SANTA ROSA
Learn how to cultivate orchids
Orchids are like the diamonds of the horticultural world, but they’re not just for the ultra rich.
Dive into the mysterious and exquisitely beautiful world of these desirable plants during the annual Sonoma County Orchid Show March 30 and 31 at The Veterans Memorial Building in Santa Rosa.
Learn how to cultivate orchids and meet with experts at skill sessions throughout the show.
When: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. March 30 and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. March 31. Cost: $8. Where: 1351 Maple Ave., across from the Sonoma County Fairgrounds.
For information, visit sonomaorchids.com.
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OCCIDENTAL
Arts and Ecology Center to hold tours
One of the region’s oldest continuous food gardens will open up for public tours on March 24.
The Occidental Arts and Ecology Center, an intentional living community geared toward environmental stewardship, will lead two-hour tours of its organic gardens and bordering wildlands starting at 1 p.m. Cost is $10 or free for kid 12 and under. No one will be turned away for lack of funds. For information visit oaec.org or call 874-1557 ext. 101. 15290 Coleman Valley Road, Occidental.
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SEBASTOPOL
Open house at 7-acre bamboo gardens
Bamboo Sourcery Nursery and Gardens is holding a Spring Open House March 23, featuring guided tours of their seven-acre farm and demonstration gardens as well as bamboo craft activities.
The event is from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Bamboo Sourcery specializes in bamboo plants for every microclimate and purpose, including privacy screens and rare garden highlights as well as expert advice and educational materials on the selection, containment and maintenance of bamboo. 666 Wagnon Road, off of Bodega Highway, Sebastopol. For information visit BambooSourcery.com or call at 823-5866.
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SANTA ROSA
Armchair walk in search of mushrooms
Rachel Zierdt will lead an armchair walk through the woods in search of edible mushrooms during the next meeting of the Santa Rosa Garden Club March 25.
Zierdt will talk about the great variety of mushrooms growing on the North Coast and give tips on how to find them and use them in cooking.
Zierdt, who lives in Sebastopol, is on the board of the Sonoma County Mycological Association.
Garden club meetings are free and open to non-members. They are held at 1:30 p.m. at the Luther Burbank Art & Garden Center, 2050 Yulupa Ave., Santa Rosa. [email protected].
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SONOMA COUNTY
Master Gardeners offer free classes
The Sonoma County Master Gardeners offer a wide variety of free Saturday workshops, most held at library branches throughout the county from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. For more information on the Master Gardeners, who offer advice and education to home gardeners, visit sonomamastergardeners.org or call 565-2608.
Today
Selection, Use and Maintenance of Garden Hand Tools: Kathy Matanok will discuss how the right tool makes all the difference in performing a job. She will talk about selecting the proper tools and them keeping them safe and in good condition, as well as which maintenance jobs you can do yourself and which ones require a pro. Petaluma Regional Library, 100 Fairgrounds Drive, Petaluma.
Dahlia Care and Culture: Master Gardener Jim Lang has been growing Dahlias for 30 years and exhibited and judged Dahlias for 8 years. A member of the American Dahlia Society and Dahlia Society of California for many years, he will discuss varieties, planting, care and culture, winter care. Over the years, Jim has grown several thousand plants. Guerneville Regional Library, 14107 Armstrong Woods Road. For more information call 565-2608 or visit www.sonomamastergardeners.org.
March 30
Spring Food Gardening Workshop: An A to Z lesson in growing your own food, from locating your garden to options for planting beds, soil components and amendments, compost and fertilizers. The workshop will also go over working the soil, crop selection and planning, irrigation, maintenance, pest control and harvesting. Helpful seasonal handouts include planting dates for spring crops, a sample garden layout and suggested veggie varieties good for Sonoma County. At the Harvest for the Hungry Garden, 1717 Yulupa Ave., Santa Rosa. For information contact Stephanie Wrightson at [email protected] or Robert Weiss at 484-3613.
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KENWOOD
Learn how to work with dogwoods
There’s something about a blooming dogwood that coveys gentility. Learn how to bring these beautiful bloomers into your own landscape March 23 at Wildwood Nursery in Kenwood.
The class will cover the basic growing requirements for dogwood and discuss the many varieties, some of which re-bloom in the late summer and fall.
The nursery at Wildwood Farm offers more than 30 varieties of dogwood, including varieties native to the East Coast, China and Korea. Free. Rain cancels. The class gets underway at 1 p.m.
Visit wildwoodmaples.com or call 833-1161. 10300 Sonoma Highway, Kenwood.
You can send Home and Garden news to meg.mcconahey@
pressdemocrat.com or call 521-5204.
