Tag: plants

Sweetwater Park native garden teaches ethnobotany.

Chula Vista’s new Sweetwater Park on San Diego Bay is a place where our natural environment is protected and celebrated. Visitors can enjoy long walking trails that wind among native plants.

In the Council Ring near the restrooms and parking lot, an easy circular path features many such plants, and two informative signs explain how these plants were an important part of Kumeyaay culture.

Ethnobotany is explained as the study of how different cultures use plants native to their environments. This includes plants that provide food, medicine, shelter, soaps, fibers, dyes, waxes and more. The Kumeyaay people, who have lived in the San Diego region for thousands of years, have a deep ethnobotanical knowledge and connection to their surrounding environment.

Visitors are invited to look for certain plants, such as Sugar Bush, California Buckwheat, Mulefat and Bladderpod. Did you know that tea made from Singlewhorl Burrobush has been used to control dandruff? Or that boiled root of Lanceleaf Liveforever has been used to treat asthma?

Pause at these signs during your visit to Sweetwater Park and learn more about the history of our region, and the native inhabitants the natural environment has supported.

Look for other signs around the park identifying plants, too!

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Farm to Craft exhibit opens at the Mingei.

A surprising new exhibit opened yesterday at the Mingei International Museum in Balboa Park. Farm to Craft: Grains in Global Folk Art is now on display in the museum’s first floor Entry Level, where admission is free to all visitors.

The beautiful handmade crafts from around the world are a treat for the eyes. These artistic works come from farms–from grown material like straw, rice, wheat or corn.

Crafts include dolls and toys. Some of the creations are made to be worn. Others were designed to be useful farming tools or containers. Excessive plant material that might otherwise be discarded is made useful!

I took a few photographs.

These exquisite crafts from the museum’s collection will be on view through January 10, 2027.

Perhaps, after viewing the exhibit, you’ll be inspired to fold your own corn husk creation–such as those roses made by street performers. Here’s a short video on how to craft a simple, easy corn husk flower!

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Making progress on Balboa Park’s Central Gardens!

Today I noted that progress is being made in creating Balboa Park’s Central Gardens. Work continues to be done around the Botanical Building and along one side of the Lily Pond!

The new pergola west of the Botanical Building is taking shape, the grassy area around the fountain to the east is all dug up (as you can see in the above photograph), and new grass and garden plants can be enjoyed by park visitors in various other places!

Views from UC San Diego sunset overlook.

The UC San Diego Brian & Nancy Malk Sunset Overlook opened last summer. Situated high above Scripps Institution of Oceanography, an elevated platform offers wide views of the Pacific Ocean and parts of coastal La Jolla.

If you’d like to enjoy amazing panoramic views, head down La Jolla Shores Drive to Midpac Lane and look for the small parking lot.

The new overlook includes picnic tables and a bench where you can sit, relax and gaze out over the ocean. Native plants flourish around the platform and pathway.

Nearby, an informative sign tells how the Kumeyaay people lived in La Jolla (Matlahual) for thousands of years and have acted as stewards of the land. This area was part of a lagoon. It was an important natural resource that provided useful materials–for basket making, medicines, fishing, hunting, gathering and more. The sign at the overlook was developed in partnership with Jamul Indian Village and Mary Munk.

I visited recently on a sunny day…

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Pruning demonstration at Balboa Park rose garden.

Every year, in Balboa Park, around the middle of January, the public can learn to prune back roses. Today the San Diego Rose Society, Balboa Park Garden Stewards, Rose Garden Corps, and the UCCE Master Gardener Program of San Diego County were educating would-be green thumbs at the award-winning Inez Grant Parker Memorial Rose Garden.

I blogged about this free educational event three years ago. I noticed that this year a number of friendly folks were also on hand to sharpen garden tools! Very handy!

Why not click the above links and consider becoming a member of one or more local gardening groups. If you’d like, you can even volunteer to help maintain Balboa Park’s very beautiful rose garden!

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Giant butterfly visits Balboa Park garden!

A giant butterfly now makes its home in a special Balboa Park garden. The butterfly can be seen among the native plants of the San Diego Natural History Museum‘s Nature Trail!

Today I spotted this butterfly sculpture on the north side of the museum building. It can be observed from the Wildlife Walkway portion of the Nature Trail. I was told it appeared in the past week or two.

It’s appropriate the butterfly now makes this garden home. Many of the native plants along the Nature Trail attract nectar loving pollinators.

I tried to ascertain who made this beautiful sculpture, but no luck yet. If you know anything about it, please leave a comment!

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Nature slowly reclaims San Diego River Garden.

Five years ago I explored the San Diego River Garden in Mission Valley. Read about my visit here.

The community park, full of native vegetation and art, was developed by the San Diego River Park Foundation. It’s no longer listed on the foundation’s website. For all intents and purposes, it appears to have been abandoned.

I noticed, about a week ago, that people can still enter the old River Garden and walk about on its trails. So that’s what I did.

As you can see, the human-made parts of the park are fading away. Signs, planters and art are weathered and are slowly disintegrating.

While works of the human hand gradually pass away, the forces of nature persist. Plants, trees and natural life grow, renew, overtake.

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Pollinator garden planted near Lemon Grove Depot!

A week ago, members of the Lemon Grove volunteer group Revitalize Broadway planted an extensive pollinator garden next to the Lemon Grove Depot trolley station, in what is called Promenade Park. I first read about the project here. I saw the garden today!

Keep in mind the new plants are very small now, but they’ll grow and eventually fill out the garden spaces.

Several informative plaques among the new plantings explain the benefits of native plants, and how they attract a variety of local wildlife, including beneficial insects like butterflies and bees.

If you’d like to learn more about the Revitalize Broadway group and their positive community efforts, click here. Do you live in Lemon Grove? Why not join these good people?

What did I see today?

One plaque describes the life cycle of the monarch butterfly.

Another plaque explains the migration of monarch butterflies and how certain plants provide food sources for declining butterfly populations. Pictured are Yarrow, California Lilac, Pozo Blue Sage, Pacific Aster and Narrow Leaved Milkweed.

Another part of the new garden is slightly depressed and resembles a dry creek. It’s called a rain garden.

Designed to be environmentally friendly, it will help valuable rain water permeate the ground and act as a natural filter.

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675 Poinsettias in Balboa Park’s Botanical Building!

This holiday season, if you have a chance, head into Balboa Park’s Botanical Building. You’ll discover 675 poinsettias! That’s what I was told by a representative of Forever Balboa Park!

There are poinsettia displays at the center of the Botanical Building, beside the fountains at either end, along windows, and here and there planted in the surrounding lush greenery.

All that holiday color is a sight to behold!

Enjoy these photographs which were taken during the first day of December Nights…

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If you’d like to see San Diego through my lens, find the “Follow” box in the sidebar to receive new posts in your email, or bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

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Plants appear for Balboa Park’s new Central Gardens!

How exciting! I see that potted plants have arrived in Balboa Park, to be planted in the new garden areas by the Lily Pond and around the Botanical Building!

The nine new garden areas together are called the Central Gardens. It’s a major addition to the park we all love!

Creating the Central Gardens with their new walkways and new pergola is Phase Two of the Botanical Building and Gardens revitalization.

You can follow the progress of the project and learn more about it by checking out this special Forever Balboa Park website.

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