San Diego Horticultural Society upcoming events

Rancho Peñasquitos Sharing Garden (Sat, April 18, 2026)

Sat, 18 Apr 2026 16:30:00 GMT

Dawn Standke has been a Master Gardener since 2005 and has put her considerable horticultural skills - and a great deal of passion over 31 years – into creating an urban garden that takes advantage of San Diego’s mild climate to produce an abundance of delicious food and pollinator-attracting flowers all year. Her 1/3-acre pie-shaped lot at the end of a cul-de-sac is largely hidden from the street. After walking through a small low-water front garden you turn a corner to find a deck/potting area densely shaded by a South African plum tree. Mama bobcat has reared kittens for five years in a row under this deck (https://youtu.be/5seuQrOa4I8). Continue around the corner to the large back yard. Dawn’s handyman Jose has created many garden structures that allow her to grow a wide range of fruits and vegetables in different ways. The wood and hardware cloth “Tomato Fortress” holds tomato plants growing in hydroponic Dutch buckets, well-protected from birds and 4-footed marauders. Next you will see the outdoor kitchen, complete with a wood burning fireplace. Turn to your right and climb the “stairway to heaven” that will take you up what was once a steep slope to see the blueberry cage, flowers, fruit trees, and vegetables. There are many varieties of citrus, mulberries, a white sapote, passion fruit, tree spinach, Surinam cherries, guavas, pomegranates, a cherimoya and other rare fruit. Come down the stairs to visit the mermaid in the pergola, then continue on to see the “horizontal hydroponics” where Dawn grows edibles with small root systems.

Visitors are welcome to bring home a cutting of her purple-flowered Gregg’s Mistflower, the number one butterfly-attracting plant in her yard. (Dawn jokes that she needs butterfly air traffic control for all the butterflies visiting the mistflower!) (https://youtu.be/RhQEJ8zZ5Pw?si=Gkkx7SUtbeCw07b5).

Dawn has written a number of gardening articles for the San Diego Union-Tribune, including most recently one about low-water flowering trees for San Diego County (https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2026/01/10/garden-mastery-wow-what-is-that-tree/).

Address and google map link are included in the registration confirmation email.

Rancho Peñasquitos Sharing Garden-2nd Tour (Sat, April 18, 2026)

Sat, 18 Apr 2026 17:30:00 GMT

Address and google map link are included in the registration confirmation email.

Rancho Peñasquitos Sharing Garden-3rdTour (Sat, April 18, 2026)

Sat, 18 Apr 2026 18:30:00 GMT

Address and google map link are included in the registration confirmation email.

April Meeting-Walker Wilson - Conservation Through Cultivation (Sat, April 18, 2026)

Sat, 18 Apr 2026 20:30:00 GMT

NEXT GENERAL MEETING:

April 18, 2026

Walker Wilson - Conservation Through Cultivation - Growing A Local Ecotype Nursery.

In-Person, Oasis, Rancho Bernardo, 1:30p -3:30p

Online registration required -
SD Hort Member (and their guest) registration is FREE and
in-person non-member registration is $15.00

(Consider joining or renewing with the San Diego Horticultural Society for $30.00 and attend this meeting for free.)

Walker Wilson is the founder of Walker's Wildlands nursery in Fallbrook.

Walker Wilson is the founder of Walker's Wildlands nursery in Fallbrook. After studying environmental science and history in college, Walker 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 on his passion for the environment, he decided to channel that frustration into action and forge his own path. Walker started by offering native plant focused landscaping services, using his earnings from that work to fund his dream of starting a nursery, and through volunteering with local groups like the Chaparral Institute and the Fallbrook Land Conservancy, he built a network that eventually led him to the land and the support needed to launch Walker's Wildlands.

Today, Walker's Wildlands specializes in growing locally-sourced California native plants, with a focus on providing the bounty of plant species found along our region's hillsides and trails to restore habitat and create sustainable, climate appropriate landscapes. By reintroducing these native plants, his work directly combats habitat loss, which is a primary driver of extinction in San Diego County. Because San Diego has more endangered species than any other county in the continental U.S., supporting local biodiversity throughout the county is vitally important. Built on a foundation of community support, volunteer help, an organic growth business model, Walker's nursery is a labor of love.

He is dedicated to educating the community about the vital role of native plants and proving that the incredible biodiversity of San Diego can be right in our own backyards. - Growing a Local Ecotype Nursery.

Online registration required
Member (and one guest) registration is FREE
Non-member - join or renew your membership for $30.00 and attend all meetings free.

Bring plants or cuttings to share at the Plant Forum before the meeting.

Social hour and Plant Forum at 1:30 PM
Presentations at 2:00 PM
Location - San Diego Oasis
17170 Bernardo Center Dr. San Diego, CA 92128
In the Innovation Center on the lower level

Rancho Bernardo Sharing Garden (Sat, April 25, 2026)

