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September 2026
Monthly Meeting
NEXT GENERAL MEETING: Hidden Agave: Tales From a Plant Explorer and Breeder, With Jeremy Spath, September 19, In-Person, Oasis, Rancho Bernardo, 1:30p -3:30p
Driven by a passion for discovering exceptional, rare, and new agave species, Jeremy Spath has spent the past 20 years exploring the natural habitats of agaves across the Americas. His journey began with a deep fascination for seeing these remarkable plants in their native environments, inspiring countless expeditions to uncover the beauty of agave habitats. His expertise extends to cultivating these plants, with a particular focus on selecting and growing exceptional clones.
Aug 26
Articles
BOTANICAL ENCOUNTERS: The Atacama Desert Superbloom of 2011
Words and pictures by Ida K. Rigby, for Let’s Talk Plants! June 2026. The Atacama Desert Superbloom of 2011 This month’s column illustrates the adage: “A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words”. What can we say in the face of the exuberance of nature? The flora of the Atacama was glorying in a 40 year bloom. The rains had come. We often found ourselves in quite forbidding landscapes. Someone had written in on the road sign “MALO CAMINO MA “, advising against making a left and taki
Jun 1
NEXT GENERAL MEETING: Right Tree, Right Place, Right Fire Zone: A Look at San Diego’s Trees and Their Future, With Tony Gurnoe, June 20, In-Person, Oasis, Rancho Bernardo, 1:30p -3:30p
Native trees are all the rage, with municipalities such as Encinitas passing regulations that require new landscape development projects to include native species. Which trees count as native? Are they good choices for your yard? How do native trees relate to fire and California's new zone 0 regulations? We'll talk about all of these things while profiling some of San Diego's unique and often underappreciated local trees. Tony Gurnoe has conducted research related to native t
Jun 1
NEXT SHARING GARDEN: North Park Sharing Garden: Saturday, June 6, 2026, With Limited Space Available for a 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM Tour
Registration is still open and for members only - limited spots remaining. Sat, June 6, 2026, 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM https://www.sdhort.org/event-6660031 Sat, June 6, 2026, 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM https://www.sdhort.org/event-6675389 Sat, June 6, 2026, 2:30 PM - 4:00 PM https://www.sdhort.org/event-6675390 Join us to visit the remarkable North Park garden of Landscape Architect Chris Drayer, which was created over 26 years of painstaking work under daunting conditions. Most of the ga
Jun 1
NEXT SD HORT BOOK CLUB: June 1, 2026, 4:30/5p On Zoom, Forest Walking by Peter Wohlleben and Jane Billinghurst
By Karen England, for Let's Talk Plants! June 2026. Join us on Zoom for a discussion of June 1, 2026 - Forest Walking by Peter Wohlleben and Jane Billinghurst Note: The Zoom SDHBC meeting link is not published, instead it is emailed to discussion participants. If you would like to receive the link, please email info@sdhort.org with “book club” in the subject line. Looking Ahead: June 1, 2026 - Forest Walking by Peter Wohlleben and Jane Billinghurst July 6, 2026 - Wilding by I
Jun 1
GOING WILD WITH NATIVES: Love Butterflies? Plant Natives!
By Susan Lewitt, for Let’s Talk Plants! June 2026. Pipevine Swallowtail by Thomas Elliott. Love Butterflies? Plant Natives! Life cycle of the Pipevine Swallowtail: Chrysalis (upper left), adult (upper right), hungry larva or caterpillar (lower left) and eggs (lower right). Upper Left: "Pipevine Swallowtail Chrysalis" by cotinis is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0. Upper right: "Pipevine Swallowtail" by DrPhotoMoto is licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0. Lower left: "Pipevine Swallowtai
Jun 1
TREES, PLEASE! Mighty Myrtaceae – “the myrtle family”
by Robin Y Rivet, for Let's Talk Plants! June 2026 Anna’s Hummingbird seeking nectar from a eucalyptus flower. Photo by Karney Lee, USFWS on Pixnio. Mighty Myrtaceae – “the myrtle family” The tallest flowering tree in the world is the "giant mountain ash", which belongs to the Myrtaceae family. So does the diminutive dwarf common “myrtle”, an evergreen shrub often sold at San Diego nurseries as a tidy border plant. What do they have in common? Most members are trees or shrubs
Jun 1
GROW IN ABUNDANCE: Growing Heirloom Tomatoes - Flavor Worth the Extra Care
By Sommer Cartier, for Lets Talk Plants! June 2026 Assorted Heirloom Tomatoes on Rustic Wooden Table by Window Free Photo. Growing Heirloom Tomatoes: Flavor Worth the Extra Care There’s really nothing like a ripe heirloom tomato picked straight from the garden. The colors, the odd shapes, the flavor that actually tastes like a tomato should, rich, sweet, tangy, sometimes all at once. Once you grow them yourself, it’s honestly hard to go back to store bought tomatoes. That sai
Jun 1
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