The 2025-2026 Meeting & Program Schedule
Co-Chairs:
Chris Andrews
Nancy Cunningham
***Programs start at 11:30 a.m.***
Good Samaritan Episcopal Church
4321 Eastgate Mall
San Diego, California 92122
September 25, 2025 (MEMBERS ONLY)
horticulture
Speaker: Jessica eves
“THE IMPORTANCE OF SCHOOL GARDENS”
Jessica Eves is a passionate Garden and Cooking Educator and Coordinator dedicated to fostering a love for nature, nutrition, and sustainability among students from TK-8th grade.
She was a classroom teacher for 18 years before she established the school garden in 2019, where she has transformed it into aninnovative Garden and Cooking Classroom, where students engage in hands-on learning experiences that integrate essential academic skills in garden and cooking lessons. With a focus on collaboration, Jessica helps students develop strong relationships and vital social skills while exploring topics like composting, crop rotation, and seasonality.
Under her leadership, the program has harvested over 800 pounds of produce annually, raised over $300,000 in grants, and received accolades such as the Food Leader Award from the Berry Good Food Foundation and Outstanding Educator Award from the California Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom. She has also been leading a Jr. Master Gardener Program for the past four years, empowering students to take on leadership roles in gardening and community service, such as their Give to Grow Program, where they give their families everything they need to grow food at home.
Jessica is excited to share her insights and inspire us to embrace the transformative power of garden and cooking education.
October 23, 2025 (Open to Guests)
HORTICULTURE/NATURE/WILDLIFE
Speaker: MARCO WENDT
“EVERYTHING’S COMING UP ROSES”
Did you know the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance’s Rose Parade float received the prestigious “Sweepstakes Award? This is the parade’s highest honor, recognizing the most beautiful entry, encompassing design, floral presentation, and entertainment. And winning this award two years in a row is an incredible achievement! The theme of the float, “Friendship Across the Earth,” celebrated the unity and hope that giant pandas –- and all wildlife –- bring to the world.
For over 26 years, Marco Wendt has been part of the Safari Park family. During his career, he has worked in wildlife care and behavior with an incredible array of avian species, from cassowaries and old- world vultures, to raptors, macaws, cranes, flamingoes—and everything in between. Conservation education and a desire to protect nature’s flora and fauna led him to become an ambassador and spokesperson for San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance.
Giving a voice to wildlife and sharing his passion for wildlife conservation is of the utmost importance to Marco as he aligns himself with San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance’s vision—a world where all life thrives!
November 13, 2025 (Open to Guests)
Garden/Culinary
Speaker: barry shingle
“Beautiful Landscaped Gardens of Rancho La Puerta”
Barry Shingle is the Director of Guest Experience at Rancho la Puerta, having started his career there in 1999. Over the years he has taught classes, hosted evening events, and currently hosts the bimonthly podcast called Resonate: conversations and life lessons from Rancho La Puerta.
Rancho La Puerta is part of the natural world, rather than the other way around. The Ranch's landscaped gardens are an abstraction of nature, with a tapestry of plants that thrive in our chaparral landscape.
Just one hour south of San Diego in Tecate, many of us have not had the opportunity to experience the healthy lifestyle that The Ranch promotes: feeding our bodies, our minds, and our spiritual beings with nourishing and positive experiences.
A collection of beautiful slides of Rancho la Puerta will accompany Barry's talk so that you will be visually transported to the very special places at the Ranch.
Special Interest Workshop – follows meeting
“from bulbs to beauty”
December 11, 2025 (MEMBERS ONLY)
Floral Design
Speaker – René van Rems
“European Natural Home Décor for the Holidays”
For our festive meeting and Holiday Luncheon, who can outdo René - except René? So, he’s back! Once again, René will prepare designs to be showcased and demonstrated on stage. At the end of his enlightening presentation, all items will be auctioned to the highest bidder to instantly decorate your home for the holidays
Rene is a Dutch born, world renowned, award-winning ambassador of the floral industry. Formally educated in the entire spectrum of horticulture and floriculture at the famous Aalsmeer Institute he has led design shows, workshops, master classes and keynote presentations around the globe.
Locally, René has been involved with The San Diego Museum of Art through their ‘Art Alive’ exhibits and has designed the entry ‘Rotunda’ decor seven times. His previous work as creative director for the San Diego Botanic Garden in Encinitas had him involved with countless horticultural exhibits and fundraisers.
As before, René will also host a centerpiece workshop on Wednesday, December 10th where participants will each create a gorgeous centerpiece that will first be displayed on the tables at our Holiday Luncheon, before being taken home.
Special Workshop – Wednesday, December 10
“Make a Holiday Woodland Centerpiece” with René van Rems, ASID
January 22, 2026 (Open to Guests)
WATER CONSERVATION
Speaker: RICHARD RESTUCCIA
“Water Matters”
We’re kicking off the new year with a splash! January’s VGCLJ speaker is Richard Restuccia, a nationally recognized leader in water conservation, irrigation innovation, and waterwise gardening. With a Master’s in Agriculture, Richard currently serves as the head of Husqvarna Water, where he leads the charge in smart irrigation for both landscapes and farms.
