Writer Hobhouse Sets Garden Talk

Friends of French Art is bringing Penelope Hobhouse, perhaps best known of all contemporary garden writers to Southern California to give an illustrated lecture at the Regency Club in Westwood on Feb. 16 at 6:30 p.m. The cost for this gourmet benefit dinner is $75 and the proceeds go to the Friends’ restoration projects.

“Color in Your Garden,” “Flower Gardens,” and “Garden Style” (all published by Little, Brown) are some of Hobhouse’s recent books, all gloriously illustrated. Her most recent “Penelope Hobhouse’s Gardening Through the Ages” (Simon & Schuster; $50) tells how plants have influenced garden design (a nice turnaround) and what plants were being grown in gardens at the time, which is also the subject of her talk. For further information, contact the Friends at (310) 377-4444.