Events

Let's go green!  A free community event offering families and children opportunities to diminish their carbon footprint and counter global warming.   Sponsored by the League of Women Voters; the Master Gardeners will host a table.

Location:

Tech Museum of Innovation, 201 South Market Street, San Jose, 95113

Directions to the Tech Museum of Innovation

Learn to make your own 'Black Gold' to build soil health and improve the garden.  Master Composter Ian Gerbode will explain the many ways yard trimmings, autumn leaves and vegetable waste can be transformed into soil enriching compost.  Topics incliude comparing hot and cool composting methods, lasagna sheet composting and successful vermiculture ...aka worm bin management.  Garden success begins with good soil.

Location:

13650 Saratoga Avenue, Saratoga, 95070

Directions to Saratoga Library

Veggielution is a great college student program of growing vegetables and helping the poor of our community.  This program was featured in the San Jose Mercury News not long ago in an article by Holly Hayes.  The subject of winter vegetables will also be discussed, so tune us in! 

Mark Anthony Medeiros, a Board member of Prusch Farm & Garden in San Jose, and his garden partner Amy will join us to discuss Veggielution.  

Location:

1241 Franklin Square, Santa Clara

Directions to KKUP Studio

Families are invited to join the Santa Clara Valley Audubon Society and over a dozen other environmental organizations to celebrate nature and wildlife.  There will be live animals, educational presentations, a poster contest and many hands-on activities including nestbox and a bird feeder building.

For "Early Birds," we'll have a guided shoreline walk at the Charleston Slough in Mountain View's Baylands at 8 a.m.  Following the walk, participants will caravan to Wildlife Education Day festivities in Cupertino.  RSVP is required for the walk only.  Please call 408-252-3740 to RSVP or send email to programs@scvas.org.

The Master Gardeners will host a booth with fun hands-on gardening-related activities.

Location:

McClellan Ranch Park, 22221 McClellan Rd., Cupertino, 95014

Directions to McClellan Ranch Park

Join other gardeners in learning how to save seeds from your favorite summer vegetables and flowers!  Master Gardener Rosalie Shepherd will describe the principles and show you sure-fire techniques.  It's great fun and also satisfying to grow your favorite plants from saved seeds.

Location: Los Altos Main Library, 13 S. San Antonio Rd, Los Altos, 94022 Directions to Los Altos Library

Learn which varieties of peaches, nectarines, plums, pluots, aprictos, apples and pears are the delight of connoisseurs.  You will be introduced to the best of the best-tasting deciduous fruits that grow in this area and learn where to find sources for your own plants.  Nancy has been conducting and attending fruit tastings for the last 26 years in her diverse home fruit garden and in research facilities around the state.  She has collaborated with Andy's Orchard and Dave Wilson Nursery and oversees the rare fruit plantings at Prusch Farm Park in San Jose.

Location: 559 College Ave., Palo Alto, 94306 Directions to Common Ground

Learn how to make unusual and attractive arrangements using plant materials from the fall garden. Ikebana and other techniques will be demonstrated.

Followed by Open Garden until 1 p.m.

Location: Palo Alto Demonstration Garden (at Eleanor Pardee Community Garden), 851 Center Drive, Palo Alto, 94301 Directions to Palo Alto Demonstration Garden

Autumn is the perfect time to start planning a drought tolerant garden that saves water, attracts wildlife and enriches the environment.  Learn design basics for a lush and waterwise garden, including plant selection for year-round bloom and eco-friendly planting techniues and ideas to reduce, reuse and recycle landscaping materials from around the home.  

 

Location:

13650 Saratoga Avenue, Saratoga, 95070

Directions to Saratoga Library

It's that time again!  November 8 is this year's last UCCE Master Gardener Plant Clinic workshop at Gamble Garden.  Master Gardeners will be on hand to answer home gardening questions.  This is the right time of year to plan and prepare for 2009's veggie and ornamental plantings.   November is the best time to plant many perennials and shrubs.  Get answers to all those troubling questions about pruning roses, fruit trees and shrub, as well as what and how to plant in your garden right now.  The clinic is a great place to get information about your most mysterious pests, diseases and totally confounding plant troubles.  Bring soil samples and/or photos of pests and plant parts.  Finally, get the help you need to set your garden right.  Please invite friends and neighbors to this free workshop.  

No reservations needed.

Location:

Gamble Garden, 1431 Waverly St., Palo Alto, 94301

 

Directions to Gamble Garden

Plant descriptions may say "partial sun," "partial shade," or full shade."  What do they really mean?  Learn how to create a shady area in your garden or use your existing shade for best effect.  Master Gardener Niki Muller will discuss design issues in creating a shade garden in your location.  Types and patterns of shade and the problems that may arise will be addressed.  Plant selection, care and feeding will also be discussed.  Come with your questions!

Registration is required and class size is limited to 25.  Register online or phone Gamble Garden at 650-329-1365 ext. 201, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to noon.

Location: Carriage House, Gamble Garden, 1451 Waverly St., Palo Alto, 94301 Directions to Gamble Garden

It's time to prepare for our next vegetable growing season.  Our gardens have worked hard all year and now we want to show you how to re-energize your soil.  Come to an exciting and informative workshop on garden soil and learn about soil composition from Laura Monczynski.  Laura specializes in growing organic edibles in her garden and will share tips about organic soil amendments, compost, working with our local clay soils and more.  Healthy gardens start with healthy soil.

