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Home My WebLink About2009-08-04; City Council; 19924; Opportunity for a botanical gardenCITY OF CARLSBAD - AGENDA BILL AB# 19,924 MTG. 8/4/09 DEPT. Parks&Rec REQUEST TO SPEAK ABOUT AN OPPORTUNITY TO CREATE A BOTANICAL GARDEN DEPT. HEAD IJ>/ CITYATTY. ^^^ CITYMGR. (/A- RECOMMENDED ACTION: Receive a presentation from Ken Brennecke. ITEM EXPLANATION: The City Council provides an opportunity for citizens and organizations to have an item placed on a City Council Agenda by submitting a letter to the City Manager. Attached is a copy of an email received from Ken Brennecke requesting the opportunity to make a presentation to the City Council regarding his desire to discuss an opportunity to create a world class Botanical Garden. FISCAL IMPACT: None. EXHIBITS: 1. Email to the City Manager from Ken Brennecke. DEPARTMENT CONTACT: Mark Steyaert 760-434-2855 mark.stevaert@carlsbadca.gov FOR CITY CLERKS USE ONLY. COUNCIL ACTION: APPROVED DENIED CONTINUED WITHDRAWN AMENDED D D D D D CONTINUED TO DATE SPECIFIC D CONTINUED TO DATE UNKNOWN D RETURNED TO STAFF D OTHER - SEE MINUTES M Received Report EXHIBIT 1 From: kbrennecke@epsilonsystems.com [mailto:kbrennecke@epsilonsystems.com] Sent: Wednesday, June 24,2009 4:28 PM To: Council Internet Email Subject: CITY OF CARLSBAD | CONTACT US A visitor to the City of Carlsbad Web site has completed and posted the "Contact Us" form to department, City Council. ********************************************** FOR SECURITY REASONS, DO NOT CHANGE THE SUBJECT LINE. ********************************************** Below, please find the information that was submitted: I would like to get on the City Council's agenda. Bud Lewis expressed an interest about 5 years ago to have a world class botanical garden developed within the City of Carlsbad. I believe there is an opportunity to make that happen and I would like to make a small presentation to the City Council. I have already met preliminarily with Bud and Brian Albright about this project. I can be reached at 619-980-8002. Thanks very much. Kenneth Brennecke 1902 Boundary Avenue Ramona, CA 92065 USA kbrennecke@epsilonsystems.com Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 7.0; Windows NT 5.1; GTB6; .NET CLR 1.1.4322; .NET CLR 2.0.50727) 12.175.85.80 A World Class Botanical Garden Opportunity for The City of Carlsbad Background In 2004, a group of Southern California plant enthusiasts were discussing how plants had to obey the basics of physics and chemistry and we began to realize that we had enough combined experience and expertise to develop a world class botanical garden here in Southern California. Since that time we have been building using our own resources and we are now at the point where we need to seek municipal and corporate partners to go to the next level of planning and execution. Our Goals 1. To develop a world class botanical garden in Carlsbad. 2. To preserve critically endangered plant germplasm and to propagate sufficient copies of the plant material to guarantee its survival. 3. To use the garden as an educational tool to encourage a new generation of botanists in taxonomy, horticulture, and allied disciplines such as tissue culture. 4. To provide public access to the garden for the public enjoyment, education and awareness of the interrelationship between humans and plant life. 5. To educate the public at large about the importance of reforestation. It is the only large scale, simple, and effective means of removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and reversing global warming that can be done relatively quickly. 6. To provide an associated online source of information for the public to use to succeed in duplicating and expanding this work using the guiding principles of the prototype garden. Resources We Have 1. A three acre prototype garden (The Darian Garden in Vista) that demonstrates the feasibility that the horticultural principles to be used actually work. 2. Hundreds of plants of elite species of canopy trees, palms, and other rare plant material that can be transfered to start the garden. 3. The services of Mr. Ted Anvick, of Anvick Engineering, who has offered to create the plans for any structures that we wish to build for free. Mr. Anvick is a seismic engineer, a civil engineer, and a structural engineer. 4. A 501c3 non-profit operating foundation, the Mardy and Cherie Darian Foundation, to fund-raise, manage, and operate the day-to-day activities of the garden. 5. Our group includes Dr. Mardy Darian and his wife Cherie. The Darians are probably the most accomplished collectors of palms and rare plant material in the world. Ken Brennecke, one of the original founders of the American Bamboo Society and ABS Journal editor for 20 years. Dr. Don Hunsaker, a Hubbs Seaworld Research Institute naturalist and researcher. Mr. Dennis Hodgdon and Mr. Howard Pippen who are enterprise level managers and engineers with database and computer systems backgrounds. And Mr. B. Paul Welch who is our real estate and financial consultant. Resources We Need 1. A commitment from one or many municipal and/or corporate sponsors. 