Thomas Church's Donnell Garden Tour & Lecture Event in Sonoma
Modern landscape design buffs should mark their calendars for the Thomas Church event in Sonoma which is scheduled for this Thursday, September 6, 2007 from 2-8pm.
This special event honoring the father of modern, California Style landscape architecture will include a series of lectures followed by a tour of the Donnel Gardens in Sonoma which Thomas Church designed in 1948.
Speakers and panel members for this unique event include:
- Zahid Sardar, SF Chronicle Design Editor
- Marc Treib, U. of CA - Berkeley, Prof. of Architecture & Landscape Historian
- Waverly Lowell, U. of CA - Berkeley, Curator of Environmental Design Archives
- JC Miller, Rohston Hanamoto Alley & Abey, Landscape Architect
- Pam-Anela Messenger, Landscape Architect
- Sandra Donnell & Justin Faggioli, Owners & Stewards
- David Sheppard, Donnell Garden Manager
Tickets must be purchased in advance - Buy Tickets Now.

For those of you driving to the event from Marin County, expect about a 30 minute trip to the Cornerstone Garden. DRIVING DIRECTIONS: From Marin County (South), take 101 North to 37 East. At SEARS Point (now the location of Infineon Raceway), take the Carneros Highway (Hwy. 121) North. Turn right 1/4 mile past the Schellville Airport.
Discussion
Hello, I am a student at Manchester University of England, I am currently studying the El Novillero Garden that Thomas Church created.
My task is to create a scale model of the garden, I was wondering if you knew of anywhere ehere I might be able to get a copy of a scale plan from which to base my model on.
Kind Regards
Paul Cartledge UK
Sounds like an interesting and fun project!
I would encourage you to check with the University of California Berkeley Environmental Design Archives since they might be able to assist.
You may also want to try and locate a book by Marc Treib entitled "The Donnell and Eckbo Gardens: Modern Californian Masterworks."
Best of luck!
I want to clarify my position on this--I do not work for Royston Hanamoto Allen & Abey (and never have). I have my own landscape architectural practice in Lafayette, CA--and have been in private practice since 1980. I am working on a book on Thomas Church (with funding provided in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts). Anyone having information on Church's gardens whom I have not yet met is welcome to contact me.
Mr.Cartledge could refer to the articles I have written on the Donnell garden--they include a plan drawn by the late Michael Laurie that he could work off for a model. There are not extant drawings by Church. Please contact me directly if you need further info. 925.299.9585.
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