Event: January Meeting—2026

Speaker: Lorraine Van Kekerix

Topic: Spring Blooming Bulbs that Naturalize Well in Sacramento

Date: Thursday, January 22, 2026  •  7 p.m.

Location: Shepard Garden & Arts Center
3330 McKinley Blvd, Sacramento

Bulbs provide bright, cheerful pops of color in the winter/spring garden, then go dormant and disappear until the next fall/winter. A wide variety of plants are included in the bulb category. Some, but not all, bulbs can grow and thrive with limited water in our area.   

Lorraine has 30 years experience growing bulbs in Sacramento limited water gardens. She will identify spring flowering bulbs that reproduce and naturalize in this area. Plus, discuss the kinds of conditions they need to thrive.

Lorraine has degrees from UC Davis and Utah State University. She is a Sacramento County Master Gardener and a past president of the Perennial Plant Club (PPC). She currently helps to organize the PPC plant sale, propagates plants (including bulbs) for the sale, and volunteers at many PPC events.

Event: October General Meeting

Speaker: Kyle Johnson

Topic: Creating a Dynamic Perennial Garden with Succulents and Cactus

Date: Thursday, October 23, 2025  •  7 p.m.

Location: Shepard Garden & Arts Center
3330 McKinley Blvd, Sacramento

Kyle Johnson is a geologist by profession whose passion for rocks and minerals significantly influences his garden design. His garden is known for raised mounds combining thoughtfully arranged succulents and perennials that are climate resilient.

His love for plants started at a young age, but it wasn’t until 2018 after purchasing a home in Sacramento, did the hobby take a new life. As an avid succulent and cacti collector he experiments non-stop with plant material in the garden testing their heat and hardiness limit.

He is a “Cramscaper” placing as many plants as he can into the garden. He is partial to aloes, which adds texture and flower impact during the winter season. Kyle is a self-taught generalist plantsman who learns by trial and error.

Event: September General Meeting

Speaker: Ernesto Sandoval

Topic: Healthy Roots for Happy Shoots: Soil and Container Media Management

Date: Thursday, September 25, 2025  •  7 p.m.

Location: Shepard Garden & Arts Center, 3330 McKinley Blvd, Sacramento

Ernesto Sandoval will discuss the importance of understanding and managing the variables of temperature, moisture and oxygen, pH, as well as nutrients and salts. In an easy-to-understand format, he will explain why and how pH matters for nutrient uptake, why oxygen is so important for roots, and help us understand the roles that roots play in keeping plants healthy and thriving.  

Ernesto has been pondering and seeking answers to the question of why plants grow and look the way they do for nearly 40 years. Now he explains and interprets the world of plants to a variety of ages and from amateur to professional gardeners. He regularly lectures to various Western Garden Clubs throughout the year, particularly to succulent clubs throughout California. Desert plants are his particular passion within his general passion for plants. 

Event: May General Meeting

Topic: Panel Discussion: Strategies for Protecting Plants from Changing Environmental Conditions

Date: Thursday, May 22, 2025  •  7 p.m.

Location: Shepard Garden & Arts Center, 3330 McKinley Blvd, Sacramento

We’ll discuss and share strategies for planning and maintaining a thriving garden in a time when weather conditions such as temperature and rainfall are not as predictable, when water quality and availability are in question, and when pollinators and natural habitat are at a premium.

Our panelists will lead us in a conversation that promises to help us keep our plants happy and healthy. We will begin with input from a panel of three veteran gardeners and teachers with different backgrounds and experiences, with much to share. They will briefly discuss challenges they face or have faced and solutions that have worked for them.

Event: April General Meeting

Speaker: George Connor

Topic: The Fascinating World of Butterflies and Moths

Date: Thursday, April 24, 2025  •  7 p.m.

Location: Shepard Garden & Arts Center, 3330 McKinley Blvd, Sacramento

A lifelong fascination and knowledge of butterflies and moths was already well-established and nurtured in George Connor starting as a child. At UC Davis he studied Entomology with a focus on the winged insects classified as Lepidoptera. He will share his vast knowledge and passion for these seemingly magical creatures that we welcome and pine for in our gardens. He would like to hear about our recollections and observations. 

Perhaps George is better known as a respected and thoughtful arborist, a career he accidentally fell into. George often employs rock climbing skills and gear to scale trees. And when the opportunity presents itself, he chooses Japanese hand saws and ropes rather than rely solely on ladders and power tools.

Event: Sacramento Perennial Plant Club’s Spring Plant Sale Dates: Friday & Saturday, April 18-19, 2025  • 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. Location: 1911 Bannon Creek Dr., Sacramento CA 95833 Purchase Member Grown Plants Wide assortment of perennials, CA natives, organically grown veggies and herbs, succulents and more! Stan, the Tool Man Garden tool, scissor and kitchen knife sharpening; container drilling.