The Gift Shop at the Arboretum works with artists and makers from the Los Angeles area, California, and across the United States to keep our shelves stocked with beautiful and interesting products.
Meet the people behind the products in our Meet The Maker series!
E. Waldo Ward & Son
Photo c/o E. Waldo Ward
Established in 1891, E. Waldo Ward is one of (if not the) oldest jam companies in California, according to Jeff Ward, the great-grandson of the company’s founder. When Edwin Waldo Ward moved to Sierra Madre in 1891, he started with 10 acres of land on which he planted navel oranges, eventually expanding to 30 acres. After acquiring two special Citrus × aurantium, or Seville Orange trees brought over from Spain, Edwin began experimenting with marmalade recipes, landing on one he deemed good enough to sell in 1918, when he began his preserving venture in earnest. Over 100 years later, E. Waldo Ward’s delicious marmalades, jams, jellies, preserves, and more are still produced in the same canning factory behind the charming butter-yellow Ward home in Sierra Madre- just a few minutes’ drive from the Arboretum.
Photo c/o E. Waldo Ward
Though the Ward ranch is now only about 2.5 acres, the commitment to producing a high-quality product remains the same. E. Waldo Ward marmalades are produced using fresh citrus (not canned peel, which is common in other marmalades), and all of their products use pure cane sugar, not corn syrup. Much of the citrus used in their products is still grown on the Ward ranch, with other fresh fruits sourced from growers around California and the Pacific Northwest. In addition to their fruit-based spreads, they also produce sauces and preserved vegetables.
From marmalades to jams, jellies, preserves, and fruit spreads, butters, and sauces, you’ll find a rotation of delicious E. Waldo Ward items in the Gift Shop year-round. Pick up a jar for yourself and discover what 135 years of commitment to quality tastes like! To learn more about E. Waldo Ward, visit their website or follow them on Instagram.
Mustard Beetle
Based in Los Angeles, Mustard Beetle is a small business by Elizabeth Jean Younce. Elizabeth Jean is an illustrator, printmaker, and fine artist who describes her work as an “investigation of the flora and fauna inhabiting our world”.
Elizabeth Jean’s passion for the environment inspires much of her work for Mustard Beetle goods, which often features native plants, insects, birds, and mammals from specific regions, such as the San Gabriel Mountains, the Channel Islands, and Malibu Creek. She also partners with conservation organizations such as the Pasadena Audubon Society and CalTrout, creating original designs highlighting the species they focus on.
In addition to textiles, prints, accessories, and other Mustard Beetle goods, Elizabeth Jean also creates fine art and designs large-scale murals. Recent mural projects include elementary schools in Pasadena, CA, and La Sierra University in Riverside, CA.
In addition to the assortment we carry in the Arboretum Gift Shop, Mustard Beetle goods can be found at the markets and fairs Elizabeth Jean exhibits at around California, as well as in many small shops across the country. Visit her website to see more of her work, and follow her on Instagram to keep up with all of her adventures.
Botanical Bright
Becca Stevens is the artist behind Ventura, California-based Botanical Bright. Her pins, keychains, stickers, and jewelry feature her illustrations of wildlife, plants, flowers, insects, and more- all inspired by Becca’s own curiosity for nature. With each design, Becca hopes to remind us all of the abundance of beauty in the world.
Earlier this year, we hosted Becca at the Arboretum, where she spent time observing and photographing the peacocks. Afterwards, from those references, she created the gorgeous Peacock design you see on the pins and keychains we’re proud to carry in the Gift Shop now. These items are the perfect memento of one of the unique experiences to be had while visiting the Arboretum!
No matter where your nature-based interests lie, you’ll be sure to find a Botanical Bright design that features a plant, animal, or insect you love! Visit her website to see the full range of her work, or stop by the Gift Shop on your next Arboretum visit to see our selection. If you want to tag along on the adventures that inspire Becca, be sure to follow her on Instagram where you’ll find videos from her nature-focused travels around the world.
