Spring flowers brighten Shelter Island!

The Point Loma Association’s volunteer Mean Green Team must have been busy lately. Because look at all the beautiful, bright spring flowers planted along Shelter Island’s long Shoreline Park pathway!

I took this series of photographs today as I walked along the edge of Shelter Island beside San Diego Bay…

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A fence made of giant colored pencils!

Is this the most creative fence in San Diego? The fence “posts” have been made to appear like giant, many-colored pencils!

The super fun pencil fence surrounds a small garden just outside the San Diego Craft Collective.

Look for this surprising artwork in Point Loma, on the southwest side of Liberty Station’s Dorothea Laub Music & Arts Center, as you head from Rosecrans Street down Roosevelt Road.

Love it!

I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X.

Thank you for sharing!

Native and Indigenous Healing Garden and mural at SDSU.

In 2022, the Native and Indigenous Healing Garden debuted at San Diego State University, to one side of the Communication Building. The circular garden, which also serves as an outdoor classroom, is filled with healing herbs that can be freely harvested. Life grows in sunshine around a central stone fountain.

The plants in the garden represent various indigenous cultures: the Kumeyaay, the Aztecs, the Mixtecs and Zapotecs, and other indigenous people in California and Mesoamerica.

Painted beside the garden on one side of the Communication Building, visitors will also find a large, very beautiful mural.

This website provides details about the 30’ x 60’ mural: Designed by students as part of an Arts Alive SDSU project by History Professor Paula DeVos and Art Professor Eva Struble, the artwork includes various plants, animals, and designs with deep ties to Native Indigenous culture throughout California and Mesoamerica.

If I lived near SDSU, I know I’d walk by frequently, simply to sit on the shady bench you see in my photographs. One feels drawn to this healing garden, the smell of sage and other life springing from the earth, and the quiet beauty of the place.

I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X.

Thank you for sharing!

Tour the MAKE Farm at SDSU Mission Valley!

The public is invited to tour a working farm in Mission Valley. I did that today!

MAKE Farm at SDSU Mission Valley is located a short distance from Snapdragon Stadium. Perhaps you’ve seen the farm from the elevated Stadium trolley station, or the parking lot east of the stadium.

I first noticed the new half-acre urban farm early this year and posted this blog. Today, as I walked through the SDSU Mission Valley river park, I saw a sign indicating there was a tour today. It turned out today was the farm’s very first “trial” tour–the official tours will begin next January on Saturday mornings.

The MAKE farm is flourishing! Adam and a farming trainee (a friendly refugee) showed me rows upon rows of organically grown vegetables. They pointed out beets, radishes, peas, spinach, lettuce, tomatoes, bok choy, kale, parsley, carrots, strawberries, onions . . . and more! During the summer they also grew corn, beans and other warm weather crops.

After taking a look at the growing food, I learned how the farm has a special CSA Program. For a monthly subscription, you can receive a weekly bag full of farm-fresh healthy vegetables! You also receive an invitation to a fun seasonal gathering on the farm! Cool! Learn about the program by clicking here!

As I explained previously, the farm gives refugees job training, and some of the produce that is harvested goes to the MAKE Cafe restaurant in North Park.

Students from San Diego State University are also visiting the farm to learn about sustainability. Once SDSU Mission Valley is fully developed, the farm will be ideally located!

I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X.

Thank you for sharing!

The restored Botanical Building opens in Balboa Park!

In 2024, the highlight of December Nights in Balboa Park is the opening of the restored Botanical Building, one of San Diego’s iconic landmarks!

After a two and a half year restoration project, which saw its steel skeleton repaired and new wood lath installed, the Botanical Building now more closely resembles how it originally appeared when it first opened during the 1915 Panama-California Exposition!

Enjoy these photographs, taken shortly after the historic structure reopened this afternoon.

WOW!!!

The interior of the Botanical Building now appears much more airy, light-filled and spacious. The amazing lath roof is more prominent, now that tall, leafy old trees have been trimmed down or removed.

Most of the new plants and trees still have much growing to do. Two beautiful new fountains greet visitors at either end of the garden. And, for the holiday season, many poinsettias are colorfully displayed!

Thank you Forever Balboa Park, the City of San Diego, and all those involved in restoring one of our city’s true treasures!

