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The San Diego Horticultural Society meets on the second Monday of every month, except June, from 6:00 to 9:00 pm in the Surfside Race Place at the Del Mar Fairgrounds.

Click here for directions.

Click here for info on past meetings.

Everyone is welcome. Meetings are free for members and $5 for non-members (unless otherwise noted).

Mingle with rose enthusiasts, nursery owners, palm fanatics and plant breeders. We're a diverse and neighborly group! Here's what goes on at meetings:

SPEAKERS:

Our monthly speakers are experts in their fields and passionate about their interests. Previous topics have included such diverse areas as: Plants of Madagascar, Topiary, Growing Orchids Outdoors, New Plant Introductions, Italian Renaissance Gardens, and California Natives. Once a year we have a special event (instead of a regular meeting) and charge a modest admission price. Previous special events have included such horticultural legends as Christopher Lloyd, Penelope Hobhouse, Dan Hinkley, Betsy Clebsch, Sharon Lovejoy, Thomas Hobbs and Ken Druse. For June 2009 our special event will be a fabulous talk by internationally celebrated artists and gardeners George Little and David Lewis of Little and Lewis on Bainbridge Island, Washington.

PLANT FORUM: Members bring potted plants and cuttings from home (at some meetings over 100 plants appear!) and an expert briefly discusses most of them. All the plants are listed in our monthly newsletter, with full descriptions provided for about 15-20 plants. We have published The Plant Forum Compilation, a CD with information on over 5000 plants that have appeared at our meetings since 1994. Pay for a five year membership and you'll get a FREE copy!

PLANT SALES: At most meetings vendors sell exceptional plants or other garden-related items.

LENDING LIBRARY: We have an extensive lending library of books and videos, including commercial videos and videotapes of most of our speakers. These are checked out to members at the meetings.

PLANT SWAP: Each month members bring in a wide variety of plants, bulbs, seeds and cuttings to exchange. (NOTE - this activity is currently suspended due to concerns with spreading the Diaprepes weevil and other insect pests. We will resume swaps again once the County of San Diego has assured us it is safe to do so again.)

Exciting Upcoming Speakers!

September 8 – Renee Shepherd, What's New and Unique from Seed

On Monday, September 8, horticulturist, seedswoman, and author Renee Shepherd will present a preview of hot items from seed breeders all over the world. Her fast-paced talk will include herbs, flowers and vegetables new to us or new to you – including interesting heirloom perennials that bloom their first year from seed. Learn about the best new sweet peas, vegetables you may not have thought of growing from seed, and gourmet picks for the cook’s garden. Among the plants she’ll discuss are Lavender ‘French Perfume’, that blooms with heavenly scent the first year from seed, and a miniature rose, ‘Angel Wings’, that grows readily from seed.

Renee Shepherd is widely regarded as a pioneering innovator in introducing international specialty vegetables and herbs for home gardeners and gourmet restaurants. After receiving her Ph.D. from U. C. Santa Cruz and teaching in their Environmental Studies department, she founded Shepherd’s Garden Seed in 1985. Renee left Shepherd's Seeds in 1996, and in 1997 founded Renee’s Garden, offering seeds through garden centers and nurseries and online, to offer fellow gardeners access to the high quality varieties otherwise available only to mail order shoppers. Renee brings her expertise as a variety trials manager, garden writer, cookbook author, lifelong gardener and years of traveling to seed producers all over the globe as she develops her seeds for Renee’s Garden. Her seed line is her personal selection for the most successful and satisfying heirlooms, the best international hybrids and cultivars. Indeed, her gardening values, enthusiasm and discerning taste have made Renee Shepherd a household name in the gardening world.

Renee appears frequently in gardening and cooking periodicals such as Sunset, Fine Cooking, Organic Gardening, The Gardener, Fine Gardening, and Country Living. She has authored two kitchen garden cookbooks: Recipes from a Kitchen Garden and More Recipes From a Kitchen Garden, and is finishing a third. Renee is a long time board member of the National Gardening Association, and lectures at national and regional garden shows and conferences. She is currently the Chair of the Planning Commission for Santa Cruz County, California.

After a short break, there will be the popular Plant Forum, where plant experts will discuss plants and answer questions about plants brought in by the audience. This will be followed by an opportunity drawing featuring plants you’ll want to add to your garden.

Parking is free and everyone is welcome. Admission is free for members and $5 for non-members.

October 13 – Bob Dimattia, Bamboo, the Earth and Us

On Monday, October 13, Bob Dimattia, bamboo specialist and owner of Pura Vida Tropical Nursery, will present a program about this enormous member of the grass family. From the beginning of recorded history, during a time when mankind relied purely on what nature provided, bamboo played a very vital role in many cultures worldwide. Eventually, bamboo became less valued as other resources were tapped, exploited and are now being depleted. Bob will show how this gentle giant has come full circle; what its prospects are, and just how necessary it is now and will continue to be in our future. Once we understand how to take full advantage of bamboo, it will be clear that there is no other plant that can compare in its bio-diversity – bamboo is in a league by itself.

