THIS CHAPTER MEETING IS CANCELED
The program for this meeting will be held at a future chapter meeting date.
Speaker: Mike Evans, Founder and President Tree of Life Nursery
To Mulch or Not to Mulch. Is that the question?
The horticultural practice of mulching or top-dressing consists of periodically applying a layer of foreign material, (organic or mineral) to the soil surface, under and around your landscape plants. What are the pros and cons of this practice, especially in natural design using native plants? Is all mulch created equal? How do wild plants in native habitats do without someone showing up to “mulch them?” Come hear a presentation and join in a lively discussion. Hopefully we’ll find answers to all these questions.
Mike Evans was born and raised in Southern California and demonstrated an early love for the outdoors. He worked with several nurseries, both retail and wholesale, before establishing Tree of Life Nursery in 1976. The nursery specializes in native California plants and supports a style of authentic horticulture, specifically the concept of appropriate landscaping with native plants.
Mike is affiliated with numerous conservation, horticultural, and botanical organizations. He has served as past president of the Western Region of International Plant Propagators Society and of the California Society for Ecological Restoration. Mike is a leader in water conservation efforts and was a founding member of the Xeriscape Committee in the 1980's. Both Mike Evans and Tree of Life Nursery have earned numerous awards for their work in native plant horticulture.
Mike was recently named 2019 Horticulturist of the Year (HOTY) by the Southern California Horticultural Society. An award banquet is in September at the LA County Arboretum.
TREE OF LIFE NURSERY: californianativeplants.com
6:30-7:00pm: FIRST PRESENTATION
Dudleya Conservation: In Vitro Propagation to Combat Plant Poaching and Extinction
Speaker: Kevin Alison, Native Plant Production Specialist (R&D) at Tree of Life Nursery.
The genus Dudleya is a charismatic group of native succulents with many rare species across California and Baja. Recent popularity has attracted poachers who uproot these plants by the tens of thousands in attempt to supply interests overseas for hefty profits. This project aims to utilize plant tissue culture (Micropropagation) to ethically produce large quantities of select Dudleya species to deflate the price incentives for poachers while providing agencies with an additional tool for conservation.
Kevin Alison is the Native Plant Production Specialist (R&D) at Tree of Life Nursery and a Masters of Conservation and Restoration Science (MCRS) candidate at U.C. Irvine.
INSTAGRAM: kevosphere
TREE OF LIFE NURSERY: californianativeplants.com
7:00pm-7:30pm: A time for discussion, camaraderie, visiting, and enjoying the sales table.
7:30pm: FEATURED PRESENTATION
There are no fees to attend these presentations.