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. Currently, these virtual meetings are available live on Facebook or Zoom (with registration). Meetings also include expert discussion of plants brought in to the Plant Forum. Do you have an interesting plant to share? Send in a photo and requested information on our Plant Forum Page. For more information about the Society, please see our About SCHS page.

Next Meeting: 

Thursday, May 13, 2021 at 7:30 pm PST

Native Plant Palettes - Creating Dyes from our Fibershed

Photo credit to Paige Green

Rebecca Burgess, the executive director of Fibershed and chair of the board for Carbon Cycle Institute, will be joining the SCHS on May 13 to present a webinar about creating plant dyes from our fibershed. A fibershed is a geographic region that provides all of the resources to make an article of clothing. Awareness of this bioregional designation engenders appreciation, connectivity, and sensitivity for the life-giving resources within these landscapes.

Burgess has over a decade of experience writing and implementing a hands-on curriculum that focuses on the intersection of restoration ecology and fiber systems. She has taught at Westminster College and Harvard University, as well as created workshops for a range of NGOs and corporations. She is the author of Fibershed: Growing a Movement of Farmers, Fashion Activists, and Makers for a New Textile Economy, and also Harvesting Color, a bioregional look into the natural dye traditions of North America.

Burgess has facilitated an extensive network of farmers and artisans within the Northern California Fibershed to pilot the regenerative fiber systems model at the community scale. Her work focuses on developing the vision and funding needed for these models to succeed, and she oversees the implementation of Fibershed’s programs and special projects.

This evening’s presentation will focus on the California ecosystems and specific plant species that offer light and colorfast hues for textiles, and will also explore our region’s fibershed through the lens of plants and whole ecosystems – including our working landscapes. There is a major disconnect between what we wear and our knowledge of its impact on land, air, water, labor and health. Burgess will enlighten us about the biological and human cultural context from which our clothing derives and how understanding, engaging and supporting this system is key to solving global crises – including climate disruption and the rampant inequity within global supply chains that make our clothing.

Registration for this webinar is now open – and if you are interested in learning more about this intriguing topic ahead of our May program, you can also visit Burgess’ website at www.fibershed.org.

The webinar schedule is as follows:

7:10 pm - Webinar opens with SCHS Announcements
7:15 pm - Plant Forum
7:30 pm - Lecture and Q&A with Rebecca Burgess

Register now!

If you have been enjoying our monthly webinars and would like to help support the SCHS until we can meet again in-person, please consider donating any amount you feel you can. Even better, become a member, with levels beginning as low as $15. for the year. You can find details about the various levels of membership on our website at Join SCHS.

Thank you for your attention - we always appreciate your support!

Upcoming SCHS Meetings:

* Thursday, June 10, 2021 - Webinar with photographer Saxon Holt on his new book Gardening in Summer-Dry Climates: Plants for a Lush, Water-Conscious Landscape.

* Thursday, July 8, 2021 - Webinar with Joanna Glovinsky, founder of Fruitstitute, on residential "Fruit Trees Ins-and-Outs." Followed by our Coffee in the Garden event!

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.

Upcoming Events and News:

* Saturday, July 10, 2021 - Coffee in the Garden - stone fruit pruning demo with Joanna Glovinsky of Fruitstitute.

• Our Hort Happenings page lists events at local horticultural institutions for the coming two months. 
• Follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Tag @socalhort in your photos to be featured on our page!
• Want to re-watch a previous meeting, plant forum, or event? Visit our YouTube Channel for all available recordings!
• Join our mailing list to be updated with important news about SCHS via email. Your email address will not be shared with anyone, and you may unsubscribe at any time.