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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. Everyone is welcome!
In-person events are usually free for SCHS Members and students with ID; a $5 entry fee is requested for non-members. Zoom webinars are FREE for all, but registration is required.
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.
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8TH
Cricket Riley and Alice Kitajima, two of the authors of Designing the Lush Dry Garden, will share ideas for creating and maintaining vibrant, climate-resilient landscapes.
ONLINE PROGRAM - REGISTER HERE
Announcements: 7:10PM / Plant Forum: 7:15PM / Program: 7:30PM
This program is free and open to both members and non-members. It will also be recorded and later made available on the SCHS YouTube channel.
On October 8 the Southern California Horticultural Society will host a webinar presentation by Cricket Riley and Alice Kitajima, two of the authors of Designing the Lush Dry Garden: Create a Climate-Resilient, Low-Water Paradise. They will talk about how the book was inspired by the Ruth Bancroft Garden, and share photos, as well as tips, for creating beautiful, abundant gardens that can thrive in our Mediterranean climate with minimal summer water.
In this program, landscape designer Cricket Riley will share the ideas behind the book, and explore how thoughtful design can result in vibrant, climate-resilient landscapes without sacrificing beauty. Drawing on her years of experience at the Bancroft Garden and designing gardens, Riley will introduce practical design principles, plant combinations, and maintenance strategies that help gardens flourish in dry climates. Through stunning photographs by Caitlin Atkinson and real-world examples, she will demonstrate how texture, structure, color, and seasonal interest can transform low-water landscapes into lush outdoor spaces.
Riley is co-owner of Lush Dry Gardens, a landscape design studio serving the San Francisco Bay Area that specializes in climate-appropriate landscape design. Formerly the Director of Design Services at the Ruth Bancroft Garden, she co-created and taught its Dry Garden Design Certificate Program. She holds degrees in landscape architecture, history, and journalism, and serves on Walnut Creek’s Design Review Commission.
Alice Kitajima credits her lifelong passion for gardens to her father, a designer of Japanese-style gardens. After her studies in forestry and music, she worked at botanical gardens and arboreta across the United States, including as Program Director at the Ruth Bancroft Garden, where she inspired deeper connections between people and plants.
Whether you’re starting from scratch or reimagining an existing garden, this program will provide you with fresh inspiration and practical ideas for creating a garden that is both water-wise and deeply connected to its place. We encourage you to join us online for the evening.
Upcoming Events:
Thursday, October 8 | Online Zoom at 7:00 pm PDT | FREE for members and non-members
Cricket Riley and Alice Kitajima, two of the authors of Designing the Lush Dry Garden, will share ideas for creating and maintaining vibrant, climate-resilient landscapes.
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.
SCHS Statement of Solidarity
As a horticultural nonprofit, we stand in solidarity with the agricultural and horticultural workers whose skill and daily labor sustain our gardens, green spaces, and food systems. We honor their expertise and recognize that these workers, like all people in the United States, are protected by constitutional rights that uphold equal protection under the law, freedom of speech and association, and the right to fair and lawful treatment in their workplaces and communities.
We are committed to respecting their contributions to the land and supporting safe, fair, and dignified working conditions. Our work is possible because of theirs.
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The Southern California Horticultural Society is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization.
Tax ID# 95-6064417