Start with Balboa Park with its Botanical Building, Alcazar Garden, Inez Grant Parker Memorial Rose Garden, and the Zoro Garden as well as dozens of plant collections throughout.

Within Balboa Park is the San Diego Zoo -- even locals are surprised that the plant collection here is more valuable than the animal collection.

Its sister, the Wild Animal Park (30 minutes north of downtown), has an equally fascinating collection and on a MUCH larger scale.

Sea World has a fabulous garden, both botanically wonderful and seasonally luscious for the tourists.

Presidio Park, on the edge of Old Town SD, is also worth a visit.

North of SD (about 30 minute sup Hwy. 5) is the absolutely grand Quail Botanical Gardens. This place will knock your socks off.

Kate Sessions Memorial Park in Pacific Beach is a fun place.

Joe

If you go to LA, you can visit the LA arboretum & some of the botanic gardens there. Quail is nice. The other gardens are also nice & have some interesting & exotic plants, but for the most part the plants are not labeled.

I can't add much to gardenguru1950 except this: If you make the trip to Quail Botanical Gardens in Encinitas, it makes sense to visit the free and publicly-accessible gardens at the Self-Realization Fellowship aka (Swami's) on HWY 101 at the southern end of downtown Encinitas, on the ocean. You cannot miss it because the architecture screams India.

It's really a gem garden. They don't ask anything in return but that you "respect the meditators", IOW keep the noise down.

At Balboa Park, my favorites (outside the Zoo) are the lath house (tropicals) and the sizable cactus and succulents garden.

Also there is a very interesting garden at Cuyumaca College if you are into arty, creative hardscapes.

I second all of gardenguru's suggestions - all very good, especially Quail Gardens.

And the new cactus&succulent garden at Cuyamaca College is a must-see. Here's a link to read about it:

Here is a link that might be useful: Cuyamaca succulent garden

I can't add anything to what Joe and everyone summed up so well. Besides being sure to check out some of the private gardens in the La Jolla Shores area---there are some really gorgeous ones visible as you take a leisurely drive along the coast.

Patrick, the link was very interesting. I used to live within easy walking distance of Cuyamaca College.

Becky

Fabulous ideas! Many many thanks to everyone who has posted ideas. Now the only thing is that it seems I won't have enough time to see them all! :) Quail Botanical Garden is a definite, and we'll have two other days to see some things. I'm going to check out the links above right now. The DH is a big succulent and cacti fan so I know we'll be going to some of those.

I'm really looking forward to this trip and getting out of grey and rainy Ohio!

The water department garden at Cuyamaca is well maintained and their plants are labeled. When you go there, you should also go to the museum, on the same campus  up the hill. There are some rare species planted around the museum & a botanical garden there. There are some nice palms and cycads up there - & they are also labeled. Their horticultural department also has a plant sales area, but that is different from the museum.

It you'll be in San Diego March 3-5 be sure to go to the Spring Home/Garden Show at the Del Mar Fairgrounds. There will be one building with 21 theatrically-lit indoor gardens by local garden designers. It's been compared quite favorably to the Philadelphia Flower Show. www.springhomegardenshow.com

Also, on March 13 you'd be most welcome to attend the free, friendly monthly meeting of the San Diego Horticultural Society at the Del Mar Fairgrounds. About 350-400 people usually come, and our speaker will be the highly respected - and very funny - Brent Heath of Brent & Becky's Bulbs. If you've got more time to spare, Brent will be giving a hands-on bulb workshop that same day at Quail Botanical Gardens - details on the website below.

In addition to the gardens folks mentioned, there are some fabulous nurseries in San Diego and you might have time to visit a few. There are links to these places on the San Diego Hort. Soc. website - the two you'd probably find most interesting are:
Buena Creek Gardens (San Marcos) - has a fantastic 1/2 acre bird and butterfly garden which is featured in the current (January) issue of Sunset magazine
Walter Andersen Nursery - the Poway nursery has a marvelous garden railroad display as well as great plants

You'll have a blast here!

Here is a link that might be useful: San Diego Horticultural Society

Hey, Susi!

I might have known that I'd see you on this forum eventually! I just found my way here a couple of weeks ago. See you around the Garden Web...

Patrick