Events

• Rain or Shine!
• Free Admission!
• Plants, Info, and More!

What will we have at the sale this year?

• 80 varieties of heirloom tomatoes. Visit our tomato page for more info!
• 90 varieties of sweet and mild peppers from around the world and our popular fiery chiles. Check out Growing Peppers & Chiles on our pepper page.
• Varieties of interesting ornamentals
• Many local vendors and oganizations will also have booths at the event

It's not JUST a plant sale!

Have questions about other plants in your garden? Helpful Master Gardeners stationed at the plant clinic table
will be available to answer gardening related questions, and we'll have
a series of educational presentations throughout the day.

We will be selling an assortment of books published by UC Cooperative Extension
Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources, including the Master
Gardener Handbook, an outstanding garden resource.

Back by popular demand, we will offer our free plant check in area where you can securely leave your purchases while you attend seminars and visit the vendors.

Location: History San Jose, History Park at Kelley Park, 1650 Senter Road, San Jose 95112 Directions to History Park in San Jose

How do sustainable gardening/landscaping principles match home garden design?  Join Master Gardeners Marianne Mueller and Kathy Ormiston for discussion of: designing plant groupings based on hydrozones as well as common garden design principles; examples of low-, average- and high-water plants; how to reduce water use; how to include average- to high-water oases of year-round lush foliage and flowers in your garden and low-water alternatives; and beneficial insects in flower and vegetable gardens.  Other topics include: reducing the size of an existing lawn, lawn replacements and lawn alternatives; and sustainable lawn care for exsiting lawns.   Success depends on the foundations and we'll cover how to nurture the soil with proper fertilizers and irrigation, including a brief overview of how to install and maintain drip irrigation.   During the talk, attendees are encouraged to sketch their existing landscape and then possible ways to modify the landscape, on grid paper that will be distributed.  Handouts include plant lists and resources for learning further. and information on demonstration gardens available for viewing year-round and upcoming free garden tours. 

Location:

Design Within Reach 447 University Avenue, Palo Alto, 94301

Directions to Design Within Reach

Our annual tomato and pepper sale in Palo Alto!   We also have eggplant, herbs and other vegetable and ornamental plants.   Seminars throughout the day on growing tips, drip irrigation, low-water gardening and more.   Come stroll through the demonstration gardens - our waterwise garden as well as the large vegetable garden - and pick up some summer vegetable plants! Bring your gardening questions - master gardeners will be happy to talk with you.

Location: Palo Alto Demonstration Garden, 851 Center Drive, Palo Alto 94301 Directions to Palo Alto Demonstration Garden

Join Master Gardeners as they prepare vegetables beds for the summer growing season, digging in compost and organic fertilizer and laying out drip irrigation lines.   Then in this hands-on workshop we'll transplant seedlings and also directly seed summer vegetables.   This workshop is held twice on Saturday, April 17: at 10:30 a.m. and again at 1 p.m.

Location: Sunnyvale Teaching and Demonstration Garden, Charles St. Community Garden, 433 Charles St. near Olive, Sunnyvale 94086

Directions to Sunnyvale Teaching and Demonstration Garden

Full Circle Farm's 3rd annual Earth Day Festival is coming your way Sunday, April
18th, so save the date!  Last year, more than 1,800 folks from the
community enjoyed this incredible, fun, family-oriented event that
featured educational workshops, tours, entertainment, and oodles of
hands-on kid’s activities.  We will also be holding our 1st annual Full
Circle Farm 11K Run/Walk (1K for each of our fruitful acres).  The run
will take the morning of our Earth Day Festival. 

Drop by the Master Gardener booth with your gardening questions, or to say hi! 

For more information, contact Full Circle Farm at info@fullcirclesunnyvale.org

Location: Full Circle Farm, 1055 Dunford Way, Sunnyvale 94087

Since 2003, the Bay Area's pioneering native garden tour
has showcased gardens featuring California native plants.
This community-based tour is free of charge to the public upon successful registration.  Each tour features about 75 gardens, most of them private home gardens, which are open on tour day for viewing by the public in a do-it-yourself, open house format. 

The goals of the tour are to demonstrate reduced water use, reduced chemical and pesticide use, improved habitat, and the unique aesthetic appeal of gardens designed with California native plants.

The Master Gardener Waterwise Demonstration Garden in Palo Alto is on the tour - drop by and tour the garden with Master Gardener docents!

