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December 2019
Submitted by Yvonne Savio
Contact each location to confirm the listed event, for details, and for a full schedule.
Events are free with admission unless otherwise indicated.
Armstrong Garden Centers
Including Anaheim, Claremont, Costa Mesa, Glendora, Huntington Beach, Irvine, La Canada-Flintridge, La Crescenta, Laguna Niguel, La Habra, Long Beach, Monrovia, Newport, Pasadena, Santa Monica, Sherman Oaks, Thousand Oaks, Torrance, Tustin, Westchester.
Thursday, 12/5, 4-7pm. Christmas Open House – Wine & Sweet Treats. 20% off Your Entire Purchase of all regular-priced items, excluding sod, artificial turf, services, gift cards, sale items; limited to quantities on hand, no rain checks.
Saturday, 12/7, 9am. Make & Take Santa Barbara Wreath. Bring the welcoming, authentic spirit of stylish Old California to your front door with a beautiful Santa Barbara wreath. Demonstration and hands-on class. Limit of 15 per class. $50. Register at https://www.armstronggarden.com/event-calendar/
California Native Plant Society – San Gabriel Mountains Chapter
Eaton Canyon Nature Center
1750 North Altadena Drive
Pasadena 91107
818-398-5420
California Native Plant Society – Los Angeles/Santa Monica Mountains Chapter
First United Methodist Church
1008 11th Street
Santa Monica 90403
818-782-9346
Check website for current listings.
California Native Plant Society – Los Angeles/Santa Monica Mountains Chapter
Sepulveda Garden Center
16633 Magnolia Blvd
Encino 91436
818-782-9346
California Rare Fruit Growers – South Bay Chapter
South Coast Botanic Garden
26300 Crenshaw Blvd
Palos Verdes Peninsula 90274
310-765-0570
https://crfg.org/home/chapters/california/south-bay/
Check website for current listings.Coastkeeper Garden
1560 East Santiago Canyon Road
Orange 92869
714-850-1965
Saturday, 12/14/19, 9:30am. Monthly Garden Share. Attendees bring garden-related items such as plants, cuttings, pots, tools, produce, etc., to trade. This is a great way to obtain new plants and meet like-minded plant lovers. For more information, go to
https://www.facebook.com/groups/CoastkeeperGardenShare. Repeats second Saturdays.
Descanso Gardens
1418 Descanso Drive
La Canada Flintridge 91011
818-949-7980
Desert Horticultural Society of the Coachella Valley
UCR Palm Desert
75-080 Frank Sinatra Drive
Palm Desert 92211
www.deserthorticulturalsociety.org
Check website for current listings.
Eaton Canyon Nature Center
1750 North Altadena Drive
Pasadena 91107
626-398-5420
Every Wednesday, and second Sunday, 10am. Eaton Canyon Gardening Group. Volunteers maintain the garden.
Saturday, 12/21/19, 9am-12noon, Nature Patio. Conservation Work Day. We will be weeding invasive plants to conserve habitat for the native species. Gloves, tools and a snack will be provided. Please bring your own drinking water, and wear clothing, footwear and sun protection appropriate for outdoor work. As a reminder, our volunteers under the age of 18 should bring along an adult. RSVP to eatoncanyon.conservation@gmail.com . Repeats third Saturdays.
El Dorado Nature Center
7550 E. Spring Street
Long Beach 90815
562-570-1745
http://www.longbeach.gov/park/park-and-facilities/parks-centers-pier/el-dorado-nature-center/
Check website for current listings.
Fullerton Arboretum
1900 Associated Road
Fullerton 92831
657-278-3407
Saturday & Sunday, 12/7 & 12/8, 10am-4pm. Cactus & Succulent Sale. Enjoy a wide variety of vendors selling interesting, rare and unique specimens. Proceeds from the sale help support our environmental education programs, plant conservation and the diverse gardens of the Arboretum.
Saturday, 12/14, 10am. Friends’ Guided Tour. Meet at the Nature Center and join one of our knowledgeable docents as they guide you on a tour through the beautiful garden. Limit 15 people. $5 donation. Repeats on 2nd Saturday.
Friday & Saturday, 12/13 & 12/14, 5-8pm. Holiday Luminaria Stroll. Take an evening stroll through the luminaria-lined pathways of the Arboretum. Also, enjoy live music, warm drinks and a winter market featuring ceramic and glass artwork made by CSUF students. $15 members and Titan Card holders, $20 non-members.