Bob discovered bamboo in the 1970s while stationed in Thailand during the Viet Nam war. He was immensely impressed with the plant’s diversity and its deep connection with the evolution of mankind. Upon returning home he incorporated bamboo into his life, first as a hedge screen but evolving into much more as he saw its many possibilities: from bamboo shoot production to lumber for building, to its pure beauty in the landscape. His love of bamboo extends to all varieties, but his specialty is the giant clumpers. He has developed propagation methods that are reliable in Southern California and has helped to introduce and establish some of the rarer clumpers into Southern California with the help of the American Bamboo Society. He owns and uses an extensive library covering all topics relating to bamboo. Bob’s talk will include examples of many interesting items made of bamboo.

Bob’s nursery in Vista specializes in the propagation and sale of bamboo, as well as many other tropical plants, and has over thirty years experience growing and studying bamboo. He has been an active member of the Southern California Chapter of the American Bamboo Society for over 28 years, and has served on their Board of Directors. Bob is also a former board member of the San Diego Horticultural Society and a member of Quail Botanical Gardens.

Parking is free and everyone is welcome. Admission is free for members and $5 for non-members.

November 10– Koby Hall, Autumnal Treasures of the Pacific Northwest

On Monday, November 10, 2008, horticulturist Koby Hall will present A spectacular photo essay from several famous gardens in the Pacific Northwest at the peak of their Fall brilliance, displaying “an Autumnal Phoenix in all her glory.” The magnificence of Butchart Gardens (Victoria, BC), Dr Sun Yat Sen Oriental gardens (Vancouver, BC), the bounty of Bellevue Botanic Gardens (Bellevue, WA), Mt. Rainer, and other photos will illustrate his talk. He will provide a printed list of the botanical gardens and reference plants for use here for those interested in trying to capture the brilliance of Fall color in your own gardens.

Koby Hall grew up in the Seattle area, moving to Southern California at age 17, and is happy to share his “I’ve lived it,” perspective with audience members. Also, as a seasoned horticulturist, he will be able to discuss some of the plant choices from the Northwest that will perform here in Southern California, as well as the plants that may tempt an unsuspecting gardener even though they do not work here. Koby says, “Autumnal Splendor can be yours in Southern California with a wise selection of plants.”

Hall was encouraged to play in the dirt and the garden from an early age. Being artistically inclined, he considered commercial art, but “got sidetracked – then addicted—to gardening. I learned horticulture the way I learned to love the garden, by hands-on experience.” He has worked for an interior and exterior plant maintenance company and two nurseries. Twenty five years and numerous clients later, he’s developed a style and company (Koby’s Garden Alchemy, www.KobysGarden.com) all his own. He collects plants and photos from many places, and says, “where I can’t travel to I mail order from.”

Parking is free and everyone is welcome. Admission is free for members and $5 for non-members.

December 8– Pete Anderson, Backyard Vineyards in San Diego County

On Monday, December 8, 2008, hear expert Pete Anderson talk about Backyard Vineyards in San Diego County. Anderson, the Grape Mentor for the San Diego Amateur Winemakers Society, will provide an overview of the development of small vineyards by homeowners in the county. The purposes of these plantings range from a romantic idea and attractive landscaping to commercial sale of the grapes. San Diego County is a complex zone for grape growing; with several distinct micro-climates and soils which must be understood. Learn more about a fascinating plant you could add to your garden for eating, drinking, and ornamental value. The evening starts at 6:00 p.m. in the Surfside Race Place at the Del Mar Fairgrounds on Jimmy Durante Blvd. in Del Mar. Parking is free and everyone is welcome. Admission is free for members and $5 for non-members.

Many people select the grape variety based upon their fondness of wine type, not what will produce a quality fruit. Management of grape vines requires knowledge of the physiological and phenological aspects of the vine, but also of the numerous pest and disease issues that can take money and time to control. Find out about Anderson’s small research vineyard in Carlsbad, where powdery mildew and botrytis cinerea abound, not to mention the birds, bees and raccoons.” Despite these challenges, Anderson says, “there is no greater reward and satisfaction than to have grown a quality berry that is delicious or has been made into a nice wine.”

Anderson’s involvement with winemaking began in 1997 when he decided to plant grape vines on land next to his home. He took classes in viticulture and enology at U.C. Davis and also locally at MiraCosta College. Anderson is now an Associate Faculty member at MiraCosta College and teaches Vineyard Development and Management in their Horticulture Department. His specialty is vite itaIiane, and for the past 10 years he’s been involved on an Italian Vine Project with Camillo Magoni, winemaker and international marketing person for L.A. Cetto Winery in Baja California. They are growing about 40 Italian varieties and making wine from these grapes in Carlsbad. In addition, he’s the Vice President for Winegrowing at Witch Creek Winery in Carlsbad. To learn more visit the San Diego Amateur Winemakers Society website, www.SDAWS.org.

Parking is free and everyone is welcome. Admission is free for members and $5 for non-members.