News & Press

July 14, 2010
For more info Peter D'Amato will speak at 1:00 in the Conservatory of Flowers, Golden Gate Park, 100 John F. Kennedy Drive, San Francisco. Learn about the joys of the savage garden with Peter D’Amato. Peter will share living specimens of the plant kingdom’s most wanted and discuss tips for growing and cultivating plants.

July 31, 2010
BACPS Annual PigFest Party, California Carnivores will host our third annual pot-luck pig-fest party at the nursery on Saturday, July 31st. We will be open 10 am to 4 pm. Please bring some food, drinks, snacks to share! Our guest speaker will be Dr. Larry Mellichamp from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Larry was an editor of the ICPS for many years and is one of the foremost Sarracenia specialists in the world, having published many articles and encyclopedic entries for several decades. Peter has attended some of Larry's talks and slide shows in the past and can tell you Larry is full of incredible information about CP, has a great sense of humor (his jokes about the South are legendary!), and is a fun guy to go on field trips with! Since slide shows are impossible in the greenhouse, Larry will be using live plants from our collection as well as some plants he may bring with him to have a casual chit-chat about carnivorous plants in general and Sarracenia more specifically. Last year he published in CPN several S. leucophylla x rubra hybrids known from the wild and gave them all cultivar status. These plants in the past were all known as S. x readii. This hybrid can be challenging to identify, so Larry suggests guests bring these and other hybrids of dubious identification, and he will try his best to identify them! (At California Carnivores we have many we hope he can tell us about!) Larry also produced many cultivars in the past, such as S. x dixie lace. Larry can also update us on the famous controversies between himself, Don Schnell, and Fred Case as to the species/subspecies identification of such plants as S. alabamensis (or rubra ssp. alabamenis?), S. jonesii (or rubra ssp. jonesii?) and several other confusing plants! Please, no fist fights!

On July 15th, 2009
At 7:30 PM, Peter will be speaking on behalf of the Brisbane library, South of San Francisco. The location will be at the Mission Blue Center at 475 Mission Blue Dr. in Brisbane. Peter's talk last year was so popular they moved this year's visit to a larger facility. See you then!

June 6th, 2009
Peter will be giving another of his fascinating talks at the Mendocino Botanical Garden The talk starts at 11:00 AM at the garden. All are welcome!

May 22nd, 2009
Peter will be speaking at the Napa Valley Orchid Society. If you're in the area, be sure and check it out. Friday, May 22nd at 7:30 PM. It's located at the Napa Senior Center, 1500 Jefferson St. in Napa. Plants and books, of course, will be for sale!

February 7th, 2009
Chris, the executive director of the Mendocino Botanical Garden in Ft. Brag, California stopped by! He picked up the first car-load of plant donations for their new Carnivorous Plant Bog Display! Be sure to check it out this Summer.

February 18th, 2009
Peter will be giving a rousing slide show at the Sacramento Bromeliad and Carnivorous Plant Society on Wednesday, February 18. The meeting begins at 7 pm and is located at the Sacramento Garden and Arts Center, 3330 McKinley Blvd (in McKinley Park). There will be plenty of plants available on the raffle table, plus others Peter will bring for sale, and he'll be glad to autograph copies of The Savage Garden. If you wish him to bring any "special order" plants from the website, just email us and he'll bring them along. All plants will be discounted. This is a fun group and Peter hasn't spoken there in a few years, and is looking forward to having a great time! This will be the same slide show Peter did at the Atlanta Botanical Garden in October of '07, which drew hundreds of people. Peter will also be giving a live plant presentation at the Napa Valley Orchid Society in May. More details on this will follow.

July 18th, 2009
We will be hosting the Bay Area Carnivorous Plant Society's quarterly meeting on July 18th, 2009. But this isn't just and ordinary meeting, it's a great potluck social! We did this last Summer and it was a great hit. So, bring your favorite dish to share and come get to know your fellow CP enthusiasts. Speakers to be announced.

Over the past twenty years, we have been featured in many many magazines, newspapers, and television programs. Just to list a few (Sorry we didn't have the stamina to put them all in chronological order):

Sunset Magazine ... March 1994 "Plants That Eat Bugs and the People Who Love Them"

Press Democrat's Discover Sonoma County ... 1996-97, "Kid Adventure"

Ten Percent Magazine ... Winter 1992, "Arbor-Eat-Um"

3,2,1 Contact Magazine ... June 1994, "Garden of Eatin"

Woman's World ... July 11, 1995, "Summer in California's Wine Country"

National Gardening ... Jan-Feb 1993

Sunset Magazine ... April 1996, "Paradise for Plant Lovers"

American Gardener ... May-June, "Announcement of The Savage Garden winning the American Horticultural Society's Book Award."

