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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
PLANT FORUM: At The July 2026 Meeting
By Susi Torre-Bueno, for Let’s Talk Plants! August 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...
Aug 1
HERITAGE HAUNTS: MY LIFE WITH PLANTS: Borrego Bonanza, Part II, by Jim Bishop
Presented by Cathy Tylka, for Let's Talk Plants! August 2026. This article was written by Jim Bishop and first appeared in June 2019 edition of Let's Talk Plants! Borrego Bonanza, Part II We made a visit to Borrego in February and another in March to check out this year’s super-bloom. Part I, which appeared in the April issue, described our findings along County Road S22 and in Hellhole Canyon. The day after visiting Hellhole Canyon, we got a relatively early start and headed
Aug 1
EDITOR'S ARMCHAIR: Introduction and New Article Format
By Tony Gurnoe, for Let's Talk Plants August 2026 Tony Gurnoe and the corpse flower Amorphophallus titanum. Introduction and New Article Format A couple of months ago I had the pleasure of giving my first presentation to the San Diego Horticultural Society (SDHS). Some in the audience were already familiar with my horticultural history but I was also afforded the opportunity to meet many new fellow gardeners. This is one of the beautiful and valuable aspects of our gatherings
Aug 1
GARDEN SURROUNDINGS: Gardens and Nature Through our Lives
By Francesca Filanc, for Let’s Talk Plants! August 2026. 'Beverly Hills' apples in Francesca's beautiful home garden. Photo by Francesca Filanc. Gardens and Nature Through our Lives Gardens and nature are woven through the fabric of our lives and experiences. Being exposed to gardens and nature from the time a baby is born gives the human being a lifelong love of the outdoors and peace and tranquility in difficult and sad times as well as happy ones. Garden designed by France
Aug 1
MY LIFE WITH PLANTS: I Geraldton Waxflowers
The first half of our Western Australia trip was from Perth south to Albany. The second half was from Perth up to Geraldton. When we visited Western Australia in 2017, we didn’t have enough time to venture north of Perth. We’d wanted to see the famous Geraldton Waxflowers, Chamelaucium uncinatum and maybe even find the […]
Jul 2
NEXT GENERAL MEETING: Saving Rare Plants - Advanced Horticulture on the California Islands, With Kevin Alison, July 18, In-Person, Oasis, Rancho Bernardo, 1:30p -3:30p
Kevin Alison The islands of California are biological hotspots for uniquely rare and endangered species. But, what do you do if traditional methods of propagation fail or are unreliable? This presentation will cover advanced horticultural techniques to overcome challenges and prevent extinction. Kevin Alison serves as the Native Plant Manager for Catalina Island, where he leverages his expertise in conservation, restoration, and horticulture to prevent extinction. Kevin s
Jul 1
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 will open soon for members only - 200 spots available. 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
Jul 1
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