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May 2026
Monthly Meeting
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
Articles
GARDEN SURROUNDINGS: Dear Mama…
By Francesca Filanc, for Let’s Talk Plants! May 2026. Francesca Filanc and her mother Pat Welsh. Photo credit: Francesca Filanc. My garden is on a Mother's Day tour this month and I was asked to write about my mother, Pat Welsh, for the tour pamphlet. Unfortunately, this was too long for the pamphlet, so this is my article this month, a tribute to my mother, a love letter to her for being such a wonderful mother, and I feel I owe my talents and my passions to my wonderful mot
May 1
GARDEN SURROUNDINGS: Alive With Purple In The Garden
By Francesca Filanc, for Let’s Talk Plants! April 2026. Photo credit: Francesca Filanc. Alive With Purple in the Garden “April showers bring May flowers” is an old adage, but nowadays things are different. With the advent of climate change that many people predicted would happen including the King of England years ago, when he was a young Prince, advocating against fossil fuels, and for growing vegetables organically, which he has done in his own gardens, and working to make
Apr 1
GARDEN SURROUNDINGS: Enjoying Our Pets In The Garden
By Francesca Filanc, for Let’s Talk Plants! March 2026. Prince, a standard poodle, on the patio by a potted pink jasmine. Photo credit: Francesca Filanc. Enjoying Our Pets in the Garden “March comes in like a lion and moves out like a lamb” This is an old expression about the weather for the month of March. March, starting out blustery, windy and stormy and ending calm, birds chirping, with flowers beginning to bloom. But with climate change and also living in Southern Califo
Mar 1
GARDEN SURROUNDINGS: Birds Of A Feather
By Francesca Filanc, for Let’s Talk Plants! February 2026. Encouraging and Enjoying Songbirds in the Garden Movie still from Field of Dreams, dvdbeaver.com “If you build it, they will come.” Do you remember the movie Field of Dreams? The lead actor Kevin Costner built a baseball diamond in the middle of a cornfield, and if I remember the film correctly, it was to encourage baseball players to play baseball and then people came to watch. When I moved to this property 10 ½ yea
Feb 1
GARDEN SURROUNDINGS: Happy New Year In The Garden
By Francesca Filanc, for Let’s Talk Plants! January 2026. WOW! Can you believe that it is already 2026? The new year is a time of renewal spiritually, physically, and can be a new beginning. Many people enjoy writing New Year’s resolutions. I happen to be one of those who enjoys writing down my thoughts from the last year and what I want to accomplish in the new year. But I notice as I get older that it’s more my spiritual thoughts moving forward, but the old adage of exercis
Jan 1
GARDEN SURROUNDINGS: The French Lifestyle
Words and pictures by Francesca Filanc, for Let’s Talk Plants! December 2025. As a Francophile I eat outside in the garden for almost every meal and live an artistic French lifestyle . Photo credit: Francesca Filanc. The French Lifestyle Thanksgiving is just around the corner and before you know it, when you read this article, it will be December. We have had a lot of much needed rain in California this November. As I was driving down the country lane on the approach to my
Dec 1, 2025
GARDEN SURROUNDINGS: Past And Present In A Garden
By Francesca Filanc, for Let's Talk Plants! November 2025. Many of us live in our gardens. By that I mean, we spend a lot of time in our gardens. Working in them for sure, but it’s also so important to sit in the garden and appreciate the beauty of nature. I for one enjoy most of my meals in the garden. Looking at the beauty of nature while eating a delicious meal, many times containing some item from the garden, such as herbs or apples, lemons, limes, oranges, passionfruit a
Nov 1, 2025
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