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, December 11th, 2025

In-Person at the Canoga Park Women's Club

SCHS Annual Holiday Party 

and Panel Discussion with:

Marie Barnidge-McIntyre

Richard Carlos and Steven Gerischer

"Gardening Tips I Wish I Knew
When I WAS StartING Out"

It’s the time of year to gather with friends for some good eats and seasonal fun! On December 11, the Southern California Horticultural Society will meet at the Canoga Park Women’s Club for our annual holiday meeting, freebie table and potluck treats. This meeting is open to everyone, and we encourage people to bring sweet or savory treats to share! 

To provide us with entertaining and enlightening garden tips, we will hear from a panel of three SCHS board members, talking about things they have learned over the years.

Panelists:

Our newest board member, Marie Barnidge-McIntyre, will draw upon her experiences in horticulture, from being a nursery consultant, identifying pests and problems, to designing landscapes and, most notably as the Horticulturist at Rancho Los Cerritos Historic Site, a position she held for over 30 years.  She is used to sharing her plant knowledge and insights with students, interns, volunteers and the general public, and we look forward to being her latest audience. 

Another new board member, Richard Carlos, was inspired in the 1990s while watching his friend garden at their shared house. A 2006 field course at UCLA, Natural History of Southern California, taught by then professor emeritus Clarence A. Hall (who developed the course with Mildred Mathias) further focused his interests. He has years of hands-on experience to share from volunteering at Theodore Payne since 2010, and from transforming his parents’ garden with  California native plants. 

Long-time board member Steve Gerischer has served as the SCHS President, Vice-President and been active with countless committees.  His professional horticultural career began at Smith & Hawken, followed by HortusNursery until it closed, and he’s been designing and installing gardens for many years as the owner of Larkspur Garden Design. He can often be seen presenting our Plant Forum, and his depth of knowledge makes him a popular educator and speaker at venues across SoCal - as  well as when presenting to our members!

Program will be recorded for the SCHS YouTube archive.

We will not be holding our usual Plant Forum, but we will have our annual Freebie Table, where people are welcome to bring in new or "gently used" items that no longer spark joy for them, but might be appreciated by someone else. Contributions are always welcomed, but not mandatory to participate in the fun. The catch is that you have to wait until the Freebie Table is "opened" at the designated time.

We hope you will be able to join us for this festive evening in Canoga Park - everyone is welcome! 

MEETING:   In Person​​ at Canoga Park Women’s Club

DATE:  Thursday, December 11, 2025

VENUE:  Canoga Park Women’s Club, 7401 Jordan Ave, Canoga Park, CA 91303

Meeting opens at 7:00pm; program starts at 7:30pm; Freebie Table opens at 8:30pm

Members:  FREE   /   Non-Members:  fee waived for December

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

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Upcoming Events:

Thursday, December 11 at 7:00pm

In-person at the Canoga Park Women's Club

Annual Holiday Party with panel discussion "Gardening Tips I Wish I Knew When I Was Starting Out"

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 this biodiverse public garden designed by Piet Oudolf.

Thursday, February 12, 2026 at 7:00pm

Online Zoom

Gillian Martin, Director of Cavity Conservation Initiative, will speak on "Safely Saving Dead Trees for Wildlife Habitat"

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. 
• 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!
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