SAN DIEGO HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY

What SAN DIEGO HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY does

San Diego Horticultural Society (SDHS) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership organization founded in 1994 that delivers horticultural education, community programming, and publications to gardening enthusiasts across San Diego County, California. The society operates with 1-10 employees and is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors, led by President Karen England. Its service area is geographically constrained to San Diego County and the membership base consists of individual hobbyist gardeners rather than institutional customers.

SDHS's core offerings include monthly general meetings featuring expert speakers (held the third Saturday of each month at San Diego Oasis in Rancho Bernardo), the member-only Sharing Gardens private garden tour program, hands-on workshops on topics such as pruning, propagation, and sustainable gardening, and an annual Spring Garden Tour (2027 edition planned for Kensington and North Park neighborhoods with capacity for ~800 attendees). The society publishes a monthly online newsletter, 'Let's Talk Plants!,' maintains an SDHS YouTube Channel archive of meeting recordings, awards the annual Horticulturist of the Year recognition, and operates a School Garden Grant Program launched in 2026 awarding $1,000 to one and $500 to two San Diego County schools. The organization has been an affiliate society of the Pacific Horticulture Society since 2013, granting members access to Pacific Horticulture tours and events.

SDHS generates revenue through individual memberships priced at $30 per year, pay-as-you-go event and workshop fees ($15 for non-member meeting attendance, approximately $20 per workshop), corporate and individual sponsorships, tax-deductible donations, and newsletter advertising. Distribution is direct and primarily in-person across San Diego County venues, supplemented by the website (sdhort.org), a Facebook Group, the YouTube Channel, and the Wild Apricot-powered online store. The society maintains ongoing participation in the San Diego County Fair with award-winning garden exhibits documented from 2011 through 2017.

Name

SAN DIEGO HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY

Legal name

San Diego Horticultural Society

Website

https://sdhort.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

San Diego Horticultural Society is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1994 that delivers horticultural education, monthly meetings, workshops, garden tours, and publications to gardening enthusiasts across San Diego County.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Horticultural Education & Community Services

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Home & Garden Hobbies (Gardening, Floral Design, Home Decor) (EDAAAGAL)

Keywords

• Horticultural education
• Garden tours
• Gardening workshops
• Horticulture publications
• Community gardening events

Headquarters

HQ city

San Diego

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees provide core operating revenue and access to member-only events including meetings, workshops, and garden tours.
2. Event Registration Fees: Non-member meeting attendance fees ($15), workshop fees ($20), and member guest fees for special events.
3. Sponsorships: Corporate and individual sponsors support the organization through various sponsorship tiers.
4. Donations: Tax-deductible donations from members and supporters.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The San Diego Horticultural Society is a nonprofit membership organization that delivers horticultural education and community programming to gardening enthusiasts in San Diego County. Its offerings include monthly expert-led general meetings, member-only Sharing Gardens private garden tours, hands-on workshops, seasonal garden tours (including the Spring Garden Tour), the monthly 'Let's Talk Plants!' newsletter, a School Garden Grant Program, and scholarships supporting horticultural learning.

Product overview

The San Diego Horticultural Society offers a portfolio of member-focused horticultural programs including monthly general meetings with expert speakers, Sharing Gardens (private garden tours for members), educational workshops, seasonal garden tours including the annual Spring Garden Tour, a monthly newsletter called 'Let's Talk Plants!', and a School Garden Grant Program. The society also organizes volunteer appreciation events, sponsorships, and scholarships to support horticultural education in San Diego County. The organization primarily serves gardening enthusiasts in San Diego County with educational and social programming focused on regionally appropriate horticulture.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• General Meetings

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Pacific Horticulture SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSDHS is an affiliate society of the Pacific Horticulture Society. This partnership allows SDHS members to participate in Pacific Horticulture's tours and events, expanding programming beyond San Diego County.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Southern California Horticultural Society: Long-standing regional horticultural society serving Southern California with monthly meetings, expert speakers, and plant-focused programming — directly comparable model and demographic to SDHS.
• California Horticultural Society: Regional horticultural society based in the San Francisco Bay Area offering meetings, garden tours, and publications for gardening enthusiasts — closely comparable membership-society model in a different California region.
• Pacific Horticulture Society: The parent affiliate society of SDHS; operates a similar membership-based horticulture education model with tours, publications, and events across the western U.S./Pacific region.

Others

• San Diego Botanic Garden: Local botanic garden in Encinitas operating public garden displays and educational programming. Different business model (operating a physical garden) but highly adjacent in horticulture education and San Diego geography.

Broad incumbents

• National Garden Clubs: U.S. umbrella federation of local garden clubs providing education, grants, and networking — broader, federated counterpart to SDHS's community-club model.
• American Horticultural Society: National horticultural organization with broader scope and programs (National Children & Youth Garden Symposium, seed programs, etc.). Larger incumbent with overlapping educational mission and constituency.
• Royal Horticultural Society: U.K.-based global benchmark for horticultural membership societies with shows, gardens, publications, and large paid membership — comparable mission at much greater scale and international footprint.
• Pennsylvania Horticultural Society: Historic horticultural society with a much larger endowment and event portfolio (Philadelphia Flower Show), but operates a similar mission-driven model of horticultural education, community gardens, and membership.

Emerging players

• UC Master Gardeners of San Diego County: University-extension volunteer program delivering horticulture education and community outreach in San Diego County. Adjacent educational mission with comparable volunteer-led delivery model.

Regional players

• Massachusetts Horticultural Society: Northeast U.S. regional horticultural society operating gardens, educational programs, and member events — comparable mission and membership model in a different geographic market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCcJRo4u6QDSlTsR5CldFVCw/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/groups/1929332800530820/about
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/san-diego-horticultural-society

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about SAN DIEGO HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY