Montecito Miscellany A Koi-ful Addition to Lotusland
Ellen DeGeneres checking out the 55 Koi she donated to Lotusland’s Japanese Garden (courtesy photo)
by Richard Mineards
F Van Cleef & Arpels Pair of Gold and Diamond ‘Snowflake’ Pendant-Earclips. Sold $94,500. Bulgari Gold, Platinum, Kashmir Sapphire and Diamond Ring. Sold $352,800.
Consignment Day Tuesday, November 14
Our Specialists will be in the Santa Barbara / Montecito area collecting Jewelry, Watches, Art, Silver and more for auction consignment or outright purchase. Please contact us to schedule a private in-person or virtual appointment. Information & Appointments
L# 19101168
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ormer TV talk-show host Ellen DeGeneres, who used to live near the Montecito botanical paradise Lotusland before selling the estate to Google honcho Eric Schmidt, has come to the 37-acre estate with 55 mature Koi for the Japanese Garden lake. Rebecca Anderson, executive director, tells me Robert Riskin of Riskin Partners Estate Group contacted the former property of Polish opera singer Ganna Walska to ask if the lake would be a suitable home for the exotic fish. DeGeneres, 65, known for her serial flipping of homes, recently acquired a local estate with dozens of the breed, too many for the modest-sized garden. Robert immediately thought of Lotusland, as he and his family had been involved with the garden for many years. The Japanese Garden holds a special place in his heart, especially because the Reflection Walk was dedicated to the memory of his late mother, Rebecca Riskin, during the garden’s renovation in 2019 following the devastating debris flow in which her life was so tragically lost. “We gratefully accepted the decadesold Koi and our team transported them to their new water oasis here,” says Rebecca. “They have settled in well and are quite content with their new surroundings.
“They started swimming closely and in a synchronized manner in the reflecting pond immediately upon their transfer.” Schoolchildren and guests have been delighted by the new addition. Among Lotusland’s 20 themed gardens, the Japanese Garden is often cited as the favorite by children. It is also a perfect environment for the new arrivals, who feed on the bugs, plant material, and algae. Ellen has been to visit them in their new home and took time out to feed them while she was there. Nothing to carp about, clearly.
A CALM-ing Lunch What a difference a year makes! Last year, CALM at Heart’s lunch was only saved from deluging rain with the erection of a large tent preventing the gardens at Los Sueños, the Montecito home of international lawyer Robert Lieff, becoming a quagmire. This year, as Lieff has just put the George Washington Smith estate on the market for $33 million, the popular charity decided to host its 11th annual sold-out event at the Montecito Club in blazing sunshine with 250 guests raising more than $375,000. The boffo bash, co-chaired by Carolyn Fitzgerald, Belle Hahn, Analise
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The planning committee (photo by Isaac Hernandez and Nell Campbell) Doyle Auctioneers & Appraisers New York New Jersey
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9 – 16 November 2023