MONTECITO, Calif. – February 18, 2026 – Anna Bower, Associate Curator of Living Collections and Nursery Manager at Ganna Walska Lotusland in Montecito, California, has received the 2026 Bouquet of the Year Award from the Santa Barbara County Horticultural Society, the organization’s highest honor recognizing excellence in advancing horticulture in the region. Established in 1880, the Society is one of the longest running horticultural organizations in the United States.
At Lotusland, Bower manages plant records and oversees the Garden’s on site nursery, where she propagates a diverse range of plants for the living collections, including cycads grown from seed and ferns from spores. She received horticultural training at several botanic gardens in the Seattle (University of Washington Botanic Gardens, Kruckeberg Botanic Garden) and Philadelphia (Longwood Gardens, Morris Arboretum) regions and holds a Master of Science in Plant Science from the University of Delaware.
Bower most recently served as President and Plant Sale Coordinator of the Santa Barbara Cactus and Succulent Society from 2023 to 2025. She is the youngest recipient in the history of the Bouquet of the Year Award. Previous Lotusland recipients of the award include Paul Mills, Director of Conservation and Curator of the Living Collection; former Director Steve Timbrook; former Curator of the Living Collection Virginia Hayes; Frank Fuji; and founder Madame Ganna Walska.
“I am honored to join the list of Bouquet of the Year Award recipients. Santa Barbara has a long and rich horticultural history and I am lucky to work and volunteer with so many organizations and people in the community that value plant education and appreciation.”
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About Ganna Walska Lotusland
Ganna Walska Lotusland is a nonprofit public garden in Montecito, California, dedicated to plant conservation, sustainable horticulture, and public education. The Garden maintains significant living collections and advances organic, soil based plant health care practices through research, propagation, and professional collaboration within the public garden community.