Saturday, 12/21, 8:15am. Forest Bathing Walk. Take the opportunity to slow down, tune in and rediscover the feeling of curiosity for the landscape around you as you’ll be led through a series of sensory invitations to experience the Fullerton Arboretum in a new way. $25 members, $30 non-members.
Saturday, 12/28, 10am. Friends’ Guided Tour. Meet at the Nature Center and join one of our knowledgeable docents as they guide you on a tour through the beautiful garden. Limit 15 people. $5 donation. Repeats on 4th Saturdays.
Huntington Botanical Gardens
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino 91108
626-405-2100
Every Saturday, 10am-1pm. Ranch Open House. Stop by The Huntington’s urban agriculture site during our weekly open house and pick up some fresh ideas for sustainable gardening. Experts from the University of California Los Angeles County Master Gardener program will be on hand to answer questions and offer seasonal tips. The half-acre Ranch Garden—part classroom and part research lab—draws inspiration from The Huntington’s agricultural heritage to explore optimal approaches to gardening in Southern California’s semi-arid climate. The mission of the Ranch is to reconnect people with their food in beautiful and livable ways, inspiring visitors to incorporate edibles into the landscape of their home gardens. Visit huntington.org/ranchgarden/ to learn more. From the Teaching Greenhouse, follow signs to the site. Repeats every Saturday.
Thursday, 12/12, 2:30pm, Ahmanson Classroom, Brody Botanical Center. Garden Talk & Sale: Be Bold! Designing with Native Plants. Mike Evans, founder of Tree of Life Nursery, will discuss ways to boldly break away from the simplistic, homogenous style of garden design so often seen today and create unique, truly diverse landscapes with native plants. A plant sale follows the talk.
Saturday, 12/14, 10am-12noon. Vintage Floral Design for the Holidays. Create a holiday floral design inspired by The Huntington’s centennial in this hands-on workshop led by Flower Duet. Participants will create arrangements in a vintage style, reminiscent of those that graced elegant homes around the year 1919. $85 members, $100 non-members. Register at www.huntington.org/calendar .
Saturday, 12/14, 10:30am-12:30pm, Herb Garden. Family Drop-In Program Interactive Fun: Garden Party. Meet head gardener Kelly Fernandez, experiment with the plants in the Herb Garden to make amazing art, and enjoy a reading of The Yummy Alphabet Book (readings at 10:30 and 11:30 a.m.). All ages welcome; no advance registration required.
Saturday, 12/14, 1-2:30pm. Children’s Workshop: Holiday Wreaths. Create a holiday decoration inspired by the year of The Huntington’s founding: 1919. In this workshop presented by Flower Duet, children will learn how to make gorgeous, old-fashioned evergreen wreaths studded with magnolia leaves, pine cones, and dried fruit. Ages 7 and up. $35 members, $45 non-members (Fee includes one child and one accompanying adult). Register at www.huntington.org/calendar .
J Paul Getty Museum – Getty Center
1200 Getty Center Drive
Los Angeles 90049
310-440-7300
Daily, 11:30am, 12:30pm, 2:30pm, 3:30pm, Tour meeting place outside the museum entrance. 45-minute Garden Tours. The Central Garden, designed and conceived by artist Robert Irwin, is an evolving work of art, with tree-lined walkways through extraordinary sights, sounds, and scents. Repeats daily.
J Paul Getty Museum – Getty Villa
17985 Pacific Coast Highway
Pacific Palisades, CA 90272
310-440-7300
Thursdays and Saturdays, 10:30am, 11:30am, 12:30pm, 1:30pm, 3:30pm, Tour meeting place outside the museum entrance. 40-minute Garden Tours. Discover the rich mythological and cultural connections of four ancient Roman gardens. Repeats Thursdays and Saturdays.
Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden
301 North Baldwin Ave
Arcadia 91007
626-821-4623
Wednesday, 12/4, 1:30-3pm. Plant Information: Winter Holiday Plants – No Matter What You Celebrate, There’s A Plant For That! with LA County Arboretum Plant Information Consultant Frank McDonough. Register online at www.arboretum.org/calendar . For questions, call the Education Department at 626-821-4623. Repeats First Wednesdays.
Saturday, 12/7, 11am-12noon. Fall Color Walking Tour with LA County Arboretum Plant Information Consultant Frank McDonough. Fall comes to the Arboretum with many trees and shrubs turning a variety of yellows, golds, oranges and reds. Join on a walk through the garden and learn why and how leaves change colors. For questions, call 626-821-3222.