The tour is free but registration is required.  After you register, you will be sent a list of gardens and addresses, and descriptions of the gardens so you can plan which gardens to visit.  Please visit the Going Native Garden Tour website to register: http://gngt.org/

Location: 75 native gardens in the Santa Clara Valley & Peninsula, San Francisco Bay Area Contact Going Native Garden Tour for maps and directions

Learn  from UC Master Gardener Ann Ranish how easy it is to grow your own herbs to add lively flavor to your meals. Some culinary herbs grow well in the vegetable garden; others are good companions for drought tolerant ornamentals. Most will grow well in containers. Bring your questions!

Location: West Valley Branch Library,  1243 San Tomas Aquino Rd., San Jose,  95117
Directions to West Valley Library

Celebrating Guadalupe Gardens, Earth Day and the Great Outdoors
A Zero-Waste Event!

* 40+ vendors selling plants, garden art, etc.
* Heritage Rose Garden in Full-Bloom
* Free Compost - Bring your own bucket!
* Alternative Energy

The Master Gardeners will be selling heirloom tomatoes and peppers for $3 per plant.  Drop by the Master Gardener booth to pick up your summer vegetables, ask gardening questions or to say hi! 

Please visit the Guadalupe River Park & Gardens website for great details on who will be there:  expert garden advisors, entertainment, vendors and more.

Free parking! 

Location:

Guadalupe River Park & Gardens, 438 Coleman Avenue, San Jose CA 95110; between Coleman Avenue and Taylor Street, San Jose

Directions to Guadalupe River Park & Garden

Join Master Gardener Laura Westley as she takes you back to basics with Flowers 101.  What’s the difference between an annual and a perennial?  What flowers grow well in the shade, sun or a little of both?  Should you start them from seed, or go with transplants? Which flowers are easy to grow in the bay area?  Come learn all this and get lots of ideas for your summer flower garden too!

Location: Berryessa Library, 3355 Noble Ave., San Jose 95132 Directions to Berryessa Library

It is time to be getting your garden beds ready for planting or direct seeding.  Master Gardeners will describe how to prepare the soil for the garden and containers.  Construction of a raised bed will be discussed - and no, you don't need to buy potting soil or "topsoil" for a new raised bed - come find out why, and what to put in there!  (Hint: mix native soil with compost - up to 50% by volume.)  

This talk is the first of a two-part series on vegetable gardeningn - join us on Tuesday, May 25 at the Los Alto Library at 7:30 for the second half on best varieties for our area.

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

Learn the benefits of using California native plants as alternatives to your lawns in this talk by Master Gardener Deva Luna.  Create a natural habitat that is beautiful and conveys a sense of place.

Free but registration required:  call 650-340-3000 or email landscape@bawsca.org

See http://bawsca.org/water-conservation/residential-outdoor/ for full list of Bay Area Water Supply & Conservation Agency "2010 Spring Landscape Series"  (9 free classes between May 1 - June 5, in Mountain View,  Los Altos Hills, Daly City, Palo Alto, Hayward, Belmont, Milpitas and Foster City).

Location: Mountain View (address given when you register)

May is the time to plant tomatoes and other summer vegetables: peppers, eggplant, beans, corn, squash and many more.   (See our Warm Season Planting Guide for guidelines on best times to set out seedlings: http://mastergardeners.org/warm-cool-veg-charts.)  Join Master Gardener Ann Burrell to learn how to plan your summer vegetable garden, how much to plant, how much to water and when to harvest.

Followed by Open Garden - come and tour the vegetable beds, espaliered and 3-in-a-hole fruit trees, container planting and the large waterwise garden and bring your questions for the master gardeners who will be on hand to walk with you through the gardens.  

Location: Palo Alto Demonstration Garden, 851 Center Drive, Palo Alto, 94301 Directions to Palo Alto Demonstration Garden

Join Master Gardener Laura Balaoro to learn all about succulents.  Topics include: growing and care, Ccmmon succulent pests, propagation, ways to use succulents in the garden, what are some of the winter growing succulents and how to best show them during their growing season. Why do some succulents die after flowering?   If there is time, there will be a planting demonstration in a pot plus there will be free plant raffles.

Free but registration required: (408) 723-6450 or email ritab@metroed.net. 

Location: Erikson Adult Ed Center, 4849 Pearl Ave. San Jose, 95136 Directions to Erikson Adult Ed Center

Learn how easy it is to reduce the size of your lawn and add beautiful low-water native and Mediterranean plants.   You can also plan for year-round bloom, which is not only attractive but which provides food for birds, butterflies and beneficial insects. 

