Catalog of Topics Offered

Speaker Topics

Growing Edibles

Amazing Avocado - planting, irrigation, care, and pest management of avocados

Grow Food Anywhere – growing edibles in small spaces and containers

Grow It Now: Cool Season Vegetables – vegetables that grow from fall through spring

Grow It Now: Warm Season Vegetables – vegetables that grow from late spring through summer

Herbs – grow a variety of herbs in containers or in the ground

Plant a Salad Bowl Garden (available in Spanish) – grow salad green from seeds or transplants

Tomatoes: A-Z - grow them from seed, from transplants, in the ground, or in containers

A Year of Good Food - a month by month guide for growing fruits and vegetables

Your Backyard Orchard – choosing and caring for fruit trees

Growing Ornamentals

Bulbs – true bulbs, corms, tuber, and rhizomes that grow in our climate and produce beautiful flowers

California Natives – choose natives that do well with little water while enhancing your landscape

Epiphytes – bromeliads, tillandsias, epiphyllums, orchids, and other plants that derive moisture from the air

Gardening in Small Spaces – using plants to enhance a balcony, patio, or small yard

Orchid Culture Basics – care of various varieties

Pass Down Plants – start new plants from cuttings, division, and seeds

Perennials in the Southern California Garden – choosing and maintain long-lived plants

Right Plant, Right Place: Successful Garden Planning – factors to consider before you visit the nursery

Roses 101 – basics of selection, planting, fertilizing, pruning, and pest management

Roses : Promise me a Rose Garden – Focus on types – shrubs, miniatures, and old garden roses

Succulents – selection and care

Integrated Pest Management

Beneficial bugs – insects that provide natural pests control

Managing Pests in Your Garden – prevention, avoidance, suppression, and responsible pest control

Tomato Pests and Diseases – dealing with pests and diseases that affect tomatoes

What’s Bugging Your Plants – pest management practices that are least impactful to the environment

General Gardening

Bees, Butterflies and Other Pollinators – the role of various creatures in pollinating our plants

The Busy Gardener Month to Month - garden tasks for each month

Butterflies in Your Garden – attract our native butterflies with the appropriate plants

Composting Basics - use your banana peels, coffee grounds, and leaves to create a soil amendment

Composting with Worms – maintaining a worm bin for small space composting

Create a Wildlife Habitat – attract birds, bees, and butterflies to your garden

Drought Tolerant Gardening – select and care for plants that look great with minimal water

The Thoughtful Gardener – proper planning to avoid problems

Water Better Not Wetter – choosing and maintaining an irrigation system

What’s in Your Soil – evaluating your soil and how to improve it