Historic Garden League

06/04/2026

Info for our "budding" HGL artists!

Join us in the Cooper-Molera Adobe gardens on Saturday, June 6, 1pm-3pm, for an afternoon of creativity, community, and nature at our Garden Art Walk.

The final event of our series is in partnership with the Juneteenth Coalition.

Stroll through our beautiful gardens and engage with hands-on art lessons for all ages by Kristen Burroughs, a science illustrator and instructor. Our activities will include color swatches of the garden, flower coloring pages for you to enjoy, and led drawing and painting of our flowers.

About Kristen Burroughs
Kristen Burroughs works as a science illustrator and instructor in the Monterey Bay area. She received both her B.S. in Marine Science and her Certificate in Science Illustration from California State University, Monterey Bay.

Kristen’s main goal as an artist is to promote understanding and conservation of wildlife, as she primarily focuses on illustrations of plants and animals. She’s partnered with many organizations where she leads workshops, classes, and camps that focus on combining art and nature in the classroom and in the field.

Cost: $8 suggested donation
(Donations support the Juneteenth Coalition)

06/04/2026

Our new native plant bed at the MSHP Casa del Oro garden is doing well. It's surprising how quickly the plants are growing. Most importantly, it's satisfying to see the pollinators enjoying our efforts!

Very happy bees in the Seaside Daisy.......

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/fleabane/seaside-daisy-plants.htm

05/30/2026

Something for everyone at Cooper-Molera!

05/23/2026

Pickings Antiques display windows are decorated thru the year with different themes: Christmas, 4th of July, Easter etc.... and now they've created a gardening display with vintage books, furniture, and decor. If you're interested, they're located on Forest Ave across the street from the Grove Market.

The Grove Emporium (also in PG) on Lighthouse has an outdoor gardening area and always has one of a kind items. It's fun to look and imagine where your find could fit at home. Some of their things do require deep pockets though. If you need a gift for someone, step into their main building ... guarantee you can find something unique. They have a really great room in the back with vintage paper ephemera and books. Even if you aren't in a shopping mood, the historic building's 1927 architecture is worth a visit.

05/16/2026

Here's a wonderful example of what you can do when limited by a small space and you can only use pots. It's just visually stunning - what beautiful color.

The corner of this porch in Monterey gets a good amount of sun and that helps of course.... LOL. It also incorporates a water feature in the back and the owner (an HGL member) says she loves watching all the birds that come to visit this flower oasis.

05/04/2026

HGL is having a small-ish plant sale on Sunday 10 May 10-2 at the Cooper-Molera Adobe courtyard in conjunction with C-M's "Flower Bouquet" event.

We plan on having a small number of old-fashioned roses from the Cooper Molera garden stock. One and two gallon sizes. (These will sell quickly.)

Other offerings will include: scented geraniums (various), Fuchsia arborescens, Japanese anemones, Pink francoa, and succulent dish gardens.

Please stop by if only to enjoy the garden at the Cooper-Molera Adobe. Their roses are just breathtaking right now. Come smell the flowers!!

04/30/2026

OMGosh!! There are so many plant related events this weekend!!

Can we make it to all of them?

Donna is having a garden visitation at her house for HGL members on Saturday from 1-3. It's amazing - don't miss it if you haven't been. Just drop by anytime during the open window.

The Watsonville Wetlands Watch group is having a native plant sale on Saturday from 9-1 at the Pajaro Valley High School. More information and a plant list can be found at:
https://www.watsonvillewetlandswatch.org/other-events/annual-spring-native-plant-sale-2026-05-02

The Carmel Valley Garden Club is having their annual garden show on Saturday and Sunday 10-4. This is a really nice show. Vendors, silent auction, photography exhibit, garden decor, and more!
https://cvgc.clubexpress.com/content.aspx?page_id=22&club_id=324042&module_id=383508

And let's not forget the Marina Tree and Garden Club's garden tour on Sunday..... Information at:
https://marinatreeandgarden.org/marina-garden-tour/

If there are more that weren't mentioned - please add in the comments.

Have fun!

04/27/2026

FYI everyone.....

04/26/2026

On Saturday, a group of HGL members and friends met at Asilomar and led by CA State Parks guides Sophia and Lucy, enjoyed a tour of the Dunes Preserve. Despite the wind and threatening rain, we bundled up and strolled along the boardwalk to learn about the restoration of the dunes that began in the 1980s. State Parks has worked hard in the last 40 years to re-establish and protect the native plants that were nearly eliminated here as humans and farm animals arrived on the coast.

We were lucky to tour their greenhouses where the natives are germinated. It was interesting to learn that they not only support the Asilomar preserve, but also provide plants to other local parks such as Ft. Ord and the new campground under construction in Marina.

A number of plants were blooming this Spring and on view along the boardwalk: the Sea Pink, Pink Sand Verbena, California Beach Poppy, and Seaside Painted Cup. Others will bloom in months to come - the tours are offered weekly so if you couldn't make it on Saturday, it's not too late to join a guided tour or do a self-guided tour on your own.

https://www.visitasilomar.com/things-to-do/state-park-ranger-guided-tours?

(They also have bird and architecture focused tours as well.)

Thank you to Megan, who made the arrangements and thank you to the CA State Parks employees who work to protect this local treasure.

04/19/2026

Each of us can use our small part of the environment, our yard or garden, to help conserve and support nature. On Tuesday 28 April at the Cooper-Molera Adobe, Natalie will be discussing some ideas we can put into action from Dr. Doug Tallamy's latest book "How Can I Help?"

From a NYT interview with Dr. Tallamy:
"Every landscape needs to manage the watershed in which it lies. Every landscape needs to support pollinators. Every landscape needs to support a viable food web. And every landscape needs to sequester carbon."

Open to the public.