Location:

Sunnyvale Library,665 W. Olive Ave., Sunnyvale 94086

Directions to Sunnyvale Library

Tired of watering, mowing and weeding your lawn but don't know what to
put in instead? Replacing your lawn appropriately reduces your water
bill and your maintenance costs, encourages habitat for birds and
butterflies and does not contribute to global warming. You'll come away
from this inspiring talk given by Master Gardener Deva Luna with dozens of ideas, illustrated by pictures which say more than a thousand words.

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

Master Gardener David Peterson will discuss the safe, eco-friendly way to control pests and diseases, which will be at their peak in the summer months.  The workshop will be an overview of control methods and also explain the proliferation of pests and other plant problems.  This talk is valuable for the novice gardener and also acts as a refresher for experienced gardeners.  Gardeners ready to use petro-chemical sprays might not really have a disease problem at all - instead you may have what is known as an abiotic disorder caused by environmental stressors on the plant.  Other topics include: alternatives to toxic chemical sprays; organic and natural gardening methods; and keeping the garden healthy for people as well as plants.  Handouts will be provided.

Location: Gamble Garden, 1431 Waverley St., Palo Alto 94301 Directions to Gamble Garden

Learn the benefits of using California native plants as alternatives to
your lawns in this talk by Master Gardener Deva Luna.  Create a natural
habitat that is beautiful and conveys a sense of place.

Free but registration required:  call 650-340-3000 or email landscape@bawsca.org

See http://bawsca.org/water-conservation/residential-outdoor/
for full list of Bay Area Water Supply & Conservation Agency "2010
Spring Landscape Series"  (9 free classes between May 1 - June 5, in
Mountain View,  Los Altos Hills, Daly City, Palo Alto, Hayward, Belmont,
Milpitas and Foster City).

 

Location: Los Altos Hills: Location details given when registering.

This class offers a holistic approach for achieving a beautiful water-efficient, healthy garden. Join Master Gardener Deva Luna to learn about plant selection, irrigation and use of mulch and compost.

Free but registration required:  call 650-340-3000 or email landscape@bawsca.org

See http://bawsca.org/water-conservation/residential-outdoor/
for full list of Bay Area Water Supply & Conservation Agency "2010
Spring Landscape Series"  (9 free classes between May 1 - June 5, in
Mountain View,  Los Altos Hills, Daly City, Palo Alto, Hayward, Belmont,
Milpitas and Foster City).

Location: Mountain View - details given when registering.

Master Gardener Lee Ann Ray will teach gardeners of all skill levels hot to bring nature's creatures into your garden by creating a beautiful habitat garden.  Learn how to design a garden that may attract and sustain a population of birds, butterflies, bees, beneficial insects, lizards, toads and more!

See also our project report on flowers that attract beneficial insects: http://www.mastergardeners.org/projects/ninepalms/2006/beneficials.html

Free but registration required: email ritab@metroed.net or call 408-723-6450.

Location: MetroEd Erikson Adult Center, 4849 Pearl Ave., San Jose, 95136 Directions to Erikson Adult Ed Center

Join Master Gardener Cayce Hill as she teaches you how to save water and attract wildlife to your garden without sacrificing beauty!  Learn which California native plants will provide year-round color and interest in your garden. Plant list will be distributed to all participants.

Location: Berryessa Branch Library, 3355 Noble Ave., San Jose, 95132 Directions to Berryessa Branch Library

We have a real problem in our urban areas. We don't have enough bees to pollinate our fruit trees, flowers, and vegetables. Ever wonder what it takes to become a back yard bee keeper?  Join us as UC Master Gardener Anita Rosen tells us what it takes.

Location: West Valley Branch Library,  1243 San Tomas Aquino Rd., San Jose,  95117 Directions to West Valley Library

Make your garden sustainable and "green" in every sense of the word by planting California native plants. Save water, save energy, and save money. Provide habitat for birds and butterflies. Above all, add beauty and sense of place to your garden.

This talk by Master Gardener Deva Luna is part of a series of talks given by local professionals and experts in native plant landscaping. They are brought to you by San Mateo County Library in partnership with the California
Native Plant Society. Please visit http://www.cnps-scv.org for more information.

Location: Portola Valley Library, 765 Portola Rd., Portola Valley Directions to Portola Valley Library

Learn how to get the most out of your year-round food garden. Come join Friends of Guadalupe River Park & Garden and meet local author Pam Peirce to learn why her book, Golden Gate Gardening has been the gold standard in gardening books for Northern California. The new updated version, just published, includes everything from pest control to seed companies and includes more information on gardening in the Santa Clara County climate. At this talk, Pam Peirce will share information on crop varieties that are delicious, productive, and pest resistant, recent developments in planning a garden to attract beneficial creatures, and ways to use your garden’s microclimate, and the mini-microclimates within it to best advantage. This new edition includes a specific planting calendar for Santa Clara County gardeners, and is packed with solid information and Pam’s years of experience.  UC Santa Clara Master Gardeners worked with Pam on the new expanded sections about the peninsula and south bay. 

Registration is required and the cost is $10 members/$15 non-members: contact grpg.org or 408-298-7657.

Location: Guadalupe Guadalupe Visitor & Education Center at the Guadalupe River Park & Gardens, 438 Coleman Ave., San Jose, 95110 Directions to Visitor Center at Guadalupe River Park & Garden

If you haven't planted your summer vegetable garden, it isn't too late but it is time to hurry.  If you have planted and need tips on caring for your garden over the summer, this is the class for you as well.  Come join Master Gardener Laura Monczynski to learn about preparing your site, planting, which varieties do well in our area, how to maintain your garden with earth friendly techniques, how to harvest and use your produce. All proceeds go to support our community center.

To sign up you can register in person at any City of San Jose Community Center.  Class code is 382.4.1325.  To sign up on line go to www.sanjoseca.gov/prns/ create an account and look through class offerings. Attendees may also pay at the door with cash or check only.  For more information contact brian.hames@sanjoseca.gov.  Plenty of parking is available but carpooling is recommended.

Location:

Camden Community Center, 3369 Union Ave, San Jose 95124

 

Directions to Camden Community Center

Now that you have the summer vegetable beds prepared  - what are the master gardener recommended vegetables for this area?    Come and discuss what you have enjoyed as well.

This talk is the second part of Veggies 2.0 - the first part, on April 27, discusses preparing the vegetable beds as well as creating raised beds and mounded beds. 

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

Paul Heiple is a succulent expert and has an extensive collection of succulents.  He propagates them by seeds.  Come and learn from the expert!  There will be some succulent cutting sharing, so bring your cuttings.  

Location:

Evergreen Branch Library, 2635 Aborn Rd., San Jose, CA 95121

Directions to Evergreen Branch Library

Graywater is water from your shower, clothes washer and bathroom sink
that is re-used for landscape irrigation. Learn about different systems
and how easy and safe graywater can be.

Free but registration required:  call 650-340-3000 or email landscape@bawsca.org

See http://bawsca.org/water-conservation/residential-outdoor/
for full list of Bay Area Water Supply & Conservation Agency "2010
Spring Landscape Series"  (9 free classes between May 1 - June 5, in
Mountain View,  Los Altos Hills, Daly City, Palo Alto, Hayward, Belmont,
Milpitas and Foster City).

Location: Mountain View - details given when registering.

Visit the headquarters of Sunset Magazine to tour the grounds and demonstration homes and gardens, and discover over 120 exhibitors who have ideas for your backyard and beyond, representing travel, food, wine and beer, garden, home and design.

Don't miss the stellar line-up of celebrity chefs, garden, Idea Home
and design speakers plus musical acts.

Not to be missed is "Secondhand Sunset," where you can shop for treasures we’ve uncovered
from our prop studio, library, Idea Houses, and even our own closets.
And, be on the lookout for a large selection of home and garden goods
that have appeared in the magazine. All proceeds go to charity.

 

Visit the Master Gardener booth at the annual Sunset Magazine Celebration - bring your gardening questions or stop by to say hi. 

Discounts

Receive $1 off general or senior admission when you park at Sun Microsystems-1601 Willow Road; east of Hwy 101-and take the
shuttle to Celebration Weekend.

Receive $1 off general admission if you bicycle to the event.

Advance
tickets may be purchased for groups of 10 or more. A
portion of the proceeds will benefit the Children's Health Council. No
pets, please. Box office opens at 9:30 am on event days.

Questions
Call 800-786-7375 or send an email to celebration@sunset.com

Location:

Sunset Magazine Headquarters, 80 Willow Rd., Menlo Park 94025

Directions to Sunset

Come to a workshop in the garden to discuss how to control fruit tree growth with summer pruning.   Winter pruning when the trees are dormant stimulates growth; summer pruning helps keep the trees smaller (8' if desired) to help with harvest.  Hands-on demo will be part of the workshop and handouts provided.   See also http://homeorchard.ucdavis.edu for information on selecting, planting, caring for, watering, pruning and harvesting fruit trees.

