Garden Club resumes fall meetings
By Denise Stewart
With the longer days of summer winding down, the Scripps-Mesa Garden Club will return this month to its regular evening meetings at the Scripps Ranch Community Center. The club meets on the fourth Tuesday of each month at 6 p.m., and each fall meeting will feature a gardening expert with practical advice for local gardeners.
At the Sept. 22 meeting, Michael Ludwig, an expert on shade plants, was the featured speaker. Ludwig has been involved with more than 25 plant societies since 1977, including groups focused on begonias, camellias, fuchsias, gesneriads, ferns, plumerias, houseplants, exotic plants, landscapes, gardens and vegetable gardening. He is a begonia, fern and gesneriad judge and has judged at the Del Mar Fair, federated garden club shows and other events. Ludwig also served as landscaper at the Academy of Our Lady of Peace for 45 years and has provided garden consultations for many years. He brought a wealth of knowledge and experience to share with local gardeners.
On Oct. 27, Master Gardener Kathryn Blankenship will be featured at the monthly meeting. Her presentation will focus on the timing of planting and fertilizing, offering seasonal guidance for gardeners preparing for cooler months.
Club members wrapped up their busy summer season in August with a potluck celebration. In addition to enjoying good food, members gathered for a relaxed evening in a member’s backyard, where they shared their successes and challenges from an especially hot growing season.
The Scripps-Mesa Garden Club has been part of the local community since 1993 and continues to grow both plants and membership each year. To learn more about programs or membership, contact the club at scrippsmesagardenclub1992@gmail.com.