Save The San Francisco Botanical Gardens



All of these photos were taken by me on Monday during my visit to the Botanical Gardens. I planned on this just being a Wordless Wednesday post with photos until I visited the Gardens website and found that due to budget cuts etc... the gardens will fall to demise unless they begin charging an entrance fee. There have been mumblings and rumors about this over the past year with a lively debate.

Now you all know that I am there on a regular basis. If it has to permanently close I WILL NOT be a happy camper. The gardens have always been free unlike all the other venues in that area to include the DeYoung Museum, The Academy of Sciences of which you almost have to be a millionaire to afford their entrance fees, The Japanese Tea Garden and the Conservatory of Flowers.

My position is that the Botanical Gardens should begin implementing fees. Why not? Everyone else charges fees to maintain their venues. If you buy a membership to the gardens which is as low as $60.00 per year, rounding out to five bucks a month, then you have a 24/7 free admission. What the gardens is proposing is to charge a $7.00 entrance fee for all non residents which I think is very liberal. My suggestion is to charge everyone a fee unless they buy a membership. Then the gardens can also implement a couple of free days per month for everyone like the other venues in the area. Now mind you, I am not rich by any means but can certainly afford a $60.00 membership ($5.00 per month), to save my gardens.

I am extremely passionate about this cause and there is a petition on the Botanical Gardens website where you can sign in favor of the $7.00 non-resident entrance fee. Click here for the link to that petition. Now I know many of you do not live here but if you agree with this fee and saving MY GARDENS :) then please sign. They need 1,000 signatures and currently, as I am typing this have about 480.

There are so many exciting changes going on at the Gardens everyday, that to see it die due to not enough funding is just heartbreaking. I took many photos on my jaunt there on Monday so I'll have more during the week. Thanks everyone.







Comments

Lolia S said…
That's really sad. I don't want to lose the gardens. I will sign the petition.
Joanne Olivieri said…
Thanks so much Susan :)
Anonymous said…
I hope you save the gardens!
Joanne Olivieri said…
Brittany, I hope so too, thank you
ian said…
seven dollars is one meal at McDonald's or two cups of coffee at Starbucks... things that one can go without if it would mean being able to support and enjoy more such a wonderful refuge in the heart of SF...
Joanne Olivieri said…
ian, exactly my point and thanks so much for reading and commenting.
Diane AZ said…
I've never been there before, but just by looking at your beautiful photos I can see that the San Francisco Botanical Gardens is worth saving. I signed the petition.
Joanne Olivieri said…
Diane, you are a doll, thank you so much :)
Ann said…
I would be more than happy to sign and help save your gardens. Without your gardens where would you get all these lovely photos you bring us :)
Joanne Olivieri said…
Exactly Ann, I'd have to give up my photography :) Thanks so much for your support.
Anonymous said…
I agree, it's a small price to pay for something that gives so much pleasure.
Mike Golch said…
Yep it is a small peice to pay.
rainfield61 said…
It is your Wonderland. Hope you won't lose it.
Joanne Olivieri said…
dawn, Exactly how I see it. Thanks Dawn.

Mike, Yes it is, thanks.

rainfield, I hope not either and I will keep you all posted on this. Thanks my friend :)
I think the price is very reasonable, Jo! You will definitely have more than a thousand signatures..Hope your garden stays open for you..
Joanne Olivieri said…
Icy, Thank you it's slowly getting close to the 1,000 mark and we have until March 4th when there is a meeting at city hall. I hope we can do it.
Unknown said…
Wow! Gorgeous. I'd love to see ANYTHING blossoming right about now, but all I'm getting is a snow storm! :-). Thank you for sharing these. What a treat.
Joanne Olivieri said…
Accessory Lady, I'm glad you like them and thanks for commenting.
This can't be happening, people should join forces to stop the closing down of this garden. I signed , sealed my name in the petition. #735. xoxo
Joanne Olivieri said…
Michelle, Thank you so much for signing the petition, it means so much to me and to keeping the gardens alive. I so much appreciate it. xoxo
Rick (Ratty) said…
It's a shame that they will have to charge money for this wonderful place, but that's much better than a place like this shutting down.
Joanne Olivieri said…
Ratty, exactly, we cannot let it just die, it's too important to our city.
DoanLegacy said…
Yes, I am there, will sign up after I finish this comment. I absolutely think $7 is reasonable for a beautiful visit!
Joanne Olivieri said…
Doan, you are so sweet and thank you so much for signing, it means so much :)
C. JoyBell C. said…
Well, I'm really really really far away, so I can't do anything about this...but I can send you all my kindest regards and wishes that all will turn out favorably.
Unknown said…
I hope the gardens get saved. An admission fee seems reasonable to me as it takes money to keep up gardens. I know here it's free but you pay for parking. Same with our Arboretum. And then both offer memberships. $7 is not a lot to pay for something like that.
Secondary Roads said…
It would be extremely sad if they had to close a beautiful place like that.
Joanne Olivieri said…
C, thanks

Diane, I agree thanks Diane.

Chuck, it would be heartbreaking so I'll keep you all posted.
RNSANE said…
After the major loss of services to the indigent poor and children in the massive cuts to the Department of Public Health, I certainly support charging admission to the Botanical Gardens and other such venues in order to save other vital city services. I love the gardens as much as the next person but it does cost money to maintain them and to pay workers...the fee they are asking is very reasonable, of course. In this time of crisis, we need to support these projects that make our city so beautiful to ourselves and our visitors from other parts of the world!
RNSANE said…
I signed and wrote the following:

These beautiful gardens, especially in this time of hardship and recession, offer peace and solace to so many of us. They are admired by residents and visitors alike. It would be tragic if they did not exist. If charging admission would preserve them, then so be it. Their beauty and the enrichment they provide to so many is well worth the admission price!

Thanks, Jo, for alerting us to this and giving us the referral link.
Joanne Olivieri said…
Carmen, thanks for signing the petition. There is a hearing on this at City hall on the 4th so I plan to be there. It seems as if everything in this city lately is being neglected due to budget cuts and it is such a shame. While I have been a supporter of Mayor Newsom, these days that support is growing very thin and I'm not the only one who feels this way. Our city needs attention in so many areas and it's about time he sees what we need.

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