There is no fee to attend this workshop but please pre-register by sending email to RitaB@metroed.net or phoning the Erikson Adult Ed Center office during business hours at 408-723-6450.   Registration forms are provided at the door.

Location:

Erikson Adult Ed Center, 4849 Pearl Ave., San Jose, 95136; Bus #66

Directions to Erikson/MetroEd Adult Education Center

Master Gardener Philippa Alvis offers timely information for selecting bulbs to grace the garden with color in spring.  Now is the time to plant, but where an how?  Learn the cultural needs of daffodils, crocus, tulips and everything bulb, including 'winter forcing' techniues for an indoor bouquet in December.  Instruction includes bed preparation, fertilizing needs, sun and water requirements and sources where you can purchase your favorite varieties.

Location:

Saratoga Community Library, 13650 Saratoga Avenue, Saratoga, 95070

Directions to Saratoga Library

Master Gardeners will present fresh ways to look at preserving objects destined for our public landfill.   From broken concrete - "urbanite" - that you can use to build raised beds to trellises constructed of previously-used materials -- there are dozens of ways you can both save items from going to the landfill and beautify your garden at the same time.  The purpose of the class is to promote recycling while creating a sense of whimsey and beauty in your garden.

Location:

West Valley Branch Library, 1243 San Tomas Aquino Rd., San Jose, 95117

Directions to West Valley Library

Join Master Gardener Nancy Garrision for her fabulous introduction to the best tasting deciduous fruit trees that grow well in Willow Glen.  Nancy has decades of experience growing almost every fruit tree imaginable, from the apples and oranges that come immediately to mind, to exotic subtropicals and also unusual varieties of more common fruit trees that have special properties -- particularly great taste, or long-lasting on the tree or in storage, or other special characteristics.  You will be inspired to start or add to your own home orchard!   And check out http://homeorchard.ucdavis.edu!

The Master Gardeners also have these upcoming talks about fruit trees: 

1. Getting Started to Plant Bare-Root Fruit Trees in January, Tuesday, November 25

2. Pruning Dormant Ornamental and Fruit Trees, Saturday, December 6, 2008

3. Grafting Fruit Trees, Saturday, December 13, 2008

4. Fruit Tree Pruning, Saturday, January 10, 2009

Location:

Willow Glen Library, 1157 Minnesota Ave, San Jose, 95125

Directions to Willow Glen Library

January is the time to plant fruit trees and other plants such as: berries; rhubarb; shade trees; roses; onions; asparagus and more! These, and many other perennial plants, are sold as bare-root plants.    What does that mean?  Master Gardener Roberta Barnes will describe the best practives in finding, choosing and planting various bare-root plants.

Why plant fruit trees at home?  Some reasons are:

* The advantage of having tree-ripened fruit in your own yard.  (It's not possible to get ripe peaches, for example, in the supermarket.)

* The ability to grow the tastiest varieties, many of which are not available in the supermarkets because they are not grown by commercial growers.

* The freedom to select varieties that will give fruit many months out of the year.

The best way to plant a fruit tree is to plant a bare-root tree in January.  Come learn how easy and fun it is!  The technique of espaliered fruit trees will also be discussed.  And check out http://homeorchard.ucdavis.edu!

Location: Los Altos Main Library, 13 S. San Antonio Road, Los Altos, 94022 Directions to Los Altos Library

Join experienced Master Gardeners who will show you the best techniques for dormant pruning.

Location: Palo Alto Demonstration Garden (at Eleanor Pardee Community Garden), 851 Center Drive, Palo Alto, 94301 Directions to Palo Alto Demonstration Garden

Master Gardeners will present two wreath-making workshops:  at 1:00
p.m., Holiday Centerpieces;  at 3 p.m., Succulent Wreaths.  We provide
the  materials and know-how needed to create your very own stunning
holiday centerpieces and wreaths that you take home; we emphasize how
to create "green" wreaths by using sustainable materials and
techniques.

Craft and science workshops for children; trolley and handcart rides; face-painting; watercolor painting demo; visiting with Santa; and concerts and singalongs with carolers, choirs and even marimba groups are some of what you will enjoy at the Heritage Holiday fair!  Shop for unusual and distinctive gifts at the museum gift shop or have your antiques appraised by a local expert.   Enjoy the Village Harvest food tasting, honey tasting and artisinal food and drinks. 

Location:

History Park, 1650 Senter Road, San Jose, 95122

Directions to History Park

Master Gardener Bader Kudsi will teach gardeners of all skill levels how to graft different varieties of fruit trees.  Grafting involves joining two genetically distinct plants so that they unite to continue growth as a single plant.  A short section of a shoot taken from the type of fruit tree that you want to grow is inserted into a limb or trunk of a seedling tree - the rootstock.  The rootstocks have desirable characteristics that make them preferable to growing a tree on its own roots.

Some species cannot be propagated by techniques known as cutting or layering, but can be propagated by grafting.  You can also graft several varieties onto one rootstock, and the resulting tree will bear several varieties of fruit! 

See also the University of California guide for home orchards at http://homeorchard.ucdavis.edu

To sign up for the workshop please contact RitaB@metroed.net or call the MetroEd office, Monday through Friday during business hours, at 408-723-6450.

Location:

Erikson Adult Ed Center, 4849 Pearl Ave., San Jose, 95136.

Directions to Erikson/MetroEd Adult Education Center