Horticultural Heritage

Horticultural Heritage. , Nurseryman Michael Lynch bought the property that is now the Stanford Redwood City campus in 1898. Lynch was best known for growing violets and sweet peas for sale as cut flowers and in seed packets. In 1901, he was hired by Jane Stanford to supervise gardeners at Stanford University’s campus and at her home. Lynch’s nurseries in Menlo Park and Redwood City supplied plants to the Stanford campus in this early period, including at least 10 palm trees., Flower-growing boomed as a local industry in the early decades of the 20th century. Brothers Eikichi and Sadakusu Enomoto built a thriving chrysanthemum sales nearly equal in value California’s entire wheat crop. Redwood City boosters launched an annual Kiku Matsuri, or chrysanthemum festival, to promote the city and its climate., Flowers were also grown by Japanese American and Chinese American tenants on Stanford lands, including Escondido Village and Stanford Research Park sites., (There is a small panel in braille below the main text), ”[Chrysanthemum growing] took more work than the babies did; the babies grew up!” , Ruby Inouye, Redwood City Nurserywoman, 2003, Images: , (Left) The Peninsula’s climate and rail links allowed Michael Lynch and later growers to offer the latest varieties competitively with nurserymen on the East Coast and Europe. , (Top Right) Big Game spectators like these on 1953’s football program wore Turner (white) and Good News (yellow) chrysanthemums grown in Redwood City. , (Bottom Right) The Nakano Family, Japanese American chrysanthemum growers in Redwood City.