Guest Columnist

Jan 1

GUEST COLUMN: A Homegrown National Park

By Joan Herskowitz. Article reprinted in Let’s Talk Plants! January 2023, from "The Lagoon Flyer" newsletter by permission of the Buena...

Apr 30, 2022

GUEST COLUMN: Super-Easy Lazy Composting

By Susi Torre-Bueno, for Let’s Talk Plants! May 2022. I've tried many composting methods over many years of gardening, but in late 2021 I...

Dec 1, 2021

GUEST COLUMN: A Garden Of Felicity In Del Mar

By Jason Chen and Karen England, for Let's Talk Plants! December 2021. Now in her mid nineties, Felicity Drukey, has been gardening in...

Sep 30, 2021

GUEST COLUMN: Dragon Fruit – A Grower’s Comments

By Richard Frost, for Let’s Talk Plants! October 2021. The Guatemalan dragon fruit, S. guatemalensis, harvest from a plant in the SE...

Apr 1, 2021

GUEST COLUMN: Camellia Eye Candy

"The recent rains made waste to some (camellia) blooms but also refreshed the soil for new blooms." - Jason Chen, Facebook San Diego Gardene

Feb 1, 2021

GUEST COLUMN: Rose Pruning Time

For climbers, if you have space, the goal is to fan the canes, radiating out. (photo Caption Here, there are some overlapping of branches be

May 31, 2020

GUEST COLUMN: Recognize this Wildflower?

That's how Jim Booman began a post of a photo of the yellow flower seen above on his Facebook wall recently. Jim has been a presenter to the

May 31, 2020

FREE FROM THE MASTER GARDENERS: New Stay-at-Home Gardening Resources

San Diego, CA --April 23, 2020: San Diegans looking to plant their first Victory Gardens, refresh some tired succulent beds or maybe teach t

May 31, 2020

FROM THE MASTER GARDENERS: Get Garden Tools in Shape!

Winter is the time for gardeners and the garden to rest. During this slower gardening period, take the time to check and prepare garden too

May 31, 2020

Mission Hills Garden Walk

Hello Garden Lovers! The Mission Hills Garden Club is preparing for our 22nd annual Mission Hills Garden Walk on Sat

Mar 1, 2020

GUEST COLUMN: SDHS Horticulturist of the Year 2017, Debra Lee Baldwin, visits HOY '19, Jim Bishop.

Recently past Horticulturist of the Year 2017, Debra Lee Baldwin visited with SDHS past-president Jim Bishop, who also is the current Hortic

Jun 30, 2019

GUEST COLUMNIST: It's a Cycad, not a Sago Palm

By Robert Kopfstein. Cycads are perhaps the victim of one of the most common misnomers in the plant world. There are indeed such things...

May 31, 2019

GUEST COLUMNIST: The Marvels of Medicinal Herbs

By Mike Blanco, Mary Friestedt, and Lan Lin. Herbs! We love them. We grow them for food, for their scent, and as ornamentals. However,...

Mar 31, 2019

GUEST COLUMNIST: The Future of the Buena Vista Lagoon Habitat

By Joan Herskowitz. In 1968, the 220-acre Buena Vista Lagoon, located in the cities of Oceanside and Carlsbad, was designated the first...

Jan 1, 2019

GUEST COLUMNIST: Ten Must-Have Camellias for San Diego County

By Dean Turney. If you'd like to ring in the new year with a new addition in your garden, this is the time to bring home a new camellia...

Dec 1, 2018

GUEST COLUMNIST: An interview with Dr. Ari Novy, CEO of the San Diego Botanic Garden

By Susan Starr. Dr. Ari Novy became CEO and President of the San Diego Botanic Garden on October 15, 2018. The former Executive Director...

Oct 31, 2018

GUEST COLUMNIST: Greening Your Health: The Benefits of Forest Bathing

By Rhana Kozak. In 2015, the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy Guides and Programs began its work in the United States. That...

Sep 30, 2018

GUEST COLUMNIST: Backyard Wetlands: A Second Life for Yesterday's Pools

By Judie Lincer. Out with the harsh chemicals and in with the algae. With that simple choice just three years ago, our enjoyment of home...

Aug 31, 2018

GUEST COLUMNIST: Presidio Park's Eucalyptus Collection

By Parish Rye. The Eucalyptus genus is a group of flowering trees and shrubs in the myrtle family containing more than 700 species....

Jun 30, 2018

GUEST COLUMNIST: Presidio Park's Horticultural History

By Parish Rye. Rising on the hill just east of Old Town is the site of one of the most significant historic sites in the state of...

Jun 1, 2018

GUEST COLUMNIST: Artists' Paintings From the Garden Tour

By Barbara Raub. The San Diego Horticultural Society loves to feature plein air artists in the gardens on our spring tour each year. It...

Jun 1, 2018

GUEST COLUMNIST: Native Garden? . . . What About That Valuable Import?

By Vincent Lazaneo. Most of the plants in our gardens require more water than local rainfall can provide. We irrigate many plants to keep...

Apr 30, 2018

GUEST COLUMNIST: Bromeliads: Unique, Spectacular New World Plants

By Nancy Groves. Bromeliads are unique, spectacular plants of the new world! Even if you didn't realize it, you know of at least one...

Oct 1, 2017

GUEST COLUMNIST: Frank Mitzel Talks to Himself (and Lets Us Listen)

Edited by Susan Starr and Lisa Marun. Part II: A Few of Frank’s Favorite Things… SDHS’s new president, Frank Mitzel, began his term in...

Aug 31, 2017

GUEST COLUMNIST: New SDHS President Frank Mitzel Talks to Himself (and Lets Us Listen)

Edited by Susan Starr and Lisa Marun. Frank Mitzel begins his term as SDHS President in September 2017. Frank was born in Detroit,...

Mar 1, 2017

GUEST COLUMNIST: Love Your Yard and Eat It, Too! Compost is Compost is Compost – Or is it?

By Ari Tenenbaum. Spring is just around the corner, and San Diego gardeners should be thinking about transitioning to warm season veggies...