Santa Ana: The Heart of Orange County

Santa Ana: The Heart of Orange County

It is that time of year when Valentine’s Day decorations and advertising pop-up everywhere and the old tradition of exchanging hearts begins. The heart, as a symbol, has been used for many other types of advertising. Interestingly many cities have described their cities as having “heart.” Remember, the “I Love NY” slogan? Well, as a matter of fact, at one time in Orange County, the Santa Ana Chamber of Commerce also used a heart to define their city.

Ostrich Farms: An Early Southern California Tourist Destination

Marie Antoinette, the Queen of France, ignited a fashion trend when she accessorized headpieces and hats with beautiful dyed ostrich feathers. Ostrich feathers quickly became a flamboyant accessory for hats, headpieces, trim on dresses or jackets, along with colorful boas. More than a century after Marie Antoinette was led to the guillotine, ostrich feathers were South Africa’s fourth most valuable export, after gold, diamonds, and wool.

Given the value of ostrich feathers and the fact that Southern California’s climate is similar to the bird’s natural habitat, enterprising southern Californians decided to compete with South African suppliers. Between 1883 and 1911

Founding Sherman Library & Gardens

Sherman Library & Gardens’ origins can be traced to one day in April 1914. On that day, Moses Hazeltine Sherman approached Arnold Haskell, a young man working as a clerk at the reception desk of the Mission Inn in Riverside, with a job offer. Years later Haskell recalled, “The General [Sherman] came in and he said, ‘Arnold, do you want to work for me?’ I said, ‘Yes, I do.’ He said, ‘Well, the train leaves for Los Angeles at four o’clock this afternoon.’ Years later, Arnold Haskell would honor the man who hired him by naming Sherman Library & Gardens after him.

M. H. Sherman, Arnold Haskell, and the Hollywood Sign

What does the Hollywood sign have to do with Sherman Library & Gardens? Quite a lot, as it turns out. The Hollywood sign started out as the Hollywoodland sign, an advertising gimmick designed to attract buyers to a new luxury housing subdivision: Hollywoodland. Dubbed “the supreme achievement in community building,” the subdivision land was owned by Moses H. Sherman, namesake of Sherman Library & Gardens. In 1922, Sherman put together the Hollywoodland syndicate (as business partnerships were often called then) which included his business partner and brother-in-law Eli P. Clark, Los Angeles Times publisher Harry Chandler, and developers Tracy Shoults and Sydney H. Woodruff. The Hollywoodland sign cost the syndicate $23,501.32.

Sherman will open for an exclusive members only picnic. You bring the picnic and we’ll provide the fun: from music to lawn games we have you covered! Sherman Library &… Read More »

A flower show that concentrates on displaying the beauty and variety of the Chrysanthemum, a flower referred to as the “Queen of the Fall”. Chrysanthemum blooms come in a myriad… Read More »

A flower show that concentrates on displaying the beauty and variety of the Chrysanthemum, a flower referred to as the “Queen of the Fall”. Chrysanthemum blooms come in a myriad… Read More »

Join the experts from the Southern California Begonia Society for an introduction to begonia cultivation. Learn the basics of begonia care including propagation, soil mixes, fertilizers, and light conditions.  Get… Read More »

Learn how to make a terrarium suited to grow Begonias. Many tropical Begonias require high humidity in order to thrive and growing them in terrariums makes this possible. Free with… Read More »

Presented by Southern California Begonia Society Come see a huge variety of begonias on display at the Southern California Begonia Society Show and Sale!  Discover wild and wonderful specimens in… Read More »