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June 2026
Monthly Meeting
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
Articles
FROM THE MASTER GARDENERS: Cunning Plants Use Tricks to Lure Pollinators
By Sharon Reeves, UCCE Master Gardener of San Diego County, for Let’s Talk Plants! June 2026. Photo by William Warby Cunning Plants Use Tricks to Lure Pollinators Plants are anchored in one spot, but they are cunning. They have mastered the art of enticing more mobile organisms to do their bidding. It is the goal of every living thing to procreate and to live on through their offspring. Plants are no exception. There are many pollination strategies employed by plants. Wind po
Jun 1
PLANT FORUM: At The May 2026 Meeting
By Susi Torre-Bueno, for Let’s Talk Plants! June 2026. In July 2025 Anne Murphy brought in a delightful bouquet of nine species of flowering California native plants for the Plant Forum. Graphic made by Karen England on Canva. For over two decades a meeting highlight was the Plant Forum, where a horticultural expert spoke about plants brought in by members. These descriptions appeared in the newsletter and are available free to the public on our website at...
Jun 1
HERITAGE HAUNTS: Going Wild with Natives - Soil Health: A Radical Approach
By Susan Krzywicki, for a previous edition of Let's Talk Plants! Wix stock photo. Soil Health: A Radical Approach Our gardening world is oftentimes a mystery, especially the hidden depths of our soils. Getting to know how “dirt” works is a good place to start with plant health. Of course, as a native plant advocate, I believe in this stack: native soils with native plants with native bees, birds and butterflies; with fresh clean air and water surrounding them. But, how do you
Jun 1
SHARING SECRETS: So, What Vegetables And Herbs Are You Going To Plant?
Edited by Cathy Tylka, for Let's Talk Plants! June 2026. Sharing Secrets graphic made by Karen England using Canva. Question of the month – Do you have a plant or tree or other growing item, which you are babying and nurturing to get it to come to full life? If so, what is it you are doing? Kathy Ascher responded… I have a rare Wollemi Pine that was gifted to me. I planted it in a specific spot where it will not be blasted with heat, planted it in a raised box for drainage, a
Jun 1
GARDEN SURROUNDINGS: June Is Busting Out All Over!
By Francesca Filanc, for Let’s Talk Plants! June 2026. June is busting out all over! Photo credit: Francesca Filanc. June Is Busting Out All Over! With the advent of climate change, we need to “roll with the punches” so to speak. This year the ‘First Love’ Gardenia had its first blossom of the season on May 1, and the magnolia tree, which used to bloom at the end of June and all through July, was also blooming on the first of May. We had an extremely hot March. The hottest Ma
Jun 1
MY LIFE WITH PLANTS: I Can Dig A Rainbow
Words and pictures by Jim Bishop, for Let's Talk Plants! May 2026. With the lack of rain for the last month or so, there have been almost no rainbows, so I had to create my own. I finally found a purpose for all the broken and worn-out shovels I’ve accumulated over the years. They were all leaning against a retaining wall in my garden, which I affectionately called the Shovel Graveyard. However, it was located on a seldom-used path, so few people noticed or saw it. History of
May 1
NEXT GENERAL MEETING: If You Build it, They Might Come, With Molly Rightmyer, May 16, In-Person, Oasis, Rancho Bernardo, 1:30p -3:30p
Molly Rightmyer is a bee taxonomist who has become increasingly interested in native plants while attempting to increase the bee diversity of her home garden, an experience she wishes to share with other gardeners who hold similar aspirations. She got her start as a freelance scientific illustrator here in southern California. She then worked with fossil turtles as an apprentice illustrator at the American Museum of Natural History, NY, eventually landing a job as scientific
May 1
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