Mar 2, 2008

Winter garden festivities mark season opening

By Janet Duca Norton / Society Columnist

Filoli, the historic Woodside estate, opened its 2008 tour season with the three-day "Enchanting Winter Garden" event beginning Feb. 22. Early blooming camellias, magnolias, quince and daphne were the headliners at garden tours and floral demonstrations.

With its "East to West," Friday's activities included Ikebana floral arranging, Asian brush painting demonstrations, a talk on Asian porcelains in the Filoli collection and a Japanese tea ceremony.

Saturday and Sunday celebrated the "Wild to Refined" with wildlife discovery hikes for families in the nature preserve, a camellia tour in the formal gardens and house activities, including tea tasting, flower arranging for adults and floral projects for children. Guests also did some Easter shopping in the gift shop, which displayed a myriad of seasonal decorations and gifts.

Lauren Vetras and Amanda Sonenberg of Mighty Leaf Tea Co. in San Rafael presented a tea tasting in the mansion's kitchen on Saturday morning. Guests learned that all tea comes from the leaves of the camellia sinensis plant, and that there are only four categories of tea: green, oolong, black and white. Green tea maintains its color because it isn't fermented in the processing, black tea derives its color from fermentation; oolong is partially fermented and white tea is made from immature leaves. Seen sampling cookies and tea were Dee Foley, Sandy Ferrando and Nancy Grippo.

Volunteers Marian VandenBosch and Sharri Robinson provided young guests with a collection of colorful flowers and instructions for making flower tiaras and matching nosegay bouquets. Mothers and daughters enjoying the creative crafts included 6-year-old Naomi Jecker and her mother Martina Jecker and Amy Titus and her mother Josie Titus.

The Lang family had a fun photo opportunity when dad Craig took a mother-daughter portrait of his wife Jennie admiring their 5-year-old daughter Olivia's creations.

Braving the rain were camellia tourgoers Terry Blaine, Nancy Federman and Luke Woydziak, as well as Gretchen von Gustlin, who signed her family up for the wildlife discovery hike. Susan Abernethy stayed dry while she learned how to pot and care for camellias.

Filoli is open to the public Tuesday through Saturday, from mid-February to late October. For tour information, call 650-354-8300 ext 507.


LUNCH WITH A LEGEND

Parties that are benefit auction prizes are fun - they have interesting themes and a guest list of close friends.

A hotly bid upon prize at the Nov. 17 Peninsula Volunteers 60th Diamond Jubilee gala was a Roundtable luncheon with famous San Francisco socialite and social columnist Pat Montandon, who is now a peace advocate with several Nobel Peace Prize nominations.
Ann Griffiths and gala co-chairwoman Sandy Ferrando partnered to make the winning bid on the Roundtable luncheon for 12 and split the guest list for the Feb. 20 event at hostess Gail Teymourian's Atherton home.

Currently a Beverly Hills resident, Montandon flew up for the memorable meal that followed the format she established for her famous 1970s lunches, which she described as a "forum for great talk."

"I was hungry for food for my soul. I wanted to talk to people with different views," said Montandon, of hosting her well-regarded discussions. "The essence of the Roundtable is being real."

Montandon's guest lists featured people with diverse backgrounds and interests, such as former San Francisco mayor Willie Brown, U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, COYOTE (Call Off Your Old Tired Ethics) sex worker rights organization founder Margo St. James and prize-winning author of "Roots," Alex Haley.

In 1983 Montandon dedicated her life to working for world peace, establishing the Children as the Peacemakers Foundation. By accompanying hundreds of children ages 8 to 13 on trips around the world, she has enabled them to meet face to face with world leaders to share their concerns and ideas for peace. The foundation has received the United Nations Peace Messenger Award.

Her current focus is on global warming, about which she says, "Children can do what adults can't." Montandon is also in the planning stages of establishing a children's Peace to the Planet competition to be judged by children, as with her established children's awards.

Montandon said the guests at the Roundtable were an interesting group, consisting of Nancy Greenbach, Sheila Hoar, Linda Drew, Kimber Sturm, Mary Young, Clover Worland and Cora Wiegand.

"Pat is a symbol of what really strong women can do in the world," Griffiths said.

The group will have a reunion with Montandon at the Peninsula Volunteers Author Salon on April 6 when she will be discussing her autobiography "Whispers from God."


E-mail Janet Duca Norton at society@paloaltodailynews.com.