Update: **NO GATHERING** in 2024
Unfortunately, the stars have not aligned for a 2024 gathering in Ohio ... Stay well & we'll try again in '25!
Ernest Wertheim (December 30 1919 - August 4, 2020
Ernest was a landscape architect who became a world renowned garden center designer. We were fortunate to be personal friends and engaged the services of his San Francisco architectural firm, WVK. Ernest and his partner Jack Klemeyer made history by designing state of the art garden centers all over the globe, we are grateful to both for their vision and great skill in their backyard. Coincidentally, the first garden center they designed was my husband’s, Orchard Nursery and Florist Lafayette in 1954 for the previous owner.
Ernest’s longevity stemmed from embracing youth and new technologies. He never stopped learning. He had tremendous stamina and capacity always outpacing those he consulted for. He was a passionate planner who challenged his clients to think through their needs, asking the hard questions. He was a peace maker and always a broker of goodwill.
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Ernest’s bright light will live on in his family, friends, colleagues, clients and countless projects along with the many lessons taught along the way. I’ll close with the last passage of his book:
“A Place to Rest”
On the upper part of the mountain in Alpine Meadows there is a steep slope that is covered with striking Sierra primroses (Primula suffrutescens). The perennials, endemic to California, come out after the snow has melted. For years our family would hike up the mountain to see them in bloom which, depending on the season, is in mid-July or early August.
It is on the mountain in Alpine among the primroses where both Margrit and I would like to be put to rest. We hope our ashes will provide some nutrients for these beautiful plants, just as my relationship with plants has nourished me. My love affair has been with me through the innocence of childhood, the nightmares of Nazi Germany, the separations and losses of loved ones, the horrors of the battlefield, the transcendent landscapes, the gift of good friend, the joy of family and many lessons I’ve learned that humbled me and hopefully made me a better person. How lucky I have been.
How lucky for us to have known this amazing man.
- Jacquie Williams Courtright, Alden Lane Nursery
2018 Reunion Event - THANK YOU!
To our exceptional hosts ...
Our heartfelt thanks go to Dwight, Tom and John Hughes and the entire extended Hughes Nursery family for hosting us and putting on a fantastic experience - no detail went un-attended! If it hadn't been for Dwight's passion for making this happen, and the exceptional attention to detail that he put into building and curating the museum, the event would have been a shadow of itself. And to Tom & John who made sure everything worked - that Gators were available and the building was clean and tables and chairs and plants and parking and all the "business" of an event all got handled... You have our undying appreciation. You have helped to cement a legacy of service, and we thank you all.
To our fantastic volunteers...
An event like this truly does takes a village: THANK YOU to Bob & Susie Dolibois for helping to organize all the historic memorabilia and get the ball rolling with Dwight, to "Uncle Bob" (and Carol!) for keeping tabs on Dwight and making all the calls to ensure people would know how to register and that the festivities were happening, to the Nelsons, Demalines, and Schmidts who showed up early to decorate and set up, to Dale Bachman for bringing some extra decor, to Megan and the Hughes kids for providing table decorations and kind hospitality for the early arrivers, to Hillary and her crew for post-party hosting, to Geoff & Tom Pinney - our champions making ice runs. To those who handled registration and badges and signage and stocked and staffed the "Bar-V" - Craig Regelbrugge, Kellee & John O'Reilly. Finally, special kudos to those who lended their talents and perspective - either planned or unexpected!: Sally Benson for offering kind words in memory of those who weren't able to join us, to Kelly Lamb our exceptional horse carriage guide and hostess, to Ken Fisher for joining us and sharing today's view from AmericanHort, to Hank Guarriello for his moving song tribute, to Steve Wills who did much of the fantastic photography capturing the event in the photo gallery below. - it really was a stupendous team effort making the magic happen.
EXTRA SPECIAL THANKS go to those of you who tossed some extra dollars into the kitty at the end to help offset some of our extra expenses - - YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE!
MOSTLY - our thanks go out to ALL OF YOU who made time to attend, to send a note, to spend time connecting with friends and sharing memories, and who donated to HRI through the tip jar at the bar. ANLA was a magical connection for so many people, and this event was just a glimpse at revisiting that magic.
HISTORIC TRIBUTE VIDEO
There was a lovely 30 minute photo collage compilation set to rousing patriotic music that played throughout the networking meals. Attendees received a copy of it on a USB drive (THANK YOU to Peter Orum for helping support this souvenir initiative!) You can view and download a copy of that video embedded below on this page -- or you can download a copy of it yourself here at this link: