She referred to plants as her children and used to say that a fifty cent tree should be planted in a five-dollar hole. Kate Sessions (1857-1940) is the “Mother of Balboa Park.” She earned the title by decades of labor, care, and support that transformed what was once City Park, a 1,400- acre tract of … Continue reading Happy Mother’s Day, Kate Sessions! →

Do you ever wish you knew a little more about trees? Not all the fancy technical stuff. Just enough so you can lord over your friends that you're smarter than them... and a better, more nature-conscious, person. The easiest way is to learn to recognize species while they're flowering. And grab a couple fun facts … Continue reading Balboa Park in Bloom: March, 2020 →

Have you ever wished someone would write a step-by-step guide through Balboa Park so you could learn its plants and trees? Chauncy Jerabek, known as "The San Diego Tree Man," made that wish come true... over 80 years ago. In beautiful Balboa Park there are crowded many interesting plants from nearly every country of the … Continue reading Balboa Park: The San Diego Tree Man’s Hidden Treasure →

Bunya-bunya. How can you NOT love that name? Bunya-bunya trees are evergreens, native to Australia and impossible to confuse with anything else (https://selectree.calpoly.edu/tree-detail/araucaria-bidwillii). Southeastern corner of Golden Hill Park, aka the southeastern corner of Balboa Park Credit Miss Kate Sessions with their presence in Southern California. "The name 'Bunya' comes from the aboriginal name for … Continue reading Balboa Park: The Bunya-Bunya Trees →

Do you ever wish you knew a little about the trees of Balboa Park? Not all the fancy technical stuff. Just enough so you can lord over your friends that you're smarter than them... and a better, more tree-conscious, person. The easiest way is to learn to recognize species while they're flowering. And grab a … Continue reading Balboa Park in Bloom: February, 2020 →