Natural History Museum of Los Angeles
900 Exposition Blvd
Los Angeles 90007
213-763-3466
Daily, 3:30pm, Nature Gardens, just outside Nature Lab and under the bridge. Nature Walk. Join us on a walk through the Nature Gardens to explore the amazing diversity of life that calls L.A. home.
Every Saturday and Sunday, 11am, Nature Gardens, just outside Nature Lab and under the bridge. Nature Gardens Exploration. Join us for a hands-on activity in our dynamic Nature Gardens.
Rancho Los Alamitos Historic Ranch
6400 East Bixby Hill Road
Long Beach 90815
562-431-3541
https://www.rancholosalamitos.org/
Check website for current listings.
Rancho Los Cerritos
4600 Virginia Road
Long Beach 90807
562-206-2040
http://www.rancholoscerritos.org/
Saturdays & Sundays, 1-5pm. Garden One-Hour Tours. Rancho Los Cerritos offers free one-hour garden tours for visitors. For details about all of our tours, visit http://www.rancholoscerritos.org/things-to-do-hub/tours/. Repeats every weekend.
Thursday, 12/12, 8-9:30am, meet in the lower parking lot at 8am sharp. Bird Walk. Stroll through the grounds of the historic Rancho and watch both resident birds and seasonal migrants. Participants will also listen to calls and songs and potentially observe other specific seasonal behaviors. Wear comfortable closed toed shoes and bring a hat and binoculars. Rain cancels. More details online at https://www.rancholoscerritos.org/upcoming-event/bird-walk-december-2019/ . For more information, please contact Horticulturist Marie Barnidge-McIntyre, 562-206-2040. Repeats 2nd Thursdays.
Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden
1500 North College Avenue
Claremont 91711
909-625-8767
Saturday, 12/14, 10am-12noon. Pollinator Gardens: Bees, Butterflies & Hummingbirds. Learn how native plants support pollinators and about selecting plants that are especially effective at creating food-hubs. Choosing the best plants for your area is the key to success, and we'll show you how. Free for members, $10 non-members. Register at http://rsabg.org/classes .
Saturday, 12/28, 10am-12noon. Pollinator Gardens: Bees, Butterflies & Hummingbirds. Learn how native plants support pollinators and about selecting plants that are especially effective at creating food-hubs. Choosing the best plants for your area is the key to success, and we'll show you how. Free for members, $10 non-members. Register at http://rsabg.org/classes .
Redlands Horticultural and Improvement Society
Church of the Nazarene
1307 E Citrus Avenue
Redlands, CA 92374
Frank Herendeen 909-793-3333
http://redlandsgardenclub.com/index.html
Check website for current listings.
San Diego Botanic Garden
230 Quail Gardens Drive
Encinitas CA 92024
760-436-3036
12/3-12/8, 12/10-12/15, 12/17-12/23, 12/26-12/30, 5-8:30pm. Botanic Wonderland Holiday Nights in the Garden. Celebrating our brand new Dickinson Family Education Conservatory, this family-friendly festival contains many of the holiday traditions you’ve come to know and love over the years at the Garden, as well as some fantastic new ones! Also, for the first time ever, select areas of Hamilton Children’s Garden and Toni’s Treehouse will be lit up and ready to play in during our December evening hours. Come celebrate with us and explore our new educational space filled with unique and unusual tropical plants, many of which have never been displayed before at the Garden. https://www.sdbgarden.org/botanicwonderland.htm
Tuesday, 12/3, 9am-3pm. Holiday Succulent Wreath Workshop. With our own Succulent Wreath Team, design a beautiful 12”-16” succulent wreath with holiday décor touches just in time for your special annual gatherings! Proudly display your traditional metal wreath on your wall, table or door. Please bring small clippers to the class. $95 members, $114 non-members (fee includes materials). Register by 11/26 at https://apm.activecommunities.com/sandiegobotanicgarden/Home
Saturday, 12/7, 9am-12noon. Living Wall / Vertical Garden. Learn the basics of planting a living wall or vertical garden for your home – indoors or out! With instructor Mary Lou Morgan, we will be planting a 10”x 20” wall with a variety of succulents. Living walls can be created with a multitude of different colors, textures and sizes. The possibilities of striking patterns and unique designs are endless. $30 members, $36 non-members, plus an $80 per student materials fee paid directly to the instructor at the first class. Register by November 30 at https://apm.activecommunities.com/sandiegobotanicgarden/Home
Sunday, 12/8, 9-11am. Forest / Nature Bathing with Rhana Kozak. Shinrin-yoku, or Forest Bathing, is a way of connecting people to Nature. This idea, and the positive health effects of simply being and walking in a state of relaxation in the natural world has undergone significant scientific testing and validation in Japan and Korea. This innovative programming is trending in gardens and nature reserves across the country. $32 members, $40 non-members. Register by December 1 at https://apm.activecommunities.com/sandiegobotanicgarden/Home
Thursday, 12/19, 9:30-10:30am. Open Air Yoga Experience. Breathe in fresh air while being sheltered by beautiful trees in this unique open air yoga experience. Immerse your senses in the sights and smells of nature. Leave restored and rejuvenated after gently moving your body. Please bring your own mat. $20 members, $24 non-members. Register by December 12 at https://apm.activecommunities.com/sandiegobotanicgarden/Home
Santa Barbara Botanic Garden
1212 Mission Canyon Rd.
Santa Barbara 93105
805-682-4726
Check website for listings.
Santa Barbara County Horticultural Society
Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church
909 N La Cumbre Road
Santa Barbara 93110
805-684-5725
Check website for listings. Monthly meetings repeat first Wednesdays.
South Coast Botanic Garden
26300 Crenshaw Blvd
Palos Verdes Peninsula 90274
310-544-1948
www.southcoastbotanicgarden.org/
Check website for current listings.
Southern California Horticultural Society
Friendship Auditorium
3201 Riverside Drive
Los Angeles CA 90027
818-567-1496
Thursday, 12/14, 7-9pm. Decorating with Holiday Greens with Marie Barnidge-McIntyre, and Holiday Party, at the Canoga Park Women's Club, 7401 Jordan Ave, Canoga Park, CA 91303. Bring a sweet or savory dish to share.
Theodore Payne Foundation
10459 Tuxford Street
Sun Valley 91352
818-768-1802
Saturday, 12/7, 8:30-10:00am. Cool Container Plants, A Walk and Talk with Flora Ito, Nursery Sales Manager. This outdoor session offers tips for potting up natives to enhance your door step, balcony, patio or larger garden. Pots and supplies, including our custom soil mix, will be available for purchase. $15 members, $20 non-members. Register at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/cool-container-plants-a-walk-and-talk-with-flora-ito-tickets-70393279193
Saturday, 12/7, 10:30am-12:30pm. Hypertufa Container Workshop with Steve Gerischer. A super-fun, hands-on, messy activity for grown-ups and families alike! Using cement, perlite and coir, each attendee will make a relatively lightweight container that resembles a time-weathered stone trough. Wear old clothes and shoes. All materials provided. $30 members, $40 non-members. Register at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/hypertufa-container-workshop-with-steve-gerischer-tickets-71102785345
Saturday, 12/7, 1:30-4pm. Right Plant, Right Place with Lily Singer, Director of Special Projects. Knowing native habitats can help you choose the right plants for your place. This course discusses local plant communities and their conditions, as well as how to assess your garden’s conditions, including climate, soil, sunlight and space. A valuable class for beginners and the prerequisite for our Three-Part California Native Garden Design Course. Limited to 12 students. $25 members, $35 non-members. Register at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/right-plant-right-place-with-lili-singer-registration-63491071504
Saturday, 12/14, 9am-12noon. Propagating California Native Plants with Tim Becker, Director of Horticulture. Learn basic skills of vegetative propagation in this hands-on session. Various species of native plants will be discussed and started from cuttings. You’ll leave with a flat of starts for your own garden. Please note that this workshop is held in our propagation shed and gardens; students should come prepared for three hours of standing with up to one mile of walking in the sun. Limited to 10 students. $50 members, $60 non-members. Register at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/propagating-california-native-plants-with-tim-becker-tickets-69226453185
Saturday, 12/14, 1:30-4pm. Native Plant Garden Maintenance with Tim Becker, Director of Horticulture. Subjects covered include watering, fertilizing (or not), grooming, mulching, pest management and other aspects of garden maintenance. You’ll also discover how native plants respond to pruning cuts (good and bad), what we trigger with our gardening activities, and how to develop good maintenance goals. Part of the class with be held outdoors; bring your hat and water bottle. $25 members, $35 non-members. Register at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/native-plant-garden-maintenance-with-tim-becker-tickets-69230497281
University of California Riverside Botanic Garden
900 University Avenue
Riverside 92521
951-784-6962
Check website for current listings.
University of California South Coast Research & Extension Center
7601 Irvine Blvd
Irvine 92618
949-653-1810
http://screc.ucanr.edu/Extension_Outreach_-_Education/
Check website for current listings.