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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
HERITAGE HAUNTS: Pet-Friendly Gardening by Linda Johnson
Presented by Cathy Tylka, for Let's Talk Plants! September 2026. This article was written by Linda Johnson and first appeared in September 2011 edition of Let's Talk Plants! If you are a gardener AND a pet-lover, see tips below to enhance your garden for the mutual enjoyment of pets and humans. It is easy to combine the love of gardening with the love of pets, and to create a fun and harmonious environment for both to enjoy! Pet-Friendly Plants Prior to adding any plants to y
Sep 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
HERITAGE HAUNTS: Tomatoes by Alice Lowe
Presented by Cathy Tylka, for Let's Talk Plants! July 2026. This article first appeared in June 2008, edition No. 165 of Let's Talk Plants! Wix stock photo of caprese salad. Tomatoes Here they come - large and small, round and oval, red and yellow and orange and green - ripe, freshly-picked tomatoes, grown with lots of sun and heat (my favorites come from a generous friend in Lakeside), and, whenever possible, eaten within minutes of picking. Those of us who can’t grow our ow
Jul 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
HERITAGE HAUNTS: Microgreens - A Book Review And A Meeting Video On YouTube
Edited by Cathy Tylka, for Let's Talk Plants! April 2026. The book review is from the April 2015 edition of the newsletter, and the YouTube meeting video is from July 2024. BOOK REVIEW - Microgreens: A Guide to Growing Nutrient-Packed Greens by Eric Franks and Jasmine Richardson. Reviewed by Caroline McCullagh. Somehow, we’ve managed in this column to go from the highest to the lowest. We looked at redwoods in The Wild Trees by Richard Preston. Now we’re looking at some of th
May 1
FROM THE ARCHIVES: April Fool's Day Botany
By Golly, (really by Karen England), originally published in Let's Talk Plants! April 1, 2020. Reprinted April 1, 2026. WiX stock photo. APRIL FOOL'S DAY BOTANY: Echinocereus dahliaeflorus What would April be without a Prank? The Museum of Hoaxes has a page dedicated to April Fool's Day Botany. The page, dubbed "Plant life that exists only on April 1st," has 22 "species," i.e. pranks, that date from 1900 through 2019 and are some of the best April Fool's Day jokes ever p
Apr 1
HERITAGE HAUNTS: Introduction To Gasterias
By Annie Morgan, originally published in the December 2015 Let’s Talk Plants! No. 255 newsletter. Republished January 2026. From the archives: Introduction to Gasterias Though slow growing, Gasterias are a small, charming species and one of the easiest succulents to grow, thus they are an ideal starting plant for the novice. They are related to Aloes and are in the Asphodelaceae family and are named for their stomach-shaped f lowers (“gaster” is Latin for “stomac
Jan 1
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