Get to Know and Grow: Salvia

Details:

If you have hiked our local foothills and canyons in the springtime, you have probably seen and smelled the blooms of our California sages. With plenty of species, varieties, and cultivars available in the native plant nursery trade, it is easy to become overwhelmed by the abundant selection. Blooming from spring to early summer, sages are an important source of nectar and seed for pollinators and seed-eating birds. Join us as we get to “know” the unique habitats that sages call home and learn to “grow” them in the garden.

The class will meet in the Garden’s Library for a presentation, followed by a walk through the Garden’s Living Collection. It is highly recommended that participants wear comfortable clothing and shoes, and bring a hat and/or sunscreen and a water bottle.

If you have questions about the class or need to cancel your reservation, please contact the Education Department: registrations@sbbotanicgarden.org or 805-682-4726, ext 102.

Although the Garden is dog-friendly, participants are asked to not bring their dog(s) to this class.

Pricing:

Garden Members: $25

General Public: $40

About the Instructors:

Christina Varnava studied botany and received a Master’s of Science from Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden and Claremont Graduate University. For her master’s research, she worked on a floristic study of the Upper Sespe Creek watershed in the Los Padres National Forest (Ventura County, CA), This project gave her invaluable experience with plant identification and an abiding love for the chaparral habitats of Southern California. Christina is the Living Collections Curator at Santa Barbara Botanic Garden. She supports the Living Collection by acquiring new plants and manages a database with nearly a century of records on thousands of plants in the Living Collection. These records are the key to unlocking the unique stories of the plants in the Garden and they also support the vital research and conservation of California native plants.

Alejandro Lemus was born and raised in Los Angeles. He has experience working in habitat restoration, horticulture, and education. As the Garden’s Horticultural Educator, Alejandro develops and implements horticulture programming for professional landscapers and residential gardeners. Having spent many years working in propagation and retail nurseries, Alejandro is passionate about growing native plants for conservation and informing the public of the benefits and beauty of habitat gardening.