Awards Banquet

Horticulturist of the Year 2009

 

Laurel Woodley

Program: “The Making of a Horticulturist”

When some were told that Laurel Woodley was being honored as the SCHS 2009 Horticulturist of the Year, they were surprised, believing she had won the title long ago. Laurel has had a lifelong, passionate relationship with plants, having been introduced by her parents who operated H.F. Woodley Nursery. As a student of Zoology and Botany at UCLA, she had the fortunate opportunity to travel on worldwide field trips with Mildred Mathias. A popular biology professor at the community college level, she retired in 2004. Laurel is a natural and gifted teacher, and has never stopped sharing her knowledge and inspiring plant people through lectures, website postings and more.

She has a personal fondness for Southern California desert-adapted plants and serves as the vice president of the Cactus & Succulent Society of America. In 2005, she spearheaded the Plant Identification project at South Coast Botanic Garden in Palos Verdes, expertly photographing and researching each plant’s identity for this on-going project. The Award Banquet will culminate with Laurel’s talk “The Making of a Horticulturist” highlighting some of the memorable people and events that have influenced her horticultural life.

Our popular Silent Auction was held again at this year’s banquet. This fun event featured plants, books and other items of interest that have been donated by our generous members and other supporters from our community.

Thanks to (the estate of) Harold Lachs, who was a member of our Society for 47 years and treasurer for 18 of them, and to Joan Citron, every attendee at our September banquet will receive a one gallon plant of either a cymbidium orchid or a Clivia miniata.

Download PDF listing previous individuals honored by SCHS as Horticulturist of the Year.