Stem Punk
Lotusland and the Power of Flowers
Written by Lorie Dewhirst Porter
Photographs by Mariana Schulze
The advent of spring at Lotusland, Montecito's lavish botanical garden, is always worth celebrating, and this year's Spring Equinox Extravaganza was an occasion that Ganna Walska, the eccentric founder of Lotusland, would surely have relished. Engineered by two talented creatives—Louesa Roebuck and Dina Saalisi—the event was an opportunity to experience the spiritual and artistic significance of flowers in the midst of Madame’s exquisite garden.
Roebuck, author of Punk Ikebana and Foraged Flora, demonstrated her exuberant approach to flower arranging in a carefully constructed outdoor classroom, a breathtaking setting that took four days days to assemble. Guests were seated at tables covered with Roebuck’s vintage linens, and each table had a grouping of handmade ceramic vessels for composing arrangements. With large bunches of plant material nearby (scented geranium, wisteria, nasturtium, coral tree branches that were foraged and gleaned by Roebuck and Curtis Searle Fletcher in Ojai and Carpinteria), little encouragement was needed to coax guests to indulge in floral creativity.
Saalisi—a healer and wellness coach and author of several books, including The Art of Flower Therapy—led the group in affirmations and highlighted selections from Listening to Flowers, her hand-illustrated oracle deck of aspirations based on the flower remedies of Edward Bach, a renowned British medical doctor and homeopath. For the flower arranging, Saalisi gleaned bunches of sweet pea and fava bean in the Napa Valley and transported them to Lotusland with husband David Saalisi for the classroom setup.
Between flower arranging and oracle readings, guests were treated to beverages from Apiary Beverage Co. and sweet selections from Chocolate Maya. The day culminated in a leisurely wander through garden, and guests departed with their own flower arrangement and gift bags, made from recycled silk saris, filled with Saalisi’s oracle deck, a special flower remedy, and seed packets.
