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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
21 hours ago
Articles
NEXT GENERAL MEETING: Sat., April 18, 2026 - Walker Wilson - Conservation Through Cultivation - Growing A Local Ecotype Nursery. In-Person, Oasis, Rancho Bernardo, 1:30p -3:30p
Viguiera laciniata - San Diego Bush Sunflower, a San Diego endemic species that happens to be excellent for garden conditions. Evergreen, tough and made for full sun conditions, it will still stay green with just once a month or less watering. Trim off dead flowers for another round of blooms. A great choice for almost any San Diego garden, and to showcase local species. Walker Wilson is the founder of Walker's Wildlands nursery in Fallbrook. Walker Wilson - Conservation thr
Apr 1
NEXT SD HORT BOOK CLUB: When The Earth Was Green By Riley Black, April 6, 2026, 4:30/5p On Zoom
By Karen England, for Let's Talk Plants! April 2026. Why is Karen smiling? She has realized that the SD Hort Book Club, even though having already read 54 books to date, may never run out of great horticulturally imbued books to read. Photo credit: Karen England. Join us on Zoom for a discussion of April 6, 2026 - When the Earth Was Green by Riley Black. Yes, the February general meeting presenter! (Note: We have invited Riley to join our discussion!) , 2026. Note: The Zoom
Apr 1
MORE SHARING GARDENS: April 18 - Tour An Abundant Urban Garden In Rancho Peñasquitos
Back yard bounty. Photo credit: Dawn Stanke. On April 18, 2026, as this open garden is nearby the SDHS monthly meeting place at Oasis in Rancho Bernardo, you will have time to get the April 18 general meeting which will begin at 1:30 pm. Sharing Gardens are free to members and are for members-only due to limited registration spaces. Registration is required and will open two weeks prior event. Dawn Standke has been a Master Gardener since 2005 and has put her considerable hor
Apr 1
EVEN MORE SHARING GARDENS: April 25 Exotic Open Garden In Rancho Bernardo
Sue Mansour's garden in Rancho Bernardo. Photo credit: Susi Torre-Bueno. Saturday, April 25, 2026, Open Garden in Rancho Bernardo Sue Mansour’s decades of gardening expertise and enthusiasm are apparent the moment you see her front garden, a curbside succulent tapestry set against a low stucco wall. Located on a quiet street near our monthly meeting place in Rancho Bernardo, this richly planted strip hints at what is to come - a complex series of garden rooms filled with exot
Apr 1
A DAY AT THE HUNTINGTON: Wednesday, May 06, 2026, 7:30a–7:30p Private Motorcoach Tour To Huntington Botanical Gardens - Tickets Going Fast!
REGISTER: https://www.sdhort.org/event-6610585 Hop aboard our private motorcoach for a full-day excursion to the Huntington Botanical Gardens at the height of Spring in San Marino. Immerse yourself in the 207-acre estate that features over a dozen specialized botanical garden. The gardens themselves are a breathtaking exhibition of biodiversity, with over 130 acres of themed spaces that transport guests to different corners of the world. Highlights include the iconic Desert
Apr 1
TREES, PLEASE! Graft Smart - Don’t Grift
By Robin Y. Rivet, for Let’s Talk Plants! April 2026. Cherry Tree Grafting Calyponte , CC BY-SA 4.0 < https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0 >, via Wikimedia Commons. Graft Smart - Don’t Grift Grafting is not mysterious. Like other forms of plant propagation, success requires knowledge of biology
Apr 1
GROW IN ABUNDANCE: Growing Nightshades (Solanaceae) - What To Know For A Healthy, Productive Garden
By Sommer Cartier, for Let’s Talk Plants! April 2026. Nightshades (Solanaceae), photo credit: Sommer Cartier. Growing Nightshades (Solanaceae) - What To Know For A Healthy, Productive Garden If your summer garden revolves around fresh salsa, pasta sauce, or anything grilled and colorful, chances are you’re already growing from the nightshade family, whether you realize it or not. Tomatoes ripening on the vine, glossy peppers in every shade of green to red, eggplant soaking up
Apr 1
SHARING SECRETS: What’s New That Helps You?
Edited by Cathy Tylka, for Let’s Talk Plants! April 2026. Current question: Are you using a new tool, implement, piece of hardware or structure to assist you to accommodate your garden? What is it and what does it do to assist you? Susi Torre-Bueno of 92084 created something… …It's not a new device, but I have used those cone-shaped wire tomato cages in a new way. I was gifted some large heavy bromeliad plants and put a tomato cage around each one to help it stay upright unti
Apr 1
NEW WEBSITE TO VISIT: Kate O. Sessions Information https://KateOSessions.Info
A new website offers freely accessible, authoritative information about Katherine Olivia Sessions (1857-1940), a San Diego horticulturist and businesswoman known as “The Mother of Balboa Park.” Biographical information, a detailed timeline of Sessions’ life and annotated lists of published articles are included, along with an inventory of Sessions photographs and guides to archival sources, oral histories and memorials. More content will be added to the site. The website is p
Apr 1
NAME TAG: You're It!
Name tags ready for pick up at the next meeting... Photo credit: Karen England. Have you ordered a name tag? If your name is listed below (alphabetically by last name if there is one...), then your name tag is done and can be picked up at the next meeting: Mike Binder Katheryn Blankenship Betsy Buckner Claudia Chan-Shaffer Christel Chase Darin Chiu Shirley Chiu Carol Costarakis Carina Courtright Ciela Courtright Elyse Crone Shannon Cummins Gene Darby Michelle Darby Debbie Mi
Apr 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
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
MEETING REPORT: February 2026 Meeting Recording Featuring Riley Black Presenting When The Earth Was Green Now On SDHS YouTube Channel
https://youtu.be/IxRedVyh2IU?si=Zd3LVQd8nvk6iRd3 GOOD TO KNOW: On April 6th, 2026, the SD Hort Book Club is discussing this book! Head over to the SD Hort Book Club article in this edition of the Let's Talk Plants! newsletter to learn more...
Mar 31
SPRING GARDEN TOUR: Point Loma And Coronado, Sunday, March 29, 9am - 4pm
San Diego Horticultural Society - 2026 Spring Garden Tour 2026 Spring Garden Tour When: Sunday, March 29, 2026 From: 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM Location: Private gardens in Point Loma and Coronado Tickets on Sale Now! San Diego Horticultural Society - 2026 Spring Garden Tour Want to be a Spring Garden Tour volunteer? In exchange for working a morning or afternoon shift at a garden, volunteers receive free entry to the gardens. Send an email to Volunteer@sdhort.org The Art of Coasta
Mar 1
VOLUNTEERING FOR THE SPRING GARDEN TOUR: A Volunteer’s Perspective
By Cathy Tylka, for Let’s Talk Plants! March 2026. A Spring Garden Tour Volunteer’s Perspective I am so very glad to have been, and to be again, a volunteer for the Spring Garden Tour. Last year, I initially visited two Escondido gardens, that were a wonder to behold, both were visually and aromatically delightful. I just want you to know how lovely all of the gardens were. My volunteer assignment was at a relatively new garden, and I felt so fortunate to sit in the beautiful
Mar 1
NEXT SD HORT BOOK CLUB: Ten Tomatoes That Changed The World - A History By William Alexander, March 2, 2026, 4:30/5p On Zoom
By Karen England, for Let's Talk Plants! March 2026. Join us on Zoom for a discussion of Ten Tomatoes That Changed The World - A History by William Alexander on March 2, 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. L ooking Ahead: March 2, 2026 - Ten Tomatoes That Changed The World - A History by William
Mar 1
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