Well's Fargo's Business '96 ... April/May, "Getting the Bugs Out"

Entrepreneur Magazine ... Aug. 1994, "Pet Plants"

Alaska Airlines Magazine ... Dec 1991, "Plants With an Appetite"

American Horticulturalist Magazine...Oct 1993, "Fatal Attraction"

Martha Stewart Living Magazine...Winter 94, "Hort Journal"

Whole Earth Review...winter 94, "A review of California Carnivores' Growing Guide"

Nickelodeon Magazine...Nov 98, "Little Farm of Horrors"

Garden Design....Feb/Mar 97, "Source Guide"

Maxim Magazine... Dec 98, "Deadly Blooms"

This Old House Magazine...Mar/Apr 98, "But Will They Eat My Little Sister?"

Martha Stewart Living Magazine...Apr 98, "Terrariums"

San Francisco Focus Magazine...May 98, "Nursery Finds"

California Wild (California Academy of Science)...summer 98, "Come Into My Parlor" Cover Story by Peter D'Amato.

Country Living Magazine...Apr 97, "Please Feed Me!"

Sonoma Business Magazine...Dec 90, "Plants That Bite!"

Zoo Goer Magazine...July/Aug 94, "Little Bogs of Horrors"

House and Garden Magazine...June 99, "Floating Islands"

Sunset Magazine...Sept 93, "Sampling Sonoma County's Bounty"

Weekend Magazine (Resort Condominium Industry)...Feb 99, "Savoring Sonoma"

Travel and Leisure Magazine...Apr 99, "California Blooming"

San Francisco Chronicle...Oct 30, 98, "The Savage Garden" Pg. 2
Sonoma West Times&News... Nov 25, 98, "Mail Bonding"

Sacramento Bee...Aug 8, 98, "Savage Beauties" Pg. 8 and 9

Missouri Botanical Gardens Plant Bulletin...Mar/Apr 98, "Walk on the Wild Side"

Press Democrat (Santa Rosa)...Sept 26, 98, "Home Sweet Horrors"

Wall Street Journal...Oct 29, 99, "Garden of Eatin"

Whole Earth...Fall 99, Review of The Savage Garden

Press Democrat (Santa Rosa)...Oct 30, 99, "Garden Clippings"

Home and Garden Journal...Oct 99, "Little Nursery of Horrors"

Sonoma West Times&News...Oct 30 96, "Plants That Love to Eat"

San Jose Mercury News...Feb 8, 96, Garden Section "Chomp!"

Fair Voice (Calif. State Fair)...Aug 1st, 90, "Plants That Eat Meat"

Payless Garden Shop News...Apr 92, "Carnivores the Ultimate in Organic Gardens"

The Horton News...Oct 91, "Plants That Eat Animals"

California State Fair Magazine...Aug 90, "The One and Only"

Insect Zoo News (San Francisco Zoo)...June 90, "Insectivorous Plants"

Fujii's Plant Outlet Newsletter...Sept 89, "Carnivorous Plants and How to Grow Them"

Travel News...Feb 91, "Tips"

Bromeliad News (Sacramento)...Oct 91, "Society Visits Bug Eating Plants"

Garden Talks...Apr 28, "Insect Eating Plants for the Deck and Patio"

Solano Home Life...Sept 14, 91, "Plant Talk"

Press Democrat (Santa Rosa)...Jul 23, 92, "Wonderland Flora Exhibit"

Kid Connection...June 92, "Places To Go"

Solano Master Gardeners Newsletter...Nov/Dec 92, "Driving With Donna"

Wine Country Express...summer 93, "Great Tours"

Strybing Arboretum Calendar...1991, "Garden Tours"

S.F. Landscape Garden Show Bulletin...91, "Garden Talks"

San Jose Mercury-News...Nov 28, 91, "Eat a Bug"

Morning News Tribune (Dallas?)...Nov 24, 91, "Little Shop of Carnivores"

Pacific Sun...June 7, 95, "Treating the Kids"

Sonoma County Independent...June 22, 95, "Day Tripping"

San Jose Mercury-News...Oct 26, 95, "Bubble Bubble Toil and Trouble"

Country Living...Apr 97, Travel West "Please Feed Me"

NEW YORK TIMES...Dec 5, 93, "Where Vegetarianism is Turned on Its Ear" by James Benet

Post Journal (Jamestown, N.Y.)...June 25, 97, "Voracious Vegetation"

NEW YORK TIMES...Nov 14, 91, "Maybe It's Not a Little Shop of Horrors But You Couldn't Convince the Bugs" by Eve Kahn

Tribune (Oakland)...Apr 13, 97, "On the Vine"

The Patriot Ledger...May 10, 97, "Drink Up"

L.A. Senior World Travel...June 97, "Sonoma Sights"

San Diego Senior World Travel...June 97, "Sonoma Wine Country"

Boston Globe...Mar 9, 98, "How and Why?"

