As part of our ongoing efforts to support landscape professionals, nurture awareness of our unique Bay Area ecology, and foster awareness of plants and the need to conserve the earth’s biological diversity, Pacific Nurseries recently sponsored and helped organize the Garden Feast event at the San Francisco Botanical Garden.

Nurturing the next generation of landscape professionals.

Garden Feast supports a significant part of the San Francisco Botanical Garden Society’s Youth Education Program. This unique program reaches over 11,000 of San Francisco’s most underserved children each year by using the 55 acres of the Botanical Garden as a large outdoor classroom right in the heart of the City.

A growing body of research has shown that when investments in programs are made in connecting children to the natural world, we nurture future stewards of the planet that are more mindful and aware of the interconnectedness of our actions and our environment.

Julie Baldocchi, Vice-President of Pacific Nurseries, served as the event chair person for the Garden Feast event. She worked with a select committee of over two dozen organizers and supporters to generate awareness of the Youth Education Program and raise revenue to support it.

The event, held in late May 2014 at the San Francisco Botanical Garden, featured an engaging presentation by internationally known psychologist, science journalist, and bestselling author, Daniel Goleman. He spoke on the importance of developing ecological intelligence as well as emotional and social intelligence in children, to enable and support the next generation of environmentally sensitized and aware leaders.

Making a difference.

The turn out and response for the event exceeded everyone’s expectations. In fact, contributions surpassed the target goal by over 18%. The result was generous support for a program that will make a world of difference to Bay Area kids and garden enthusiasts.

Garden Feast Event Chair, Julie Baldocchi, added:

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“It’s so satisfying to see how our many months of hard work all came together beautifully.

We could not have done this without the combined efforts of our sponsors, donors and all of the organizers. They have my deepest appreciation for providing so many children with the opportunity to connect and learn about nature and become compassionate future stewards of our planet. The lessons they learn in the Children’s Garden will take them further than they could ever imagine.


I am so proud of our accomplishment and think this was the best Garden Feast event ever!”

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A inspirational resource right in our backyard.

As a locally cherished and internationally recognized center of beauty, conservation and educational programs, the San Francisco Botanical Garden has a mission to cultivate the natural bond between people and plants.

The Garden inspires visitors with an extraordinary diversity of plants from Mediterranean climates and high altitude rain forests around the world. Included in the Garden’s collection are over 7500 varieties of rare and unusual plants that can be successfully grown in the San Francisco Bay Area. It’s a one-of-a-kind place for inspiration, specimen exploration or just relaxation in a world class botanical garden.

Share your experience.

Please let us know if you attended the event or recently visited the garden. We’d love to hear about your experience. Click here to learn more about the San Francisco Botanical Garden.