2008 Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the MGS

In the fall of 2008, our Northern California Branch of The Mediterranean Garden Society hosted the Annual General Meeting of the international membership in Monterey, California.  I recall that we were asked two years prior if we would consider taking on this task by the society’s then president, Cali Doxiadis.  This meeting is hosted by the various branches two out of three years, the third year being held in Greece when elections are held.  The majority of branch hosted meetings had been in Europe, though the Southern California Branch had hosted in 2002.  Because California had been one of the most actively growing sections of the society, this perhaps made sense.

Our committee chose the Monterey peninsula as the location for meeting, as we were fortunate that a historic hotel – Casa Munras – was just completing renovation and was eager to have our event as one of their first.  We were also lucky to have connections to a handful of very talented garden designers who were actively working in this area and had many properties to suggest visiting.  We are grateful for their cooperation in making this a spectacular event.

Some of the international membership in attendance had never been to California, or had only visited briefly many years before.  It was a treat to see their excitement over things those of us living here often take for granted.  Through explaining the details of our local expression of the mediterranean climate, we also came to learn more ourselves about the unique advantages of our locale.