By Mary James.
“Bringing Nature Home” with Native Plants
This year’s super bloom - a bonus after what seemed like non-stop wet, gray days - will pop local native gardens as well as surrounding wildlands. View these refreshed landscapes on the annual two-day tour, “Bringing Nature Home,” sponsored by the San Diego Chapter of the California Native Plant Society, April 13-14, 10am - 4pm.
Fourteen gardens in Rancho Bernardo, Poway, Scripps Ranch, Rancho Penasquitos and Clairemont will welcome visitors with displays of native plants, habitat plantings, water capture and more. Homeowners, designers and docents will be on hand to answer questions and share information and how-tos about gardening with natives. Plus, there are seven FYI (Front Yard Inspiration) gardens to enjoy along the tour route.
On Sunday, April 14, for an additional $10 fee, tour the Kumeyaay-Ipai Interpretive Center, a native plants ethnobotany garden in Poway. On both tour days, Walter Andersen's Nursery in Poway will offer an expanded selection of native plants for sale.
Tickets are $30 in advance at cnpssd.org/events through April 12. On tour days, they are $35 and for sale until April 14 at noon at 11855 Caminito Sanudo, San Diego. Admission is good for both days. Children under 18 are free.
More information is at cnpssd.org/events
“Feeling Groovy” at the Coronado Flower Show
Over the same weekend, April 13-14, the Coronado Flower show fills the resort community’s Spreckels Park with fun and floral displays. The second largest tented flower show in the nation, this popular event that dates back to 1922 has a groovy ‘60s’ theme this year. Appropriately, its Coronado Bloom Bash on April 13 from 5:30 - 9:30pm celebrates “peace, love and flowers.”
Hours are 1-5pm on April 13 and 10am - 4pm on April 14. Tickets are $5 per day (free for children 12 and under). Pick up free maps at Spreckels Park for drive-by visits to award-winning front yards throughout the community. Bloom Bash tickets are $45 in advance; $50 at the door.
Learn more at coronadoflowershow.com
San Diego Horticultural Society’s “Magical La Mesa” tour
After a pause for Easter, tours resume on Saturday, April 27, 9am - 4pm, when the San Diego Horticultural Society visits eight gardens in La Mesa. The SDHS website provides details on what to expect on this tour of eight extraordinary gardens both in Mt. Helix and the lowlands. Remember, tickets go FAST, so buy them now at https://sdhort.org/event-3161812
Spring Garden tour featuring waterwise gardens
Also on tap on April 27, 10am - 3pm, is the Bernardo Gardeners Club annual Spring Home Garden Tour to five waterwise gardens around Rancho Bernardo and Poway. One garden showcases palms and plumeria, while another creates a lush English garden look with drought-tolerant plants. Look for complimentary refreshments, craft and plant vendors, and gardening advice from San Diego Master Gardeners at select stops.
Tickets are $20 (no children under 12). Purchase them at Walter Andersen's Nursery, Poway, or by mail from Bernardo Gardeners Club, 12642 Camino Emparrado, San Diego, CA 92128. Mailed ticket orders with payment and self-addressed return envelope must be received by April 13.
Event day tickets are cash only at the tour garden at 12418 Grandee Rd., San Diego.
Find more info at bernardogardeners.org.