The magnificent camellias,
rhododendrons, azaleas, and magnolias that create a spectacular display
of color each year at the U.S. Geological Survey in Menlo Park aren’t
what usually come to mind when one thinks about a government building
and its landscaping. The lush plantings and many rare specimens are
largely the work of the late USGS geophysicist, Howard Oliver.
To recognize Howard Oliver’s significant and generous contributions to
the USGS gardens, the San Francisco Peninsula Camellia Society and the
De Anza Chapter of the American Rhododendron Society will dedicate a
plaque in his honor on Monday, March 31 at 5:45 p.m. The plaque will be
placed in the USGS gardens under the wisteria arbor between buildings 1
& 2, at the base of a large specimen of Sierra Nevada granodiorite,
surrounded by red and white-blooming rhododendrons.
A tour of the gardens is scheduled at 5:00p.m. before the plaque
dedication ceremony. Meet on the front steps of USGS Building 3 for the
tour. After the ceremony, at 7:00 p.m, the Camellia and Rhododendron
Societies will host local horticulturist Barrie D. Coate who will speak
about Camellia and Rhododendron
Pests and Diseases, and will demonstrate camellia and
rhododendron pruning techniques. The lecture and pruning demonstration,
in the Bldg 3 auditorium, are open to the public. At 6:30 p.m., before
the lecture, there will be a plant sale of camellias.
When the USGS established its Western Region Center in Menlo Park in
1954, there were no formal plantings and only a few native oaks and
grasses. Government-funded landscaping allowed only for lawns and some
evergreen bushes. In 1960, one USGS geophysicist, Howard Oliver,
decided to brighten up the area near one of the buildings by planting
some rhododendron bushes from his home garden. One bush soon became
several, and by the 1970s, Dr. Oliver was donating rare rhododendrons
and azaleas to the USGS gardens. He was assisted by his son, Bill, and
members of Menlo Park Boy Scout Troop 109, who helped to plant and care
for the plants, as part of their merit badge training. Through the
years, other USGS employees followed Oliver’s example by donating
specimen plants from their own gardens. The USGS gardens are
beautifully maintained by VTF Services, Inc., of Mountain View
California, and although Oliver retired from the USGS in 1997, he
continued as a volunteer to supervise the care and feeding of these
special plants until his death in 2006. Mainly through the efforts of
Oliver, the USGS center in Menlo Park has one of the largest
collections, variety-wise, of rhododendrons in California.
In addition to the USGS gardens, Oliver spearheaded the planting of
several other public spaces, including the Redwood City Library, and
Connor Park in Los Altos. Howard Oliver was a long-time member and past
president of the San Francisco Peninsula Camellia Society, a member of
the De Anza and Northern California Rhododendron Societies, and the
American Magnolia Society. He was particularly interested in R. occidental, the native
California azalea, and with others, introduced it to the nursery trade.
A map and directions to the USGS campus are online.
The online map indicates the locations of buildings 1, 2, & 3,
where the activities will take place. A self-guided tour of the USGS
gardens is available online.
