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August 2026
Monthly Meeting
NEXT GENERAL MEETING: Growing Plant People - Horticulture Programs and Facilities at Southwestern College, With Holly McMullen, August 15, In-Person, Oasis, Rancho Bernardo, 1:30p -3:30p
Holly McMullen Holly McMullen is a tenured professor of plant science at Southwestern College and a field biologist with nearly a decade of experience working at the intersection of ecological research, habitat restoration, and higher education. Her expertise centers on the interactions between plants and animals, particularly within Southern California's diverse ecosystems, and she has conducted botanical and wildlife field surveys, managed large-scale restoration projects,
Jul 23
Articles
NEXT SHARING GARDEN: Mission Hills Sharing Garden: Saturday, August 8, 2026, With Space Available for a 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM Tour
Photos courtesy of Randy Laurie. Registration for members only: https://www.sdhort.org/event-6744549 Saturday, August 8, 2026, 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM What a treat! It’s rare to find a 2-acre garden in Mission Hills, and the owners of this beautiful property have been very generous in opening their garden to us. We had a sharing garden here in July 2013, when the garden was just 4 years old, and seeing it now you can understand how the original vision has matured and filled in. La
Aug 1
SD HORT BOOK CLUB: August 3, 2026 - Literary Gardens By Sandra Lawrence At 4:30/5p On Zoom
By Karen England, for Let's Talk Plants! August 2026. Join us on Zoom for a discussion of August 3, 2026 - 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: Aug 3, 2026 - Literary Gardens by Sandra Lawrence Have you heard how much fun the SD Hort Book Club is? It's amazing, and I'm not just saying that bec
Aug 1
BOTANICAL ENCOUNTERS: The Eye Dazzling Atacama Superbloom
Words and pictures by Ida K. Rigby, for Let’s Talk Plants! August 2026. The Eye Dazzling Atacama Superbloom What more can we say? Once again the photos will tell it all. On another late September day in 2011 we headed out for more visual overload and fascinating minutia. Within the profusion there even were a few familiar plants from our gardens (calandrinias, cisthantes, encelias and alstroemerias) in unexpected places and unimaginable numbers. Just feast your eyes, as we di
Aug 1
TREES, PLEASE! Bananas – Are they Going, Going - Gone?
By Robin Y Rivet, for Let’s Talk Plants! August 2026. Banana Flower Close-up - Musa paradisiaca (Musa acuminata x balbisiana). Ruestz, CC BY-SA 3.0 <http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/>, via Wikimedia Commons. Are bananas as we know them doomed? Probably yes. Considering it’s the most popular and widely distributed fruit in the world, that ought to be a scary thought. Wild vs. Commercial Bananas. Composite image by ryrivet for SDHS 2026. What’s up? Bananas use
Aug 1
GROW IN ABUNDANCE: Growing Eggplants in San Diego - A Beautiful and Bountiful Summer Crop
By Sommer Cartier, for Lets Talk Plants! August 2026 Eggplant photo by PhotographyCourse. Growing Eggplants in San Diego - A Beautiful and Bountiful Summer Crop If you've never grown eggplant before, this might be the year to give it a try. Eggplants and San Diego are a perfect match. They love our long, warm summers and, once they get going, can produce fruit for months. If you've never grown one before, don't let them intimidate you. They're surprisingly easy to grow and ha
Aug 1
FROM THE MASTER GARDENERS: Low Water Turf Alternatives for Our Climate
By Vince McGrath, UCCE Master Gardener of San Diego County, for Let’s Talk Plants! August 2026. “Kurapia ground cover makes an excellent low-water turf.” – Photo Credit – Susan Nichols. Low Water Turf Alternatives for Our Climate Several years ago, the mantra for San Diego homeowners was “Toss the Turf!” The reason was to stop wasting water that we did not have on water-guzzling lawns. Water agencies were asking their customers to restrict water usage. The newer catch phrase
Aug 1
GOING WILD WITH NATIVES: Native Plants in Favorite Flavors: Minty Good!
By Susan Lewitt, for Let’s Talk Plants! August 2026. Yerba buena has many culinary uses including the usual mojito, plus these three ideas. Left photo: "Cranberry Mojito" by esimpraim is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0. Middle photo: "yerba buena perry pisco mojito" by goodiesfirst is licensed under CC BY 2.0. Right photo: "Mini cupcakes de mojito / Mojito mini cupcakes" by www.littlewonderland.es is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0. Going Wild with Natives: Native Plants in Fav
Aug 1
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