History and the Creation of the Present Site and Garden

Planting at Garden dedication, Nov. 2004, with the Old Residence in the background.
You can see what a long way the garden has come!

 

Garden dedication ceremony, Nov. 2004 with the New Residence in the background with City and MWD officials and guests.

Pictures above taken by Betty Auman.

 

History: More than 20 sites were presented to Sam and Alfreda. Selection was based on the eucalyptus windrow, the relic grove area (the site was no longer occupied) and the view of the city lights and the mountains (and Catalina on a clear day). Alfreda did not live to move to the property. Their original home and workshops were located 3 miles SE of the current site. It was displaced by the 210-freeway construction.

The original site had one of the largest avocado trees in California but unfortunately it couldn’t be moved. Sam sold seeds to UCR. Some of the plantings from the original location were moved to the new site, other plants have been added to replicate the original site; for instance, the Black Bamboo. The legacy plants were moved at the same time as the buildings.

Sam and Alfreda lived at the original residence for almost 50 years. Sam chose a lemon grove that offered lots of room for his workshops and residence, and provided a supplemental income while he became established as a woodworker. The present site was chosen partly to recreate the original environment.

Sam and Beverly were married in 2001.

 

Scenes of the move, 2001

Snapshots courtesy of the Maloof family.