2. A site. Carlsbad may have suitable municipal property that would be ideal. 3. A modest amount of seed money for the first year of operations to begin fundraising efforts, assess the suitability of a site, make preliminary plans for garden design and execution. These plans are almost completely site dependent. We would require about 1 man year of support (about $100,000) that wouldn't necessarily have to come from municipal funds if a sponsor could be found. The Way Forward 1. The Foundation would like to invite the Carlsbad City Council to visit the prototype garden before any decisions are made to experience what is possible. Some members of your staff have already visited the prototype garden. We are confident that we can raise full canopy on any site in Carlsbad in under 15 years assuming we have a modest level of resources 2. We would ask that you direct your staff to work with us for the next month to work out a rough schedule and task list. This will also provide time to get some public feedback about whether the community would support such a venture. 3. Encourage any private sources of support to participate. And also encourage these individuals to tour the prototype garden. Point of Contact For additional information and to arrange tours of the prototype garden please contact: Ken Brennecke, Secretary of the Mardy and Cherie Darian Foundation. (619) 980-8002 or brenneckep@netzero.net. merica's best ry to private ig directions, expansion of 'onservancy's n in Orting, gardens on of the Open ar you, visit Altadena, ens) •87 Melrose 12 (toll-free), nd handling; count tickets local outlets ;s above. contact The A Tropical Eden with a Mission RUSSELL A BEATTY Exceptional gardens come in many forms: straightforward collections by plant enthus- iasts, artistically designed creations that are a world unto themselves, enchanting composi- tions that evoke the spirit of place. Gardens may also be designed in response to an even higher purpose or deeper meaning/ such as the conservation of water in gardens of climate- appropriate plants, the restoration of native habitat, the preservation of rare and endangered plants, or the production of organic food. Dr Mardy Darian's 3.2 acre tropical garden paradise in Vista, California, combines all of these attributes and much more. His vision embodies the now-familiar slogan, "Think glob- ally. Act locally." For forty-five years, Dr Darian, a retired veterinarian turned horticulturist, has traveled the world's tropics, observing first- hand the destruction of rain forests. (Tropical rain forests are being destroyed at an annual rate of 57,915 square miles, an area roughly the size of the state of Iowa.) Believing that the sal- vation of the earth is dependent on massive reforestation, he has collected palms and other tropical plants—many endangered, rare, or extinct in the wild—and planted them in his hilltop garden to create a model rain forest. His encyclopedic knowledge of tropical plants and ecosystems, his skill at establishing and work- ing with diverse microclimates, and his extraor- dinary global perspective have coalesced in a handsomely designed tropical garden—an enchanting landscape that rivals the best tropical gardens anywhere. ipr/Mav/Jun 2009 One might question the logic of developing a tropical rain forest garden in the semi-arid, mediterranean climate of San Diego County. My own skepticism was immediately dashed on a first visit in early 2008, as a member of The Garden Conservancy's Screening Committee. After two subsequent visits, I was convinced of the importance and uniqueness of this garden and of Dr Darian's philosophy, purpose, and achievement. He has successfully cultivated mul- tiple generations of a range of tropical plants and adapted them to a subtropical climate. His vision for this garden originated in 1962, when a severe freeze devastated avocado orchards in northern San Diego County, but left a small grove unscathed on a rocky hilltop in Vista. With a keen eye for, and understanding of, microclimates, Dr Darian acquired the property to fulfill his dream of growing palms and other cold sensitive plants. Motivated by the realization that tropical forests were being burned and bulldozed for farming, he left his veterinary practice to devote all his time to collecting and planting palms and other plants from the world's tropical forests. A Rain Forest Odyssey Mardy Darian and his wife Cherie traveled around the world to remote tropical locations close to the equator —South America, the Hawaiian Islands, Australia, New Guinea, A Tropical Eden with a Mission / 23 A misty green pool, centerpiece of the cloud forest garden; to the left, trunks of Ui/fs/s Imronli; behind the pool, Momltm (telidosa, better known as split-leaf philodendron Author's photographs Anthurium iittirmcmluin, perched on the trunk of an elephant's ear tree (Fntmilobium cyclocarpe), a large leguminous tree from Brazil that is part of the Darian garden's forest canopy, along with the lemon-scented gums A stdghorn fern (Platytxrium masui) and A hybrid on I (Cfiltk'i/,1) on the trunk of another elephant's ear tic. (Enlerohbium cyclocarpa) 24 /Pacific Hort't ullnn-Apr/MaN /!