Feb 1
Updated: Mar 1
By Karen England, for Let's Talk Plants! February 2024.
Join us on February 5, 2024, at 4:30p/5p on Zoom to discuss the book Brave the Wild River by Melissa L. Sevigny. 2023. The untold story of two women who mapped the botany of the Grand Canyon. Non-fiction.
Upcoming SD Hort Book Club books and discussion dates:
March 4, 2024, 4:30p/5p on Zoom, Birnam Wood by Eleanor Catton, 2013, fiction.
April 1, 2024, 4:30p/5p on Zoom, The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert, 2014, novel.
Twelve SD Hort Book Club members from all around our county met on a beautiful day in January in Temecula, CA to take the Pechanga Cultural Resources Department's tour of The Great Oak, one of the oldest living oak trees in the Western U.S. This ancient oak tree is in Riverside County on the Pechanga Indian reservation. These tours happen once a month and are free by reservation only. Pechanga Band of Indians - The Great Oak (pechanga-nsn.gov)
The Pechanga Cultural Resources Department periodically offers guided tours of the Great Oak Tree. If you are interested in visiting Wiโรกaลal, please contact Cultural Resources at (951) 770-6300 for more information.
๐๐Our book club has read two oak books in the last three years, The Nature of Oaks by Tallamy and The Oak Papers by Canton, both of which we rated with two thumbs up!
In the three years that our group has met, we have learned so much by reading books of fiction, literature, history, nature, travel, biography and more, all having some sort of a horticultural aspect to the story. We've read thirty-one books so far, and who knows we may read more books about oaks someday.
Members can suggest books to read at any time and then every three months there is a vote on what to read each quarter from a list of ten or twelve nominees. Turns out, even if we haven't chosen to read a book yet, members still enjoy reading some of the suggestions anyway.
There is an www.internationaloaksociety.org International Oak Society. Their email newsletter is full of wonderful information. Several of our members have joined.
On our YouTube channel there is a wonderful presentation available on cork oaks titled All About Cork; A Natural & Renewable Product with Pamela Hyatt of Bird Rock Tropicals, Encinitas, CA.
SD HORT BOOK CLUB'S Previously Read List:
January 2021ย - The Language of Flowersย by V. Diffenbaugh ๐
February 2021ย - The Food Explorerย by D. Stone ๐๐
March 2021ย - Green Mansionsย by W. H. Hudson๐
April 2021ย - A Memory of Violetsย by H. Gaynor ๐
May 2021ย - Founding Gardenersย by A. Wulf ๐๐
June 2021ย - Elizabeth and Her German Gardenย by E. von Arnim ๐
July 2021ย - In Praise of Tomatoesย by S. Shepherd ๐๐
August 2021ย - Undaunted Courageย by S. Ambrose ๐๐
September 2021ย - Around the World in 80 Plants/Treesย both by J. Drori ๐๐
October 2021ย - American Edenย by V. Johnson ๐
November/December 2021ย โ Finding The Mother Treeย by S. Simard ๐๐
January 2022ย โ Braiding Sweetgrassย by R. Kimmerer ๐๐
February/March 2022ย - The Seed Keeperย by D. Wilson ๐
April 2022 - In Search f Lost Rosesย by T. Christopher ๐๐
May 2022 -ย Turn Here Sweet Corn by A. Diffley ๐๐
June/July 2022 -ย The Arbornaut by M. Lowman ๐๐
August 2022 โ Orwellโs Rosesย by R. Solnitย ๐
September 2022 - The Nature of Oaksย by D. Tallamy ๐๐
October 2022 - Vanilla: Travels in Search of the Ice Cream Orchidย by T. Ecott. ๐
November 2022 -ย The Complete Writings f Kate Sessions in California Gardenย โ New Edition - San Diego Floral Association. U๐๐
December 2022 - The Multifarious Mr. Banks: From Botany Bay to Kew, The Natural Historian Who Shaped the Worldย by T. Musgrave ๐
January 2023 โ the Botanistโs Daughterย byย K. Nunn. ๐.5
February 2023 โ Eating to Extinctionย by D. Saladino. ๐๐
March 2023 - The Natures of John and William Bartramย by T. Slaughter. U๐
June 2023 -ย The Plant Hunterย by C. Quave. U๐๐
July 2023 - The Overstory by R. Powers. ๐.3125...
August 2023 -ย Tulipomaniaย by M. Dash. ๐.21428...
September 2023ย - Garden Spells by S. Addison Allen ๐
October 2023 - Agave Spiritsย by G. P. Nabhan Ph.D.,ย & D. S. Piรฑera ๐.5
November 2023 - The Oak Papersย by J. Canton U๐๐
December 2023 -ย The Last Garden in Englandย by J. Kelly. ๐.21428...
Our Ratings System Explained -
๐๐ Two thumbs up = excellent
๐ One thumb up = good
โ๏ธ No thumbs up or down = okay
๐ One thumb down = bad
๐๐ Two thumbs down = awful
ย U The letter U = unanimous vote