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Welcome to the Southern California Horticultural Society,
where passionate gardeners meet to share ideas
and learn from each other

On the second Thursday of each month, we invite speakers to present a talk or program about their area of expertise. We offer in-person meetings as well as live-streaming on Zoom (with registration).

Meetings may also include Plant Sales, a Raffle and expert discussion of plants brought in to the Plant Forum. Do you have an interesting plant to share? If you can't bring one in person, send in a photo and requested information on our Plant Forum Page.

For more information about the Society, please see our About SCHS page.

UPCOMING SPECIAL EVENT:


2024 RUTH BORUN LECTURE SERIES

Friday,  April 12th, 2024


All Plants Come from Somewhere!

How Plant Origin Clues Make Us Better Gardeners


Featuring Brian Kemble


On April 12 the Southern California Horticultural Society will present the 2024 Ruth Borun Lecture Series with guest speaker Brian Kemble, Curator of the Ruth Bancroft Garden in Walnut Creek, where he has worked since 1980. It is known as a “preservation garden”, and came about as the result of Bancroft’s vision and years of hard work. It is Kemble’s responsibility to maintain its look and feel, guided by her design principles and by the conservation easement overseen by the Garden Conservancy.  He and his team know what sort of plants belong in Ruth’s garden – not only which genera she gravitated toward, but also the forms, colors, textures and juxtapositions that appealed to her.  Kemble is always on the lookout for plants that can seamlessly be woven into existing compositions, even if the selections had not yet been brought into cultivation when she herself was still accumulating plants. 

Kemble has traveled extensively, seeking new drought-adapted plants and exploring the places where they occur in nature. It brings him joy to see a plant in its native habitat – the topography, the rock and soil types, the associated vegetation, the appearance of the place – instilling in him a deep sense of connection to the plant and to the whole web of life from which it springs. He believes it is important to remember that all plants come from somewhere, as even hybrids derive from species that originated in a specific habitat of an actual place. 

He also adheres to the tenet that plants from climates similar to ours are more likely to succeed in our gardens, and that this is a good reason to seek out California native plants, or ones from the world’s Mediterranean climate zones. However, he feels that these should not be the only places to explore, as some plants may have broader adaptability and can succeed in conditions very different from their home turf. He believes experimentation is needed to learn what each plant’s preferences and limitations are, and that the sharing of experiences and insights between gardeners helps us all achieve greater success.

We look forward to hearing Kemble share fascinating stories about specific plants in cultivation at the Bancroft  garden and about their origins. His meticulous plant selection for the successful integration of any specimen into the garden is based on its physical and aesthetic compatibility with the existing landscape – valuable criteria we might also consider in planning our own home gardens.

Online registration is now open at: www.socalhort.org and we invite you to join us for this special evening.

All photos courtesy of speaker.

 MEETING:   IN PERSON & LIVE-STREAMING VIA ZOOM    

DATE & TIME:    Friday, April 12, 2024, 7:30 P.M.

LOCATION:   Blinn House:  160 N. Oakland Ave.Pasadena, CA 91101

COST:   FREE for SCHS Members / $10. for Non-Members (including Guests of Members)

REGISTRATION LINK:   https://socalhort.org/event-5626951

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Upcoming Events:

Friday, April 12, 2024

Live and on Zoom from the Blinn House in Pasadena
2024 Ruth Borun Lecture Series Talk
Brian Kemble of the Ruth Bancroft Gardens will speak on garden plant origins.
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Thursday, May 9, 2024
Program TBA

Thursday, June 13, 2024
Zoom Webinar featuring Michael Boland, Chief Park Officer at Presidio Trust. He will speak about the Presidio Tunnel Tops, the 14-acre San Francisco landscaping project completed on 2022.

Visit our Past Meetings page to re-watch previously recorded in-person meetings and webinars, download each meeting write-up, and reference any materials provided by our speakers.

  • Our Hort Happenings page lists events at local horticultural institutions. 
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  • Want to re-watch a previous meeting, plant forum, or event? Visit our YouTube Channel for all available recordings!
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Join us today and receive our monthly Newsletter, free admission to regular meetings and discounts on SCHS events. We now have an Online-Only membership option for only $15/year. If you would like to support us without joining, please go to our Donate to SCHS page.

If this is your first time to log in as a current member, please enter the email you used when you joined SCHS, then click on the “Forgot Password” link below. In the next dialog, decipher the code and click Submit. A temporary password will be emailed to you, allowing you to log in. Feel free to change the password once you log in.

To renew your membership online, log in and go to your Profile. You will see an option to renew for another year. (Or follow the link when we send you a renewal notice.)

You can always reach us by mail at:

Southern California Horticultural Society
P.O. Box 94476
Pasadena, CA 91109-4476

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