Grow the Gardens Campaign

To Grow the Gardens means welcoming more visitors; offering more community services and educational programs; supporting more local artists, authors, and performers; and celebrating more seasons of life with the families of Orange County.

Our Roots

The Sherman Library & Gardens has been deeply rooted in Orange County for over half of a century, serving the community as a sanctuary and educational beacon of horticulture, history, and art. Founded in 1966 by Arnold Haskell, and named for his friend and mentor, Moses Hazeltine Sherman, this iconic institution serves as a guardian of regional history and artifacts, a living library of plants both native and exotic, and a conservator of artistic works influenced by and produced in the Pacific Southwest.

“Gardens are not static; they are always in motion responding to wind, water, and sunlight. We expect the same of an organization that strives to serve its community as we do.”

Scott LaFleur
Executive Director of Sherman Library & Gardens

Our Growth

Our goal is simple but ambitious: to create the most beautiful, accessible, and impactful botanical garden in Southern California. 

With your help over the next two years, Sherman Library & Gardens will renovate, reconfigure, and reimagine the property to better meet the growing needs of the community.

• The “new front door” is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform this hidden community asset of unique botanical displays and collections of rich history into educational and artistic program experiences.
• Grow the Gardens will amplify the unique, oasis-like quality of Sherman Library & Gardens to activate all five senses and allow guests to enjoy the campus effortlessly.
• With the growth and improvements, programs offered to the community will be expanded, providing additional curated and impactful immersive experiences.
• Sherman Library & Gardens will remain authentic to the character, scale, and architecture of the surrounding community, while evolving with the needs of the community, and strengthening the mission impact.

Leave a lasting legacy and help us Grow the Gardens by pledging your support

“We feel a sense of personal peace and growth from unexpected new discoveries each time we visit the Sherman Library & Gardens. It’s a secret treasure that needs to be shared more with our community.”
Janet Ray
Co-Chair of Campaign Committee and Board of Trustees

Flanked by formidable walls, the front entrance along Pacific Coast Highway is not easily accessible nor visible. The new bell tower entrance and wrought iron fencing will create a gorgeous and welcoming frontage with an open yet secure enclosure that allows the community to enjoy the beauty of the gardens from along the Pacific Coast Highway, highlighting both the historical relevance and enduring beauty of the property. Sherman Library & Gardens provides a doorway into the original beauty and natural history of the community. The “new front door” opens that view for all to see.

The relocation of the Garden-to-Table restaurant to Pacific Coast Highway creates additional opportunities to engage with the community, and provides increased financial stability, ensuring the long-term success of Sherman Library & Gardens for the community. This relocation will allow for a natural integration of the gardens and the surrounding Village, allowing people to be drawn into the gardens from another access point. The Community Building, previously shared with the restaurant, will now be used full-time for programs and classes, expanding the programs and impacting more people through educational and artistic experiences.

With annual attendance increasing by over 50% in the last few years, the outdated facilities and current campus configuration do not meet the growing needs for Sherman Library & Gardens’ vibrant cultural and education programming. The reconfigured and renovated facilities will increase capacity by 25% to meet the continuously growing demand for education programs and advance Sherman Library & Gardens as a world-class cultural hub. It is an oasis accessible to the entire community.

Your Legacy

How will your donation to Grow the Gardens help to create better outcomes for the community?

• Sherman Library & Gardens needs to be the vital link that connects our community to health organizations, schools, businesses, artists, and families as the premier world-class hub.
• We need to enhance the visibility of Sherman Library & Gardens as the gateway to Newport Beach, making residents and businesses proud.
• With annual attendance increasing over 50% in the last few years, the outdated facilities and current campus configuration do not meet the growing needs for Sherman Library & Gardens’ vibrant education and artistic experiences.
• Your contribution to Sherman’s Grow the Gardens campaign is fundamental to expanding the critical programs offered to meet the growing community needs and collaboration potential.
• Current collaborations include:
• NMUSD – Habitat Explorers program
• Local Highschool/College – Horticulture internship program
• UCI – Library Sciences internship program
• Samueli Health Institute – Women’s Wellness Day
• LCAD – Summer Art collaboration
• Girl Scouts and Cub Scouts – Tours and classes
• Newport Beach Film Festival
• A redesign of the gardens is needed to increase the botanical displays, protect the collections, and improve sustainability.
• Visitors will be immersed in a vast array of global beauty found only in a world-class botanical garden.
• To engage the community and partner with local organization to share an understanding and appreciation for the beauty and history of the Pacific Southwest through Sherman Library and Gardens’ enhanced and expanded programs.
• By helping Grow the Gardens, you are providing Sherman with a dedicated space so classes, field trips, community events, workshops and lectures can happen seven days a week, rain or shine.
• It’s an investment in the community that cannot be delayed.   

Your Impact

By supporting the Gardens, you’ll help us not only extend our mission reach but amplify the impact of every organization we partner with.  

The reconfigured and renovated facilities will increase capacity by 25% to meet the continuous growing demand for education and art programs and advance Sherman Library & Gardens as a world-class botanical garden. It will be an oasis accessible to the entire community.

• With your support, Sherman Library & Gardens hopes to sustain the education programs and collaborations noted, while growing its programming in the following areas:

• Wellness - Mindfulness, mental health, longevity, plant-forward nutrition, movement, bodywork
• Conservation- Composting, drought-tolerant planting, biodiversity, reducing environmental impact
• Community- Engagement opportunities and support for special audiences

To Grow the Gardens means welcoming more visitors; showcasing more unique botanical displays; offering more community events and educational programs; supporting more local artists, authors, and performers; partnering with more local organizations; and celebrating more life celebrations with the families of Southern California.

Together, we will plant the seeds, grow the garden, and leave a legacy for generations to come.

The original endowment from the Sherman Foundation was purposely restricted to routine operating expenses including maintenance, ensuring that any capital changes to the property would require community approval, engagement, and investment. In so doing, the Foundation has ensured that the Sherman Library & Gardens belongs to the community and remains subject to its collective desires.
  
Therefore, with gratitude, the institution humbly calls upon its members, the residents of Corona del Mar, and the community at large to help Grow the Gardens into a living oasis of horticulture, history, and art for all for generations to come.

Your Generosity

You are invited to help Grow the Gardens. 

Those who support the Grow the Gardens Campaign are making a tax-deductible investment in the cultural, historical, and natural landscape of this beautiful community. You are supporting the incredible improvements to a cherished non-profit and public asset. The results will blossom immediately and for generations to come!

Grow the Gardens Campaign donors will receive a unique set of recognition and benefits based on the Grow the Garden Donor levels. A unique set of naming opportunities has been designed within the Gardens to recognize those at the Transform to Thrive recognition levels. Additionally, all donors at or above the Flourish level will be recognized on the beautifully designed donor wall, adjacent to the Bell Tower, at Pacific Coast Highway.

“Just a wall away from the busy Pacific Coast Highway is a magical space that provides beauty, nature, and best of all a moment to feel calm and peaceful.” 
Amy Uyemura
Board of Governors

For more information, please contact: