aspire to be renowned globally and treasured locally.Madame Ganna Walska, a well-known Polish opera singer and socialite, purchased the Montecito, California estate in 1941 and spent the next 43 years creating Lotusland, today recognized as one of the ten best gardens in the world. The spectacular collections of exotic plants on the 37-acre property are a personal expression of Walska’s penchant for the dramatic, the unexpected, and the whimsical. Lotusland is home to several extraordinary plant collections and around each corner there is a surprise of unique garden design and plant species. After her death in 1984, Lotusland became a nonprofit botanic garden and opened to the public in 1993. Interested in becoming a Lotusland Volunteer?Go to lotusland.org/support/volunteer/Find us on Instagram @lotusandgarden