A Koi-ful Addition to Lotusland

Former TV talk-show host Ellen DeGeneres, who used to live near the Montecito botanical paradise Lotusland before selling the estate to Google honcho Eric Schmidt, has come to the 37-acre estate with 55 mature Koi for the Japanese Garden lake.

Rebecca Anderson, executive director, tells me Robert Riskin of Riskin Partners Estate Group contacted the former property of Polish opera singer Ganna Walska to ask if the lake would be a suitable home for the exotic fish.

DeGeneres, 65, known for her serial flipping of homes, recently acquired a local estate with dozens of the breed, too many for the modest-sized garden.

Robert immediately thought of Lotusland, as he and his family had been involved with the garden for many years.

The Japanese Garden holds a special place in his heart, especially because the Reflection Walk was dedicated to the memory of his late mother, Rebecca Riskin, during the garden’s renovation in 2019 following the devastating debris flow in which her life was so tragically lost.

“We gratefully accepted the decades-old Koi and our team transported them to their new water oasis here,” says Rebecca. “They have settled in well and are quite content with their new surroundings.

“They started swimming closely and in a synchronized manner in the reflecting pond immediately upon their transfer.”

Schoolchildren and guests have been delighted by the new addition. Among Lotusland’s 20 themed gardens, the Japanese Garden is often cited as the favorite by children.

It is also a perfect environment for the new arrivals, who feed on the bugs, plant material, and algae.

Ellen has been to visit them in their new home and took time out to feed them while she was there.

Nothing to carp about, clearly.