< 1 a hybrid orchid lant's ear tree In his poo! of the exce room, Dr Mardy T5arian points out a giant loaf edingly rare Aitlhurium angamarfanitm A portion of the grotto wall at the edge of the property, cavities filled with bromeliads and orchids Southeast Asia and Indonesia, Mauritius and the Seychelles in the Indian Ocean, the Solomon Islands, and Madagascar—collecting beautiful and unique palms, orchids, ferns, bromeliads, aroids, and other tropical plants that he thought would grow on his hilltop. He learned about the loss of forests, the resulting impacts on climate and microclimate change due to surface heating, the loss of oxy- gen, and the increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide. His philosophy evolved into a mission to help save the planet by demonstrating a method for restoring tropical forests Three goals for tropical reforestation became clear: remove carbon through forestation; increase the production of life-giving oxygen from Apr/' -/Jtin 20ff)A Tropical Eden with a Vlission / 25 forestation; and increase rainfall using a canopy of trees to insulate the earth from excessive heat. As his knowledge of tropical plants from around the globe developed, Dr Darian experi- mented with his collection—albeit on his rela- tively tiny plot in a decidedly non-tropical environment—propagating and growing the plants on this rocky hill, which was nearly devoid of decent topsoil when he began. With Herculean effort, the garden evolved by blast- ing out planting holes, moving enormous boulders, and improving the soil with tons of composted sawdust. Through his understand- ing of tropical ecosystems, his skill in develop- ing microclimates, and his global perspective, a pile of granite was transformed into a magnificent tropical rain forest garden. Mimicking Nature in a Rain Forest What sets the Darian garden apart from other, more fanciful tropical gardens is the skill with which he arranged the plants in ecological layers and associations. A high tree canopy shelters vines, orchids, and epiphytes on the tree trunks, along with tree ferns, philoden- dron, and other understory plants below. This arrangement achieves maximum carbon sequestering, cooling, water retention, and oxy- gen production—simulating a true rain forest. Adhering to ecological concepts was no con- straint on achieving beauty. The result of Dr Darian's tireless devotion to principle and plants is a series of visually appealing compo- sitions—a unique aesthetic experience. The key to his success was his own careful observa- tion of these plants as natural assemblages in their native habitats. Six to eight microclimates have been created in the garden through his understanding of the path of sunlight through the seasons; by arranging plants for shade as well as leaving openings for sun; by arranging boulders and rocks quarried from the site to capture warmth or shelter plants; and by creating artificial walls, grottoes, and cavities for special micro- climates, either to trap the sun's heat or to protect moist, shady pockets. A Tropical Oasis The garden is approached from the north through an upscale, gated community that has isolated Dr Darian's place as a hilltop oasis amid generic "landscaped" homes. Upon entering the long driveway at the end of a cul- de-sac, cooling shade from the high canopy envelops visitors in a tropical Eden. The hand- some ranch-style house on the apex of the hill is at the heart of the property. Broad concrete walkways lead around the hill through a series of gardens designed in response to the varying microclimates. North of the house, one enters a woodland garden cooled by clouds of mist from fogging emitters hidden in the trees to mimic a tropical cloud forest. A small, rock-lined pond enveloped by bold Monstera deliciosa, delicate tree ferns, palms, and bromeliads evokes images of a mysterious, secret tropical pool. Passing through this dark, hushed setting, one almost expects a serenade of jungle creatures—birds, chattering monkeys, and clicking insects. As the walk rounds the hillside into the dry, southern exposure, the garden opens into bright sunlight where plants that require heat are grown: various