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From the Director
On Visiting
When I can break away from meetings and deadlines, I walk in the Botanical Garden. I see something new every time. I meet new people every time. I love to hear their stories – why they visit, how often they return, where they are from, what they like best. Everyone's story is wonderful and different: A couple from New York is in San Francisco several times a year to see their adult daughter. They visit the Garden each time. They love discovering plants they have not seen before. A man who lives on the other side of the City gets on Muni and visits the Garden weekly. He comes here to clear his head. When he walks through the Main Gate to the Great Meadow and the gardens beyond, he is at peace. New parents, their infant in a stroller, discover the Zellerbach Garden. They stop to sit on a secluded bench beneath one of the Zellerbach arbors, where there is some shade, and cuddle their baby. A software consultant who lives in Switzerland comes to San Francisco twice a year to meet with clients. She schedules an extra half day to spend time in the Garden. She is particularly interested in plants that grow in Mediterranean and mild temperature regions. This is her favorite garden in the world. I invite a friend for lunch and a walk in the Garden. She has lived in San Francisco for 25 years. She has never been here and discovers 55 acres of extraordinary beauty. She cannot contain her amazement – and embarrassment at not having visited the Garden before. A group of children from the Telegraph Hill Neighborhood Center are spending the day in the Children's Garden. Some are making bookmarks, decorating them with leaves and blossoms that have fallen to the ground. Others are examining a large insect. The rest are planting vegetable seeds. All are so incredibly happy to be here – and so am I. Our Garden is Your Garden. Visit soon. Visit often. We will welcome you warmly.
Sue Ann Schiff
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Interim Executive Director Sue Ann Schiff
