In the spirit of the blossoms and blooms for which it is famous, the San Diego Floral Association wants its third “Birds, Bees, Flowers and Trees” eco fair to be bursting with life, color and beauty. And like the stunning plumeria and protea that will have attendees buzzing, Saturday’s Balboa Park event is plugged into a larger ecosystem that deserves its moment in the sun, too.
“It is my theory that you are not going to work toward conservation or environmental issues if you don’t love what you’re working for. And if you love flowers, you’ll work to preserve them,” said Kathy Esty, the fair’s committee chair.
“So you’re going to help the honey bees, because flowers can’t exist without them. And if you love birds, you can’t have a healthy bird unless you have healthy wetlands and healthy mountains and healthy rivers. You have to bring it all together, and that’s what we’re trying to do with this fair. It’s not just flower arranging anymore.”
In addition to a massive plant sale and such green-thumb friendly exhibitors as Momma Pots, Mission Hills Nursery and Project New Village, the “Birds, Bees, Flowers and Trees” lineup will also include demonstrations, giveaways, activities and information galore from a host of local environmental, conservation and community groups.
So while you’re stocking up on succulents, grabbing a geranium or browsing the La Playa Books booth, you can find out how to help nature help you save the planet.
“Any organization that deals with anything that involves nature or conservation has to be awakened to the fact that it’s all interconnected,” said Esty’s sister, Abby, who is co-chair of the event. “Conservation is necessary for healthy food, healthy water, healthy people and healthy attitudes.”
The San Diego Audubon Society will be on hand Saturday with free native seed packets and tips on how to bring native birds into your garden. The San Diego River Park Foundation will have a bird-feeder craft for the kids and details about the San Diego River’s 434 square-miles of watershed for anyone interested in preserving resources for the future.
There will also be informational exhibits from the San Diego Beekeeping Society, the San Diego Turtle and Tortoise Society and the Resource Conservation District of Greater San Diego County, crafts from the San Diego Natural History Museum and Specialty Produce; kid-friendly water-saving tips and prizes from the Water Conservation Garden’s Ms. Smarty-Plants; and an appearance by author and water-wise gardener Nan Sterman, who will be g copies of her new book, “Hot Color, Dry Garden.”
Think of it as more Zen-like Earth Day fair, with a smaller, more Earth-friendly footprint and a community spirit that won’t be getting lost in the commercial shuffle.
“We are interested in native plants because they birds, but we’re thinking more holistically than just the beautiful bird that is flying around your yard. We’re looking at how our landscapes birds and other wildlife,” said Andrew Meyer, director of conservation for the San Diego Audubon Society.
“We go to events like this because that connection between what is growing and what is living in our communities is so critical. There are a lot of things that seem too big for us to do much about, but this is a fun and beautiful way to take some action.”
This is only the the third “Birds, Bees, Flowers and Trees” event since its debut in 2019, but the San Diego Floral Association has been dedicated to the care and feeding of local flora and fauna since there was a San Diego Floral Association.
Founded in 1907 to help the San Diego Chamber of Commerce beautify the city in time for the 1915 Panama California Exposition, the group made a civic splash with an early flower show organized to introduce San Diegans to the many plants the could make their homes here.
Free plants and cuttings were handed out, and thousands of brochures were given away. And when it came time to make Balboa Park ready for the visiting Exposition masses, the women of the Floral Association filled the park with plants and trees donated from their own gardens.
More than 100 years later, the organization is bringing plants to the people through grants for school and community gardens and internships and scholarships for local students, all in the hope that beautiful, sustaining things will take root and bloom for decades to come.
“We’re hoping that people who are just in Balboa Park on that Saturday will come by our booths, they’ll have some fun, and they’ll learn something they didn’t know before,” Kathy Esty said.
“I love it when kids come to the booth, and they’re all excited because they’ve learned something new. I’m especially excited when they know more than I do. I’m absolutely thrilled with that.”
The San Diego Floral Association’s “Birds, Bees, Flowers and Trees” eco fair will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday in Balboa Park. ission is free. Go to sdfloral.org for information.
