Welcome to the Southern California Horticultural Society

PLANT LOVERS SHARINg KNOWLEDGE

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 usually free, 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.

UPCOMING EVENT:

Thursday, January 8th, 2026

zoom only - schs January Meeting

"Wild by Design:

The Evolution of the High Line Gardens"

with Richard Hayden
Senior Director of Horticulture at the High Line

                                                                                             Photo courtesy of the speaker

The Southern California Horticultural Society's first speaker of the new year will be Richard Hayden, the Senior Director of Horticulture at the High Line gardens in New York City. He will join us online January 8 to present a talk highlighting the plants, techniques and planning of this inspiring and world-famous public space. His program will include recent input and new garden designs from High Line garden designer, Piet Oudolf – that will allow the gardens to evolve, succeed and continually inspire naturalistic gardens everywhere.

Hayden is a passionate horticulturist dedicated to an ecological and naturalistic approach to garden care and design. Prior to 2022, when Hayden began work at the High Line, he served as the Assistant Deputy Director at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County (NHMLA) where he was the primary project manager for the reimagining of the La Brea Tar Pits Museum and 11-acre park site. He also oversaw the Nature Gardens at NHMLA, a wildlife habitat garden, where he collaborated with scientists, educators and interpreters to promote the garden as a leading site for the study of urban nature.

At the High Line, Hayden leads a team of horticulturists in the stewardship and public programming of this historic site. The once-abandoned elevated rail line on the west side of Manhattan was reclaimed and opened as a biodiverse garden in 2009 with naturalistic plantings designed by Piet Oudolf. Since then, the High Line gardens have become known for their unique ability to evoke a natural beauty and four-season interest in a very challenging urban environment.

We are excited to host Hayden to share a program about the evolution of this garden space and the plans for its future – which in turn could inspire our own garden plans as we head into the new year.

Online registration is now open for this special presentation. Please join us for the evening.

MEETING:  ONLINE - Click HERE to register on Zoom

DATE:  Thursday,  January 8, 2026

Meeting opens at 7:10pm; Plant Forum starts at 7:15pm; Program starts at 7:30pm

Members:  FREE   /   Non-Members:  Free for Zoom

NOTE:  The program will be recorded and posted to our YouTube channel.

Upcoming Events:

Thursday, January 8, 2026 at 7:00pm

Online Zoom

Richard Hayden, the Senior Director of Horticulture at the High Line in Manhattan, will give a presentation on the public garden designed by Piet Oudolf, "Wild by Design: The Evolution of the High Line Gardens".

Saturday, February 7
Coffee in the Garden tour
Arnold Garden in Chatsworth - details coming soon!

Thursday, February 12, 2026 at 7:00pm

Online Zoom

Arborist Ryan Suttle will speak on "Giving Trees a Second Life: Habitat Value of Dead, Dying, Decaying Trees"

Friday, March 13 - the 2026 Ruth Borun Lecture Series
John and Molly Chester of Apricot Lane Farms will be speaking on regenerative farming and land stewardship
Details will be announced soon!

Saturday, March 21
Field Trip to Apricot Lane Farms in Somis
Details will be announced soon!

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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