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 PROGRAM:

Thursday, July 10th, 2025 on ZOOM

Photo: Shrouded in Light Book Cover

“Shrouded in Light: Illuminating the Wild Potential of Shrublands”

presented by Michael Guidi & Kevin Williams

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

The July 10 Southern California Horticultural Society webinar will be presented by Kevin Philip Williams and Michael Guidi, horticulturists with the Denver Botanic Garden who have co-authored  a new garden design book, Shrouded in Light: Naturalistic Planting Inspired by Wild Shrublands. Their  program will explore the wide spectrum of wild shrublands and the philosophies and design strategies behind translating these plant communities into our home gardens.

Our guest speakers will share examples of shrublands that exist all around us, thriving in almost any environmental condition from the desiccating sunshine of the endless sagebrush steppe to the deep, private shade of moist forests, and talk about how these diverse and inspiring ecosystems can serve as models for our gardens. Beyond their inherent beauty, these shrublands provide nurturing habitats, demonstrate resilience in the face of a changing climate, and offer a challenge to conventional garden-making through their intense aesthetics and obscured intentions.

Kevin Philip Williams is a naturalistic gardener whose unique style combines bioregional plant palettes, a hardcore punk ethos, and post-human aesthetics to craft wild and captivating spaces. He holds an MS degree in Public Horticulture from the Longwood Graduate Program at the University of Delaware, worked as a gardener on The High Line in New York, and studied as a horticulture intern at Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Williams’  extensive work with Denver Botanic Gardens has led to the creation of celebrated public gardens throughout the city. 

Michael Guidi is an ecologist and horticulture researcher whose work draws inspiration from liminalurban spaces and wild areas alike. Preferring common and weedy plants to the rare and precious, he is a proponent of dynamic, self-sustaining gardens and green infrastructure as alternatives to static high-maintenance landscaping. His research links ecological theory with horticultural techniques and designs to broaden the definition of gardens and gardening. Guidi holds an MS degree in Ecology from the Graduate Degree Program in Ecology at Colorado State University and worked as a field biologist before joining the Denver Botanic Garden.

Join  us and the authors of Shrouded in Light to find out how we can work, live and play with shrubs.  Registration is open online at: www.socalhort.org.  

Program will be recorded for the SCHS YouTube archive.

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MEETING:   Online​​

DATE:  Thursday, July 10, 2025

Announcements:   7:10 p.m.   /   Plant Forum:   7:15 p.m.  /  Program:   7:30 p.m.

All photos provided by speaker.

Program will be recorded for the SCHS YouTube archive.

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MEETING:   Online​​

Date & Time: Thursday, July 10th, 2025 | Zoom opens at 7:00 pm | Announcements at 7:10 pm |  Plant Forum at 7:15 pm | Lecture at 7:30 pm. 

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Upcoming Events:

Thursday, July 10 at 7:30pm
Online Zoom
Co-authors Kevin Williams and Michael Guidi of the Denver Botanic Gardens will share naturalistic planting design ideas from their book “Shrouded in Light.”

Thursday, August 14 at 7:30pm
In-person at Friendship Auditorium
Pamela Berstler of Green Gardens Group will speak about soil health.

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.

SCHS URGES SUPPORT FOR VICTIMS OF THE LOS ANGELES FIRES

Dear members and friends of the Southern California Horticultural Society,

It is still really difficult to comprehend the utter devastation brought on by the Eaton and Palisades fires this year. We know of several SCHS members who have lost their homes and this is heartbreaking.

SCHS has donated funds in the past to aid nurseries that have suffered fire damage. However, it is not our policy to support individuals. We made a donation to Direct Relief (https://www.directrelief.org/) to assist their efforts to help everyone affected.

We also urge all of you to help as much as you can. These are resource organizations that are on the ground now helping real people:

Direct Relief
World Central Kitchen
California Community Foundation
California Fire Foundation
Pasadena Humane Society
L.A. Fire Department Foundation
American Red Cross of Greater Los Angeles
Center for Disaster Philanthropy

We also ask you to consider giving to GoFundMe accounts, but urge you to be cautious as there are vile people trying to take advantage of this horrible situation. If you are unsure about a GoFundMe account, please reach out through verified contact avenues (direct call, text or email) to friends to make sure that their accounts are legitimate.

Our former President, John Schoustra, is still raising funds to rebuild his nursery that was damaged in the Mountain Fire in November 2024. John's friends at Apricot Lane Farms have put together a GoFundMe account to help John get back on his feet.
https://gofund.me/f1e12c5a

The recovery process will be long and difficult. We all need to help one another; only together will we be able to rebuild our beautiful neighborhoods.

- Laura Bauer, President
Southern California Horticultural Society

• 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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