I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X.

Thank you for sharing!

Help beautify Tweet Street in downtown San Diego!

A public park clean-up event will take place this weekend in downtown San Diego. Neighbors will be coming together to beautify the Tweet Street linear park on Cortez Hill!

You are encouraged to join the community volunteer effort! It’s led by the Cortez Hill Active Residents Group (CHARG).

I saw the above flyer posted at one end of Tweet Street Park. The beautification project takes place on Saturday, November 16th, 2024.

Meet at the corner of 9th Avenue and Date Street, near the playground. Equipment will be provided! Downtown San Diego’s Clean and Safe Program will be on hand to help out!

Very cool!

I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X.

Thank you for sharing!

Another beautiful Orchid Show in Balboa Park.

I know, I know–I’ve posted blogs about orchid shows in Balboa Park many times over the years. But the flowers are so spectacular. Here we go again!

The 2024 Fall Orchid Show and Sale of the San Diego County Orchid Society was held this weekend inside the Casa del Prado.

Exotic species of orchids and prize winning plants were displayed on tables in one half of Room 101. In a corner, people on chairs listened to a speaker and viewed an orchid growing demonstration. In the other half of the large room, local orchid growers and artists had abundant beauty available for purchase.

If you’re interested in becoming a member of the San Diego County Orchid Society, check out their website here.

Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!

I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X.

The colors of Autumn in Balboa Park!

The colors of Autumn are beginning to emerge in Balboa Park. The days are shorter, temperatures are cooling, and some of the foliage is turning.

Enjoy photographs from my late afternoon walk today through the park.

First up, these were taken at the Japanese Friendship Garden…

Is blue really a color of Autumn?

It is, if you’re visiting the Blue Gold exhibition at the Mingei International Museum!

Inside the House of Mexico cottage at the International Cottages, Día de los Muertos decorations were being put up, including a beautiful altar!

Orange is not only a harvest color–it’s the color of marigolds!

Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!

I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X.

Master Gardeners of San Diego in Balboa Park!

The Master Gardener Association of San Diego County had their very popular Fall Plant Sale today in Balboa Park!

A small army of smiling Master Gardeners took over the Casa del Prado, both Room 101 and the two courtyard patios. The public could check out thousands of plants for sale, plus an art and crafts marketplace, educational booths and several master gardener speakers.

Plant purchases today would help fund many worthy projects around San Diego, including community gardens, public education and school gardens. Very cool!

I took these photos and have included some captions with a little more information!

Plants and more plants, and beautiful pots, crafts and more!

Kids could learn how to plant seeds.

Educational displays concerning plants and gardens could be found at many tables.

A smile!

The Master Gardener Association of San Diego County has a program for public education with the University of California Cooperative Extension.

A Guide for School Gardens.

Two-time Paralympian Stephen Cantu teaches Friendly Inclusive Gardening. He designs wheelchair accessible gardens. Watch his video here.

Visitors to the Master Gardener Plant Show could check out this Compost Demo.

Rita Perwich presents KISS In Your Rose Garden–Keep It Simple and Sane.

Some bugs are nasty, some are helpful!

Mother Earth among many colorful butterflies!

So many plants for sale in Room 101.

A long line of happy customers!

Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!

I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X.

Plaque in La Jolla honors Kate Sessions.

Ellen Browning Scripps Memorial Park, originally named La Jolla Park, was established in 1887. The scenic coastal park has seen almost a century and a half of history, so it’s not surprising a variety of historical plaques can be found by visitors wandering around its 5.6 acres. I once photographed a couple of these plaques and shared them here.

An old plaque that honors San Diego’s beloved horticulturist Kate Sessions can also be discovered at Ellen Browning Scripps Memorial Park. The plaque is located near a New Zealand Christmas tree (metrosideros tomentosa) that was planted by the La Jolla Garden Club in 1939 on Kate Sessions’ 82nd birthday. She would pass away in 1940.

Katherine Olivia Sessions is widely known as the Mother of Balboa Park, but she planted hundreds of trees all over San Diego. She even has a park named after her in La Jolla. Her legacy will continue far into the future. Many majestic trees throughout our beautiful city were planted by her own hand.

Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!

I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X.