Cactus of the Month: Crest & Monstrose.
Succulent of the Month: Variegated.

PRESENTER FOR NOVEMBER IS:  Ernesto Sandoval – “Propagation of Cacti and Succulents”.

Ernesto describes soil mixes, watering, fertilization and how to grow our favorite plants from seed.  Ernesto is a very energetic and entertaining speaker.  Be sure not to miss this informative presentation.

From a very early age, Ernesto Sandoval has been wondering and seeking answers to why plants grow and look the way they do.  Now he explains and interprets the world of plants to people of a variety of ages and experiences from K-12 to professionals and Master Gardeners.  He regularly lectures to western Garden Clubs throughout the year and particularly to succulent clubs throughout California and adjoining states.  Succulents and desert plants are his particular passion within his general passion for plants. He describes himself as a “Jose of All Plants, Master of None.” Ernesto thoroughly enjoys helping others and gardeners in particular, to understand why and how plants do what they do.  He has done roadside identification from a very early young age.  When he was about 13, he asked his dad why one tree was pruned a particular way and another tree another way.  His dad answered bluntly “because that’s the way you do it.”  Since then he’s been learning and teaching himself the answers to those and many other questions about the biology of plants by getting a degree at UC Davis in Botany.  Because of his interest, he worked his way from student weeder/waterer to Director over the past 25 years at UC Davis Botanical Conservatory.  He has long left the “mow, blow and go” landscape gardening world.  He has immersed himself in the world of polyculture and biodiversity by growing several thousand types of plants, many of them succulent, at the UC Davis Botanical Conservatory.  Several of his favorite garden projects involved converting lawns and /or water loving landscapes to drought tolerant and diversity filled gardens.  He likes to promote plant liberation by encouraging gardeners of all sorts to grow more plants in the ground when possible.