Sunday Telegram Travel...May 17, 98, "A California Bouquet"

Insect Zoo News (San Francisco)...May 17, 92, "Even Plants Eat Insects"

San Francisco Examiner-Chronicle...Sept 8, 91, "Sonoma's Little Shop of Horrors" (Feature Article)

San Diego Union Tribune...June 4, 95, "Lunch on the Fly"

The News Observer...Oct. 1, 96, "Plants With a Taste for Meat!"

Russian River News...July 12, 90, "Meat Eating Plants are Peter D'Amato's Specialty"

San Francisco Chronicle...May 24, 95, "A Jaunt Through Plant Paradise"

Press Democrat (Santa Rosa)...July 2, 96, "Boredom Busters"

Sonoma County Independent...Feb 8, 96, "Feed Me!"

Sanford News (North Carolina)...June 23, 97, "Hungry Plants Attract Young and Old"

Press Democrat (Santa Rosa)...Feb 15, 96, "Plants With Attitude"

Sonoma West Times...Oct 30, 96, "Plants That Love to Eat"

San Francisco Chronicle...Dec 31, 97, "Red Flytrap Makes Its California Debut"

The Beacon (Ocean County, NJ)..."Carnivores Help Bite Into Profits"

Press Democrat (Santa Rosa)...July 22, 99, "On With the Show!"

Forestville (CA) Gazette...Nov 99, "Local Treasures"

Press Democrat (Santa Rosa)...July 3, 99, "Doin' the Nursery Tour"

Beacon Journal...March 8, 96, "Family's Yard is Carnivorous"

California Highway Patrolman...March 90, "These Plants Bite Back!"

Salt Lake Tribune...Aug 25, 91, "Wine Country's Little Shop of Horrors"

St. Petersburg Times (FL)...Oct 27, 91, "Plants With Fatal Attraction"

San Francisco Chronicle...Aug 21, 91, "Little Shop of Horrors!"

San Francisco Chronicle...Aug 21, 91, "Shrinking Violets Need Not Apply"

Sebastopol Times...Aug 10, 94, "Carnivores on the Farm Trail"

San Francisco Chronicle...May 18, 94, "Creepy Carnivorous Plants Pitch Deadly Woo"

Contra Costa Times (CA)...June 13, 92, "Culture and Carnivores in the Garden"

Contra Costa Times (CA)...Sept 94, "Fatal Attractions"

Sonoma County Independent...mar 25, 99, "Poll Results...Best Place to Teach Your Kids About the Food Chain"

Press Democrat (Santa Rosa)...Oct 22, 88, "Tender Traps Bite Back"

Press Democrat (Santa Rosa)...Feb 12, 94, "Cruel Beauty"

Orange County Register (CA)...Apr 14, 96, "Springing Into Fun Pursuits"

Associated Press (various newspapers)...June 23, 97, "Hungry Plants Draw a Crowd"

Sacramento Bee (CA)...Oct 7, 95, "The Hungry Garden"

Press Democrat (Santa Rosa)...Dec 6, 95, "A Gardener's Gift Catalog"

California Visitors Review...Feb 94, "California Carnivores..."

Contra Costa Times (CA)...Nov 18, 93, "Carnivorous Plants Grab Meal on the Fly"

Sonoma West Times...Oct 28, 99, "Love Your Carnivore"

Gardening How-To Magazine Dec. 02, "Tropical Pitcher Plants"

Discover Magazine...Oct 01, "Flesh Eating Plants"

Explore Magazine (Exploratorium)...Spring 05 "Gardening Web Site Blooms"

Philadelphia Inquirer...Jun 10, 05, "An Appetite for Carnivorous Plants"

VIA Magazine (AAA publication)...Spring 06, "California's Highway 116"

Ag Alert...Nov 1, 06 "Attack of the Killer Plants"

California Home & Design Magazine...May 07, "Automatic Feeder"

Garden Railways Magazine Oct 08, "Weird and Whimsical Railway Plants"

Martha Stewart Living Magazine...Oct 01, "Pitcher Plants"

San Francisco Chronicle...Oct 25, 02, "Sonoma's Little Shop of Horrors"

The Reporter (Vacaville, CA)...Oct 26, 02,"Downright Batty!"

San Francisco Chronicle...May 07, "Man Eater Plant Tales"

Marin Independent Journal...Apr 17 03, "Carnivorous Plants are King at Sonoma Nursery"

Horticulture Magazine...Dec 05, "Top Ten Mail Order Businesses"

San Francisco Magazine...May 04, "Take the Day Off" Day Trip #15

MY Business Magazine 06... "Uncommon Enterprise: Feed Me"