cycads (predominantly species of Encephalartos), tropical fruits (papaya, lichii, guava, mango, cherimoya, pineapple), subtropical fruits (avocado, citrus, guava, macadamia), and deciduous fruits (apricot, apple, peach, plum, pear, walnut) from temper- ate climates, along with cork oak (Quercus suber), locally native coast live oak (Q. agrifolia), and several types of sun-loving palms. Though this conglomeration may sound like a chaotic mix of unrelated plants, the complex composi- tion is, in fact, memorable and harmonious. Dr Darian has arranged enormous boulders to capture and hold the heat for the most tender plants. An artificial, shell-like structure traps heat for a coconut palm (Cocus nucifem), rarely seen in California. A high, densely planted berm shields the garden from nearby houses below the walk, so that one is not even conscious of the close proximity of neighboring rooftops. Leaving the hot, sunny garden as suddenly as entering it, one moves into a magical forest of tree ferns, other ferns, and various small palms, I (Eucatyp tooned > simulaft canopy: of tree f« story of up into walkwa skywalt from th result of trunks i breeze, visitors canopy forest ui Passir lower v\ grotto v to mas! marks t brown j water, s pools) o porate c planted red, ora) in their Hilltoj TheE the hill i ing a k protecte From th the reai waterfa serves a and koi Attac! (approx gracefu broad, ' pool ar plants, outdooj DrDc 26 /Pacific Horticulture Apr/May/Jun 2009 •om the north amity that has 3 hilltop oasis tomes. Upon e end of a cui- • high canopy len. The hand- pex of the hill 3road concrete irough a series to the varying •s a woodland : from fogging imic a tropical ond enveloped ate tree ferns, images of a >ool. Passing »g, one almost atures—birds, ; insects, e into the dry, n or "'S into it re e heat •redominantly fruits (papaya, a, pineapple), •itrus, guava, ruits (apricot, ) from temper- oak (Querais k (Q. agrifolia), >alms. Though like a chaotic plex cornposi- irmonious. Dr 5 boulders to e most tender tructure traps ucifcra), rarely nsely planted learby houses ;ven conscious ing rooftops, i as suddenly magical forest various small palms, beneath towering lemon-scented gums (Eucalyptus dlriodora). their smooth trunks fes- tooned with epiphytes. The forest is layered to simulate a real rain forest, with the high tree canopy sheltering a medium-height understory of tree ferns that further shelters a lower under- story of anthuriums and other aroicls. Looking up into the canopy, one sees a curious plank walkway through the trees, what I call "the skywalk." An eerie, creaking sound emanates from the trees that support the walkway, the result of the wooden beams rubbing against the trunks as the tree canopy sways in the gentle breeze. Dr Darian built this walkway to offer visitors the experience of being in the tree canopy and looking down on tree ferns and the forest understory. Passing through the tree fern forest on a lower walkway, one encounters the "cave and grotto wall," designed and built by Dr Darian to mask the plain concrete block wall that marks the property line. By cleverly layering brown gunite (a mixture of cement, sand, and water, such as is used for free-form swimming pools) onto the block wall, he was able to incor- porate cavities or grottos, which were, in turn, planted with brilliant orchids and bromeliads— red, orange, yellow, and pink jewels that sparkle in the moist darkness. Hilltop Gardens and More The Darians' sprawling home at the top of the hill is surrounded by other gardens, includ- ing a lovely shade garden on the north side, protected by a high canopy of dark shade cloth. From this garden, one enters a broac! terrace at the rear of the house featuring an exquisite waterfall of simulated rock formations that serves as a backdrop to the outdoor dining area and koi pond. Attached to the house is a large "pool room" (approximately eighty by forty feet) housing a gracefully curved swimming pool under a broad, translucent roof. Arranged around the pool are some of his most rare and precious plants, those that would not succeed in the outdoor garden. Dr Darian propagates thousands of seedlings and cuttings from his collection in a surpris- ingly unobtrusive 3,000-square-foot green- house nearly hidden from view across from the dry south garden. His experiments have involved the successful propagation of a strik- ing red-shafted palm from Malaysia (Cyrto- stachys lakka), plus ongoing attempts to find any plant that will tolerate the lowest temperatures of the area for introduction into the commercial trade. His exhaustive efforts have resulted in the introduction of many of the newest palms available in nurseries in Southern California. The garden — its plant compositions, the grotto wall, waterfall and ponds, pool room, and even the house — have all been designed by Dr Darian. The garden has been constructed with the help of only a few part-time workers and his current right-hand man, Scott Whipple, who has done the heavy lifting and most of the maintenance for the past nine years. Today, the collection comprises an astounding 4,700 plants, including 300 species in the ground, 100 genera of palms, and 5,700 plants in con- tainers in the greenhouse and throughout the property. Rainwater collected in two 2,500- gallon tanks (a half-inch of rain fills both tanks) is supplemented with city water. Because of his understanding of planting in various micro- climates, the use of shaded canopies, and a drip and fog irrigation system, water use is remarkably efficient. Although the garden is not open to the pub- lic, those fortunate to experience it will not only be enthralled with its surprising splendor, but will inevitably learn of its more important meanings and of Dr Darian's message of the necessity of planting forests to remove carbon from the atmosphere, to increase oxygen pro- duction and rainfall, to insulate the earth from excessive heat and cold, and to reduce wind speeds—all to combat climate change and to preserve the world as we know it. The Darian garden is an exceptional place on many levels—an inspiring example of one man's passion and understanding of how to address global climate change. The result is a cleverly designed and lushly planted tropical garden, with significant potential as a research facility for the study and propagation of rare and endangered species, and as an educational >r/M n 2009 A Tropical Eden with a Mission / 27 Tin1 skywalk, >uspendecl between trunks ot lemon-scented gums (Eucalyptus ri/riodora), provides views down into palms and tree terns The palm garden, filled with more than forty species of palms from tropical regions around the world The waterfall alongside the terrace; Stephanolii flonbiimla climbs a post behind a cluster of hybrid Chamaedorea palms; ferns (Nephrolepis exnltaia 'Fluffy Ruffles') flank the pool on the left, a grass tree (Xanthorrhoea preiVsn) on the right facility for the study of rain forest ecosystems, microclimate design, and sustainability. Now, at seventy-six, Dr Darian's primary wish is to preserve the garden by finding an Visit www.pacifichorticulti/re, org to see more photographs of Dr Darian's exceptional garden individual, institution, or corporation who would continue his legacy under his guidance. There is much yet for the world to learn from this exceptional tropical garden, j£ AR/i hybrid with on the which a me mildews pi. collect!) '^ I ivi JLjOV lenges. 28 /Pacifn Horliailtiuv Apr/May /) ove 75-foot tall canoptj trees create a rainforest environment moderating • temperature, light and wind speed, creating 6-8 micro-climates in one location. _F.>*T -j. "Tne best kept secret in ,San D'^go CLounttj." ""-\v £)r. f^rancis Clningi Director E.meritus v LOS /Angeles /\rboretum and £>otanical (jardens T"he closest fKing to fvd iave ever see|1, or dreame Logan JJenlcins ' subtropical palmatum in trie world." ...i (jibbons, Morbcultu"5* 4 I* 5OO exotic species ol,r .VVKrl -*• - -valms...over 1OO genera /\roiAs...alocacias, antheriums, philodendrums * E>romeliads...AoAen&M/gwi stellata, veriesias, achmeas Cyca<\s...encephalartos woodii, e. lehmannii, e. horridus, e. princepts, e. trispinosus f^ilicies ...tree ferns from 2^ countries Orchids.,.2^ f-CC Cattleya orchids, over 2OO specimens Vines and f^ piphtjtcs ~]ne £)arian (jarden facilities: * 5-2 acres zoned £_-1A (splittable) (jate-guarded community with two public access roads ^ 5SOO square-foot custom home surrounded bu a subtropical rainforest and natural roclc formationsi ** § Elaborate jjunter Industries professional sprinkler system 4OOO square-foot atrium/pool room filled with an exotic collection of rare tropical specimens. Roclc waterfall with 2 Icoi ponds 5OOO sauare~foot commercial greenhouse (J)ver °ne half mile of paved pathways at three elevations A showcase wall of cliffs and caves. A ^^OO-gallon water storage facility Imagine the j ossibilities.... ^ A 5cience ar)d Kesearcn Oent<=r "* A (Corporate Retreat * A Commercial |\|ursery ^ A Holistic Health and VVdlness (Center ^ A private enclave for rainforest enthusiasts priceless Dr. M-E1- Danan An internationally-acclaimed palm specialist and horticulturalist, L)r. £^)arian has spent the past 4^ years cultivating tropical and subtropical specieSj while promoting rainforest preservation, worldwide reforestation, and environmental conservation. Collection. f^or more information or to arrange a tour, please contact n Invitation All information is deemed to be reliable, but not guaranteed. Buyer and buyer!? representative should verify all information independently. A 5ubtropical Rainforest of rare and exotic species A Legacy in 5an D'ego C,ountL)