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June 2026
Monthly Meeting
NEXT GENERAL MEETING: Right Tree, Right Place, Right Fire Zone: A Look at San Diego’s Trees and Their Future, With Tony Gurnoe, June 20, In-Person, Oasis, Rancho Bernardo, 1:30p -3:30p
Native trees are all the rage, with municipalities such as Encinitas passing regulations that require new landscape development projects to include native species. Which trees count as native? Are they good choices for your yard? How do native trees relate to fire and California's new zone 0 regulations? We'll talk about all of these things while profiling some of San Diego's unique and often underappreciated local trees. Tony Gurnoe has conducted research related to native t
Jun 1
Articles
ESCONDIDO SHARING GARDEN: Saturday, May 09, 2026, With Two Tours Available 9am -10:30am Or 11am -12:30pm
A visit to Ray and Bonnie Brooks' Escondido garden is always a treat. Their garden was a horticultural hit on the 2025 garden tour and this an opportunity to visit it in early summer. Ray, a former SDHS treasurer, is also known for his woodworking talents. Their property, spanning over an acre, features a diverse collection of plants from around the globe. The garden includes a large greenhouse/conservatory filled with numerous plants and a propagation area. Don't miss the Cy
May 1
A DAY AT THE HUNTINGTON: Wednesday, May 06, 2026, 7:30a–7:30p Private Motorcoach Tour To Huntington Botanical Gardens - Hurry! Only Two Tix Left!
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 gardens. 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
May 1
TREES, PLEASE! The Case Of The Collapsing Canopy
By Tim Clancy, for Let’s Talk Plants! May 2026. Oakcrest Park entrance, February 2009. Image snipped from Google Maps by the Chartreuse Appreciation Society. Adios amiga. West of the entrance to Oakcrest Park. April 2026. Photo credit: Chartreuse Appreciation Society. The Case of the Collapsing Canopy California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, California is home to the Urban Forest Ecosystem Institute (UFEI). UFEI exists to research and share knowledge abou
May 1
ARTISTS IN THE GARDENS: 2026 Spring Garden Tour - The Art Of Coastal Gardening
By Barbara Raub, for Let's Talk Plants! May 2026. THE PERFECT VIEW - Artist: Lorri Lynch, 2026. The San Diego Horticultural Society loves to feature plein air artists in the gardens on our spring tour each year. It is so inspiring to experience a garden through the eyes of an artist as they interpret the garden in a painting which captures that moment in time. Each year, I love to match up artists with the gardens, paying close attention to the personal style of the garden, d
May 1
MEETING REPORT: Walker Wilson's Conservation Through Cultivation April 2026 Presentation Recording Is Up On YouTube
https://youtu.be/CaXpzk4PYsU?si=uiJMUnAERqD4FZ4o Walker Wilson is the founder of Walker's Wildlands nursery in Fallbrook. After studying environmental science and history in college, he found himself struggling to find meaningful work where he could make a genuine difference. The available jobs in habitat restoration were often physically grueling, poorly paid, and offered little autonomy—leaving him disillusioned with spraying roundup and pulling weeds. Rather than give up o
May 1
PLANT FORUM: At The April 2026 Meeting
By Susi Torre-Bueno, for Let’s Talk Plants! May 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...
May 1
SHARING SECRETS: So, What Vegetables And Herbs Are You Going To Plant?
Edited by Cathy Tylka, for Let's Talk Plants! May 2026. Sharing Secrets graphic made by Karen England using Canva. Question of the month – So, what vegetables and herbs are you going to plant or have you already for harvesting in your garden? Or do you also desire fruit from trees or both? What is your favorite? Answer one or all questions or make up your own! Gerald D. Stewart of 92084, responds… …I still need to plant the five tomato starts, which is all I am going to plant
May 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
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
GOING WILD WITH NATIVES: Natives Can Be Very Easy And Attractive Also!
By Susan Lewitt, for Let’s Talk Plants! May 2026. Wix stock photo. Natives Can Be Very Easy and Attractive Also! Western Columbine is easy to grow, has beautiful flowers (left) and the seed pods feed native species (right). Left photo by Neal Kramer. Right photo by Jean Pawek. As an enticement to grow more native plants, I have chosen four beauties that are easy to grow. Some people avoid natives because they may think that they can be difficult, but just like any other gr
Apr 30
BUT WAIT! There's Another Sharing Garden To Look Forward To On May 2, In Poway...
Ida Rigby and John Sturla's Poway garden is returning to its roots. The original vision was to have as natural a garden as possible with a distinct sense of place and to have it blend with its setting, a borrowed landscape of a disturbed, but native, hillside. In the fall of l992, Tree of Life Nursery brought down a truckload of California natives. The Englemann Oaks, Toyons, mountain mahogany and buckwheats are from that original shipment. Then, of course, as Australian and
Apr 3
GOING WILD WITH NATIVES: Exploring Possibilities And Covering Ground!
By Susan Lewitt, for Let’s Talk Plants! April 2026. “Where Native Plants Thrive, We Thrive.” Graphics by Artefact Design. CNPS San Diego 2026 Native Garden Tour, Saturday and Sunday, April 11 & 12, 9am - 4pm Got Tickets? Yes? Wonderful! See you there! No? If you’re waiting for a written invitation, here it is: The inspirational California Native Plant Soc
Apr 3
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
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