What better reason to have a party than to say "thank you" to good friends who do so much to improve our library and museums? This morning the library hosted a morning brunch for the many volunteers, who assist library and museum staff in providing services to the community. Volunteers help us in so many ways ranging from daily operations, to advocacy, fundraising, events and special projects. In a typical year, volunteers devote somewhere between 2,000 – 3,000 collective hours to the Monterey Public Library, Colton Hall Museum, and the Presidio Museum! We simply could not do all that we do without all that you do. So, from all of us at the library and the museums to all of our volunteers, a heartfelt "thanks."

Robin Parer, horticulturist and owner/operator of Geraniaceae Nursery in Marin County, will give a garden talk on "Geraniums: An Introduction to the Family, Saturday, April 12, 2 p.m. in the Community Room.

Robin Parer is an Australian born horticulturist who lectures frequently to garden groups and societies throughout the United States. She has appeared in several Horticulture Magazine Symposiums in various parts of the country, and has spoken at the Northwest Flower and Garden Show in Seattle, the San Francisco Flower and Garden Show and the Middleburg, VA, Horticultural Symposium. She has lectured in South Africa, England, Australia, as well as the East and West Coasts. She has also written numerous articles on the Geranium Family including an article for Horticulture Magazine in April, 2005. She has also been featured in Martha Stewart Living magazine, Sunset magazine, The New York Times, House and Garden Magazine as well as having appeared in many other newspaper and magazine articles.

Robin Parer has owned and operated Geraniaceae Nursery in Marin County near San Francisco, California for the past twenty-four years, and has collected and propagated over 400 geranium species, selected color forms and hybrids. She also has a large collection of erodium species, scented leaf pelargonium,angel and pansy face pelargonium and rare pelargonium species from Southern Africa. She has traveled widely, collecting both in the field, and from nurseries in the U.K., Europe, South America, Southern Africa and Australasia. She is a regular participant in the San Francisco Flower and Garden Show. She has won Best of Show several times for her Marketplace Exhibit, and has also received an Outstanding Marketing Presentation Award. She has also received an Annual Award from The California Horticultural Society for Outstanding and Meritorious Contributions to Horticulture in California.

Specimen plants from her collection of Geraniaceae are displayed in a one acre demonstration garden along with a collection of perennial flowering shrubs, and garden sculpture by local artists. The garden and nursery are open by appointment.