Sat, 25 Apr 2026 17:00:00 GMT

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 isto come - a complex series of garden rooms filled with exotic (and mostly edible) treasures. Sue was born in Iraq, earned her horticultural degree in Baghdad, and spent years in charge of 200 hundred people whose job it was to beautify that city with climate-appropriate plants. Today, she does most of the gardening herself, and her driveway is lined with several kinds of flowering pomegranate trees growing alongside bougainvillea and palms, “a common Iraqi combination.” As you approach the house there is a peaceful garden with the sound of running water, a haven for her husband, a poet, who likes to sit here and write in virtual seclusion from the street. Nearer to the house dozens of planters hold a huge array of succulents plus ornamental treasures Sue has collected for years. As you enter the back garden a tapestry of thriving trees, shrubs, vines, and annuals greets you. There is a living fence of carefully tended grape vines which Sue grows as much for the leaves she cooks with as for the grapes. Every tree has a story, many linked to her Middle Eastern heritage. There are four kinds of mulberry trees, including one that bears three kinds of fruit. Raised beds are sown with seeds for Iraqi veggies. Fruit trees supply her with produce virtually all year – loquats, cherimoya, white sapote, apricot, kumquat, figs, dates, mango, tamarind, persimmon, jujube, Surinam cherry, apples, blood orange, and more. Passion fruit vines grow enthusiastically on a large trellis, and several pots of blueberries are an ongoing experiment to find the perfect variety for her microclimate. Hundreds of nasturtium plants provide both bright color and edible leaves, flowers, and seeds (which Sue has pickled). In the sunniest spot there are roses, and against the house is a shady dining table from which to feast your eyes on this abundance. Be prepared to get some cuttings and/or seeds pressed into your hands by our generous hostess.

Address and Google map link are included in the registration confirmation email. - In case of rain, the event will be canceled and rescheduled for a different date -

Rancho Bernardo Sharing Garden - 2nd tour (Sat, April 25, 2026)

Sat, 25 Apr 2026 19:00:00 GMT

Address and Google map link are included in the registration confirmation email.

- In case of rain, the event will be canceled and rescheduled for a different date -

A Day at the Huntington (Wed, May 06, 2026)

Wed, 06 May 2026 14:30:00 GMT

Bus Tour

Huntington Botanical Gardens

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 garden. 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 Garden, home to one of the largest collections of cacti and succulents, and the serene Japanese Garden, featuring traditional architecture and a moon bridge. You can also explore the Liu Fang Yuan (Garden of Flowing Fragrance, The Chinese Garden), which boasts one of the largest Chinese-style gardens outside of China, and the historic Rose Garden, which traces the evolution of roses through centuries of cultivation. The Japanese Heritage Shōya House is a new, 320-year-old historic home at that opened in October 2023. The 3,000-square-foot 18th-century residence was relocated from Marugame, Japan, and features a newly constructed gatehouse, courtyard, and kitchen garden on a 2-acre site. Each garden offers a distinct atmosphere, ranging from the lush, tropical canopy of the Jungle Garden to the aromatic, meticulously labeled displays of the Herb Garden.

Feel free to go it alone with a buddy or stay with a group with your tour leader Kathy Ascher, San Diego Master Gardener, who will lead you through some of the more iconic spaces on the grounds.

Lunch is on your own at one of the Huntington Dining Options .

Afterwards you have the afternoon to explore the rest of the Huntington Botanical Gardens or Museums on your own.

We'll head back to San Diego in late afternoon, arriving early evening.

Transportation: Private motorcoach with small bathroom. Roundtrip from Old Town San Diego Transit Center or I-5/La Costa Ave. Park and Ride.

Schedule:

Depart Old Town Transit Center 7:30am, arrive La Costa Transit 8:00am
Depart La Costa 8:15am, arrive Huntington 10:00am
Tour Huntington from 10am to 3:30pm
Depart Huntington 4:00pm, arrive La Costa 6:45pm
Depart La Costa 7pm, arrive Old Town 7:30pm

Tour Details: Arrive/start group tour of the Palm/Dessert Garden.

Balance of day until 3:30 PM at leisure to tour other gardens and museums on your own.

Lunch: On own at Rose Garden Tea Room House (reservations required), coffee shop or Café; there is also the Chinese Garden Tea House. The Huntington does not allow you to bring in your own food. More Information

Water: Please bring your own refillable water bottle for the tour.

Reservations:

SDHS Members $98
Non-Members $120
Select Old Town or La Costa pickup location when registering.
Payment in full to reserve
$25 cancellation fee up to March 31st 2026; after then no refund, but you can find a substitute to take your place.
Full refund if trip cancelled due to inadequate signups.
Tour operates rain or shine!

DATE CHANGE! Elfin Forest Sharing Garden (Sat, May 09, 2026)

Sat, 09 May 2026 17:00:00 GMT

Dear Members,

Due to the current weather forecast indicating high probability of rain this weekend, the Elfin Forest Sharing Garden event has been rescheduled to Saturday, May 9th.

Please make a note of the new date and look out for updated registration information, which will be sent out approximately two weeks prior (around 24th of April).

Thank you for your flexibility. We hope to see you at a Sharing Garden event soon.

The Board

Frank and Susan Oddo Sharing Garden

This 45-year-old garden on 2.5 acres in Elfin Forest is the creation of Frank and Susan Oddo. They named it Birdsong for its lush Mediterranean vegetation that attracts birds, bees and butterflies year-round. It features Aloes, Agaves, Aeoniums, Bromeliads, Tillandsias, Grevilleas, Leucadendrons, a giant thorn tree, a statuesque Queensland Bottle tree, garden art, and much more. Pathways, gazebos, benches, a koi pond, rock work, and a large deck to enjoy the view are part of its charm.

Bring your lunch and sit on the deck after your tour.
Bring a bag or box for give-away plants.
A walking stick for the hillside, while not steep, is useful.
Walking shoes are a must.
No restroom access due to septic.