 The workshop will be followed by an Open Garden - come wander the edibles garden and our large waterwise garden.  Master Gardeners will be on hand to answer questions.

Location: Palo Alto Demonstration Garden, 851 Center Drive, Palo Alto 94301 Directions to Palo Alto Demonstration Garden

Maintaining a healthy garden is the first step to dealing with pests.  We'll introduce the Integrated Pest Management (IPM) approach and discuss how to deal with specific pests in a sustainable and proactive way.  We'll walk around the garden and look for challenges and talk about how to handle them.  Check out the UC Davis website, http://ipm.ucdavis.edu - a treasure trove of information on pests and diseases.

Location: Sunnyvale Teaching and Demonstration Garden, Charles Street Community Gardens, 433 Charles St., Sunnyvale 94086 Directions to Charles Street Community Garden

Flowers in the home say "Welcome!"  Join UCCE Master Gardener Milli Wright and team to learn how to create your own garden of cutting flowers.  Be inspired to create your own arrangements with what you gather from your yard.  Instructors will bring flowers and other plant materials for demonstration.

See also the project report about Cutting Flowers that this team published in 2006 on our website: http://www.mastergardeners.org/projects/ninepalms/2006/cutflowers.html

Location: West Valley Branch Library, 1243 San Tomas Aquino Rd., San Jose 95117 Directions to West Valley Library

Learn how to grow your own delicious, healthy vegetables.  This talk by Master Gardener Laura Monczynski will includes instructions for growing vegetables in containers as well as in the ground.  You'll have an opportunity to plant seeds to take home with you.  Growing your own food is a great family activity! 

Check out our short videos and handouts on our special "Spring Garden Market Bonus" webpage, http://mastergardeners.org/SGM-Bonus.  We put online many videos and handouts on vegetable gardening topics:  drip irrigation; growing peppers, basil, herbs, flowers; tomatoes varieties and good ways to stake tomatoes; creating mosaic stepping stones from "trash" in your garage or shed ... and more.

Location:

Alum Rock Branch Library, 3090 Alum Rock Ave., San Jose, 95127

Directions to Alum Rock Branch Library

Join Master Gardener Lise Varner as she teaches all about gardening in containers.  You can garden anywhere; balconies, patios, driveways and more.  With containers we can bring great tastes, textures and smells closer to us, and keep gardening manageable by choosing plants and container sizes that meet our needs.

In this class you'll learn the basics of container gardening:  soil, water, fertilizer, container materials (clay, plastic, etc.), container sizes, and common pests.  Then you'll learn about a wide variety of plants that do particularly well in containers, with special emphasis on fragrant plants, plants that are fun to touch, and edible plants such as herbs, fruits and vegetables, including ones that you can plant right now!

In celebration of Adult Summer Reading, we will have a drawing at the end of the program for giveaways.
 

Location: Berryessa Branch Library, 3355 Noble Ave, San Jose 95132 Directions to Berryessa Branch Library

Learn how easy it is to reduce the size of your lawn and add beautiful low-water native and Mediterranean plants at this talk by Master Gardener Angie Chiappa.  You can also plan for year-round bloom, which is attractive and provides food for birds, butterflies and beneficial insects. 

Location:

Santa Clara City Central Park Library, 2635 Homestead Rd., Santa Clara 95051

Directions to Santa Clara City Central Park Library

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

Learn about controlled distribution of water, how much is the right amount for veggies and ornmentals and learn about different ways to water (hand watering, drip irrigation, spray heads controlleds by irrigation controller that uses hydrozones and other types of irrigation).

Followed by Open Garden in the Water Wise Garden and Edibles Garden, which features 4 vegetable beds interplanted with flowers that attract beneficials, espalier and 3-in-a-hole fruit trees, container plantings and compost and worm bins on site.  The Water Wise Garden features 5 large beds, including one all-native plants; the other beds incorporate low-water Mediterranean plants.  See our Plant Dictionary at http://mastergardeners.org/plant-dictionary for details on plants we grow in the Water Wise Garden. 

Location: Palo Alto Demonstration Garden, 851 Center Dr., Palo Alto 94301 Directions to Palo Alto Demonstration Garden