The Garden of my Past, Present, and Future: A member story spanning three generations in The Garden By: Taylor Keefer, Marketing & Communications Specialist
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arriette Rees Azlein was introduced to the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden for the first time at five years old. New to California and struck with childlike wonder, The Garden offered her an exciting world of exploration, freedom, and even a little bit of thrill. As she made her way down the steep path leading into the canyon, she mustered the courage to descend into the great wilderness. There, her eyes widened as she gazed across the landscape and then raised them skyward to the towering redwood trees.
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That was 94 years ago when The Garden was younger than Harriette. Today, Harriette is 99 years young and a regular visitor to The Garden. In August, on one of these visits, Harriette struck up a conversation with Zach Kucinski, our plant sales coordinator. The pair were sharing stories and looking through The Garden’s photo archives when she noticed a familiar photo from the 1940s. “Stop! That’s me!” Harriette exclaimed. The photo captured one of Harriette’s favorite memories in The Garden: herself
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