Please join us on
Monday, February 13, 2023,
at 6 pm in-person at Congregation Beth Israel (map and address below)
or at 6:45 pm on Zoom
for
our next hybrid meeting on Plumeria 101: Grow Amazing Plumerias in San Diego
Plumeria 101: Grow Amazing Plumerias in San Diego
Mike Atkinson will explore the basics of successfully growing plumerias in San Diego County on February 13, 2023, at 6pm in-person at CBI and 6:45pm on Zoom.
He'll be covering:
Watering needs
Fertilizing
Best planting method
Rooting cuttings
Winter care
Dealing with pests
Regional conditions
Q&A time
and much more!
On Monday evening, February 13, plumeria expert, Mike Atkinson, will share his extensive knowledge of growing and propagating the many varieties of plumerias that thrive in our Mediterranean climate.
Plumerias love San Diego. Often thought to be native to Hawaii, plumerias are actually native to southern Mexico, Central America, and South America. Their low-maintenance, low-water requirements, and their amazing blooms and fragrances, make them the ideal complement to our Southern California gardens. Mike will introduce the various types of plumerias, explain their fertilization needs, describe which plants make good companions in the garden, and provide advice on general care and selection.
Mike has owned a plumeria farm on Mt Helix in San Diego’s east county with his wife Stacy for over 25 years. The PBS program "A Growing Passion" featured them on their Emmy-winning episode about plumerias. He has taught plumeria workshops in Southern California (San Diego Horticultural Society, San Diego Botanic Garden, Master Gardeners, plus many garden clubs and nurseries), all plumeria societies in the US, and the International Plumeria Conference in Florida. He is a longtime volunteer and speaker with the Southern California Plumeria Society, has authored many articles, and has been interviewed many times, including by the Los Angeles Times.
During the eight-month growing season, Atkinson spends as many as twenty-five hours a week nurturing over 250 varieties of plumeria. He has hundreds of plants in the ground and even more growing in pots.
Stacy was actually the first in the family to become a fan of plumerias. Her father had a plumeria growing from a cutting at his home across the street, and Stacy fell in love with the flowers. Later, after visiting a plumeria farm in Florida, Mike became interested in these remarkable plants as well. He volunteered to be a webmaster for the Southern California Plumeria Society in San Diego, and now he and Stacy are both actively involved in this organization and other groups of plumeria enthusiasts.
Mike does not just grow plumerias; he creates new varieties. He has developed several distinctive plumerias, including Jacob’s Star, Stacy Dean (named after his wife Stacy), and Corona Surprise. Not surprisingly, he is a sought-after speaker, and has recently spoken at the International Plumeria Conference, the South Coast Plumeria Society, and the San Diego Wabi Study Group of the Ohara School of Ikebana.
To see some of Mike’s beautiful plumerias, take a look at Nan Sterman’s interview with Mike at his home in La Mesa on KPBS TV's A Growing Passion.
Meeting Location:
Beth Israel of San Diego
9001 Towne Centre Drive
San Diego, CA 92122
PARKING IN THE BETH ISRAEL LOT
SDHS members and guests can park in the Beth Israel lot at the base of their grand staircase, entered on Golden Haven Road. An elevator by the guard booth is available to access all levels.
In the event that the lot is full, Beth Israel has arranged for parking in the adjacent Gateway Building parking lot.
Next SD Hort Book Club:
All are welcome! Come once or come always - your choice. Send an email to info@sdhort.org to receive the Zoom link and other book club related news.
Monday, February 6, 2023, 4:30p/5p on Zoom
Dan Saladino's Eating to Extinction: The World's Rarest Foods and Why We Need to Save Them © 2022. (Available as eBook, audiobook, paperback, hardcover.)
Dan Saladino's Eating to Extinction is the prominent broadcaster's pathbreaking tour of the world's vanishing foods and his argument for why they matter now more than ever.