A Master Gardener, award-winning author, and recipient of the Leadership in Landscape Award, Richard has dedicated his career to helping people understand how to make every drop of water count. He’s the author of Waterwise Gardening, host of the popular Water Connections webinar series, and creator of a widely read blog on gardening and sustainability.
Richard has spoken at the Irrigation Association Conference, Master Gardener programs, industry summits, garden clubs, and beyond. Whether it’s a room full of professional growers or weekend gardeners, he’s known for bringing humor, clarity, and inspiration to the conversation around water.
In his talk, “Water Matters,” Richard will explore why water is the most important—and most misunderstood—resource in your garden. Expect practical tips, surprising facts, and memorable stories drawn from a life spent in the field (and in the dirt)!
Come ready to learn, laugh, and leave with a whole new appreciation for the water running through your garden hose.
Books will be available for purchase and signing.
February 26, 2026 (Open to Guests)
WILDFIRE EDUCATION
SPEAKER: BRYANT BAKER
“Living with Fire in Southern California”
Bryant Baker is the Director of Conservation & Research at Los Padres ForestWatch, a nonprofit organization based in Santa Barbara, California dedicated to protecting the Los Padres National Forest and other public lands in the region. He is also the Director & Principal GIS Analyst at the Wildland Mapping Institute, which is focused on putting GIS to work for wildland research, education, and conservation.
Bryant has co-authored several peer-reviewed papers on fire ecology and management in shrubland and forest ecosystems in California and the western United States. His maps on land use, wildfire, and other conservation issues have been published by the Los Angeles Times, San Diego Tribune, Oregon Public Broadcasting, Montana Free Press, Mother Jones, and other media outlets.
In addition to his conservation work and research, Bryant is a plant and landscape photographer—specializing in post-fire habitats and native plants in California—whose work has appeared in books, magazines, and newspapers across the region.
Special Interest Workshop – follows meeting
“best of the best seeds”
March 26, 2026 (Open to Guests)
HORTICULTURE
SPEAKER: JOHN CLEMENTS
“Secrets to Successful Gardening in San Diego”
Our Expressions in Art and Flowers meeting is a much-anticipated event. This exciting biennial show has become a showcase for both experienced and beginning artists and floral designers to exhibit their creativity.
At the March meeting, Club members who have created art pieces in various media bring their artwork to display on tables and easels positioned throughout the room. Several art pieces will have been previously chosen for interpretation in flowers by some of our gifted designers. They will demonstrate on stage how they create a floral arrangement inspired by the artwork – a Master Class!
Special Interest Workshop – follows meeting
DO ME A “FAVOR”
April 23, 2026 (Open to Guests)
FLORAL DESIGN
Speaker: Teresa Sabankaya
“Modern Floriography: Sentiments and Stories
Narrated by the Language of Flowers”
Teresa Sabankaya is a gardener, floral designer, floriographer and author of The Posy Book (2019) and Modern Floriography (2026).
She is the owner and principal designer of her eponymous in-garden studio in the Santa Cruz Mountains of California. From her garden, Teresa finds her inspiration and grows and incorporates some of the most unique garden-style compositions. She has been providing professional floral design services for elegant lifestyles in the Monterey and San Francisco Bay Area for over thirty -five years, designing florals for daily enjoyment, weddings and other milestones. She is most notably known for the creation of her modern-day posies, which are garden bouquets.
Teresa’s work has been featured in Victoria Magazine and Hoffman Media Books - The Art of Flowers and Living with Roses; Country Gardens Magazine; Elle Magazine; The NY Times and Sunset Magazine to name a few. She has been a participant in many flower shows, including the prestigious Bouquets-to-Art, DeYoung Museum, Golden Gate Park and Monterey Museum of Art.
Visit her at teresabankaya.com and newlanguageofflowers.com and follow Teresa on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter@teresabankaya.
Special Interest Workshop – follows meeting
“DIG INTO DAHLIAS”
May 28, 2026 (MEMBERS ONLY)
HortICULTURE/BOTANICAL MEDICINE
Speaker: DR. JJ PURSELL
“Rooted in Wellness: From Soil to Self”
Combining science, herbs and natural medicine, Dr. JJ Pursell has dedicated her life to helping others be the healthiest they can be. She earned her doctorate in Naturopathy and her Masters in Acupuncture in 2007 from NUNM in Portland, Oregon. But even before that, her love of botanical medicine had always been a part of her life. Influenced by her dad’s flower farm and her years as an herbal apprentice, working with herbal medicines has been more of a calling than a profession.
She opened The Herb Shoppe in 2005 and a second location in Brooklyn, NY in 2011. Fueled by a passion to serve the community, the shoppes grew to support locals in health, wellness and education. After a treasured tea was shared by a friend, she was approached by Timber Press to write her first book, The Herbal Apothecary. That was in 2015, and she has been writing ever since. With her latest book, Medicinal Trees, she has now authored nine books, with a 10th one currently in progress.
When JJ isn’t making medicine, teaching or writing you’ll find her putzing around her garden, checking in on her bees and enjoying every minute!