Hello from all of us!

Hadley is a creative producer and nonprofit executive. She leads the day-to-day operations of Western Hills Garden.
She is constantly dreaming up new ways to activate the garden and provide new experiences for visitors. She loves to host, cook, and weed the garden beds and paths.
••••••••
Kent is an aspiring plantsman who pays the bills for now by lawyering. In addition to handling HR and finances for Western Hills Garden he is the consummate handyman and loves playing with succulents, making bouquets for garden visitors, and spending time with his beloved dog Eloise.

Justin earned a B.S. in landscape architecture from the University of Massachusetts and worked several years for the National Park Service in the planning and design group. After a stint as a full-time musician in Boston, Justin switched to education and taught at Gateway High School in San Francisco for 12 years, where he started the environmental science program and a gardening and horticulture program. Justin brings his organizational and leadership skills to Western Hills, coupled with his passion for plants and the natural world.

In a mid-career shift to horticulture, I’m finishing an Associate of Science degree from Merritt College in Oakland and working towards becoming an ISA-certified arborist. As Arboriculture Fellow at Western Hills since 2023, I focus on tree and soil health, botanical identification, structural and aesthetic pruning, and pathogen/abiotic diagnostics.

Anthony is the Supervisor of Horticulture and Grounds at the UC Botanical Garden in Berkeley, CA.

"WHG represents for me a significant horticultural collection and an inspiring setting. Few private gardens in the West can match this alluring combination that appeals to both the plant aficionado and the general public. I hope that my involvement [with WHHAC] contributes to the goal of preserving this gem for future generations."

Landscape Architect, gardener, educator at SF Botanical Garden and The Garden Conservancy (combined 20 years). Have enjoyed 55 years absorbing gardens in California and other Mediterranean climates.

“My incredible journey began with mentors at Strybing Arboretum, the principals of a small SF architectural firm, and with Marshall Olbrich and Lester Hawkins at Western Hills Rare Plant Garden in the mid 1970s. I care about this Garden, especially as I grow old along beside it.”

David Teuschler is the Director of Horticulture for Devil Mountain Wholesale Nursery. He established the nursery’s propagation program and currently directs the propagation and inventory teams for the company’s sixteen locations across California.

David has worked in the nursery industry for three decades, including many years at Valley Crest Tree Company. While there, he served as Plant Health Care Manager for the Specimen Tree Division, Account Manager in the Estate Gardens Division, and, most notably, Chief Arborist for the Apple contract grow, responsible for growing over 7,000 trees – half from seed – for installation at the Apple campus in Cupertino, CA.

A Plantsman in the Bay Area for the last thirty years spending most of this time at The Presidio in San Francisco I developed my skills and plant palette for the diverse collections of Meditarainain plants that grow in California, It is important to preserve private/public gardens like Western Hills for generations to come and I look forward to being a part of the future legacy of this very important garden

Jim Salyards is the associate director of horticultural initiatives at Filoli, the garden he's called home the past 30 years. He is a passionate advocate for public gardens locally and nationally. Western Hills Garden made an early impact on Jim's horticultural journey and he is thrilled to be a supporter of the organization.

Laura Counts is a garden supporter and partner to Kent and Hadley in this WHG endeavor. She’s a lifelong plant and nature lover who’s excited to learn from fellow WHHAC members as we shape the future of Western Hills. In her day-to-day, life Laura is a communications director at UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business.

Born and raised on the East Coast, Merel attended The Madeira School and Bowdoin College before heading west to study graphic design at the California College of the Arts in San Francisco. She found her passion for gardening, landscape design, and horticulture while living in West Marin County among the Douglas Firs, Bishop Pines, and Tanoaks.

Merlin is an ISA Board Certified Master Arborist (WE-7670B), ISA Qualified Tree Risk Assessor (TRAQ), Registered Consulting Arborist (RCA #687), and holds Prescription Pruning (PPQ) and Tree and Plant Appraisal (TPAQ) qualifications. He teaches Arboriculture at Santa Rosa Junior College and volunteers to renest raptors with the Bird Rescue Center.

Nicole Schlumberger is associate faculty in SRJC’s Horticulture and Natural Resources programs, teaching propagation, ecology, and plant identification. She works as a botanist to monitor rare plants and with local agencies to increase native seed availability. She is collaborating with WHG to create educational opportunities and support propagation systems, honoring the nursery’s rich legacy.

RG Turner (BArch, MLA) has devoted much of his career to the world of public gardens. As editor of the West’s most respected garden magazine (Pacific Horticulture), he helped to spread the message of climate appropriate horticulture to gardeners in California and the West.

Sean is the principle designer, author, owner and founder of Cistus Design Nursery near Portland, OR. An avid plant hunter and collector, Sean's passion has been the introduction of new and appropriate plants to Western North America, and specifically, the popularization of under-used and unknown plants for summer-dry climates. Sean has a long history with Western Hills, beginning in his teenage years.

Stew has taught horticulture and field identification of California native plants courses at Merritt and Diablo Valley Colleges for over 20 years. He can often be found exploring the native plant communities of California and points west with his students.