One of the most grand places in Altadena is the 62-year-old oasis of camelias and azaleas — Nuccio’s Nursery. I’ve traipsed through the aisles, had Jim and others load up my car, pot plants, or even give me a snip of something to see how it looks in my yard. Just love these guys. This Sunday they’re having a special event starting at 9 am — postponed from last week due to weather. Here are photos I took last weekend between storms…
Nuccio’s Nursery, world-famous growers and hybridizers of azaleas and camellias, has overlooked the San Gabriel valley from high on Chaney Trail since 1946. This tucked-away treasure is the only remaining commercial grower in a town once renowned for its many nurseries.
Visit for “Breakfast among the camellias”
Warm up with a selection of steeped Camellia sinensis /leaves
(also known as tea), and learn more about Altadena and one of its iconic
landmarks.
Tea, Savories, & Pastries available from 9am
Program begins promptly at 10am
Altadena’s Nurseried Past — local historian Michele Zack
The Story of Nuccio’s – nursery co-owner Julius Nuccio
A Journey Through Tea – special guest author Liz Handy
$10 donation requested for non-members
Memberships sold at the door
Directions:
Turn up-hill at the flashing yellow light on West Loma Alta -
nursery is on the left, look for the sign. Pretty damn hard to miss!
Please hike, bike, or car-pool if you can, parking is limited.
DUTTON’S BRENTWOOD CLOSING ITS DOORS Another blow to the book world. Just feels like that damn movie “You’ve Got Mail” keeps coming true. We are so fortunate to have Vroman’s in our back yard. Sorry to see the venerable Dutton’s hit the road the end of April. I am a longtime member of IWOSC (Independent Writers of Southern California) and IWOSC recently had an event with Dutton’s, one of its last. Here’s the release from Duttons:Los Angeles, CA, February 25, 2008 – It is with profound regret and sorrow that Dutton’s Brentwood Books must announce that it will be closing on April 30, 2008. As our regular customers and friends well know, the past year for the store has been one of upheaval and turmoil. Hard on the heels of the closure of the Dutton’s Beverly Hills location came word that the Brentwood property had changed ownership, and the new owner, Charles T. Munger, announced plans to redevelop the property. The multiple uncertainties of the bookstore’s future, combined with the encumbrances associated with the closure of the Beverly Hills store have crippled the store’s ability to provide the kind of immediate service and depth of inventory that our customers have come to rightly expect. It is no secret that the store today is a shadow of its former self. Given our situation as it now stands, the pride we feel in our past achievements, and the vagaries of the current book market, shuttering our doors seems the only realistic solution. It is important to note that Charles Munger has committed to a significant amount of financial support for the difficult process of closing the store, and we appreciate his generosity. Be assured, especially those of you who have regularly asked, “How are things going at the store,” that every effort has been made to try to sensibly and rationally save this enterprise. Those efforts continued up until last week. It is the uncertainty that has, more than any other factor, led us to this painful decision. It has arrested improvement to the physical property, impacted inventory, and made it impossible for our extraordinary staff to provide the level of service that they are accustomed to giving. We have been asked if the store will reopen in the proposed new development, or at another site in the area. At present, any plans to reopen or relocate will have to await a real offer in a real situation, combined with a sober assessment of the realities of the book world. That said, we have not said “no” to any future possibility. The one certainty that we have relied upon for our many years at this location is the honest and dedicated support by this community to the value of books and bookstores in general, and to this one in particular. This is a demonstrable fact, proven repeatedly, and while we openly acknowledge our debt to our customers for their years, and even decades, of support, we further ask for your understanding and forbearance in the extremely difficult months ahead.Doug Dutton
writerdeb
