Events

Learn what can be planted now to mature before it’s time to plant summer vegetables. Tips for prepping wet soil, direct seeding and transplanting to get the most from a spring garden.

After the workshop, Master Gardeners are on hand to answer questions and you're invited to stroll around the demo gardens (waterwise and edible).

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

Join certified beekeeper Alan Henninger, from the Santa Clara BeeKeepers Guild, and Master Gardener Nella Henninger for a talk on honey bees. Learn all about honey bees and bee keeping, the benefits of attracting bees to your garden, the types of trees and plants that attract bees, and how to protect this precious resource. Participants will also get to tour the new beehive in the Guadalupe Gardens!

Location: Guadalupe River Park & Gardens, Visitor and Education Center, 438 Colemen Ave., San Jose 95110 Directions to Guadalupe Park & Gardens

A walk-in Plant Clinic will feature personal consultations with UC Master Gardeners on getting gardens ready for spring planting, coping with frost damage, and using compost. Other topics include soil types, plant nutrition, watering, organic sprays, cultivation practices, methods to attract beneficial insects, as well as questions concerning roses, tomatoes, and more.

Bring your problem plants (or, as appropriate, leaves/branches/plant part that exhibits the problem, in a plastic bag).

Leave time to wander the lovely Gamble Garden after the clinic.

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

Come join us for a free workshop to learn about pruning fruit trees, presented by Master Gardener Allen Buchinski. Learn about pruning different types of fruit trees, why, how and when to prune for both structure, shape and fruit production.

Allen volunteers his skills at the Emma Prusch Park Farm's High Density Fruit Orchard where the trees are kept small and at a reduced height to make harvesting ladder-free! You can learn more at: http://mastergardeners.org/fruit-tree-pruning, which contains Allen's best tips and advice.

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

Master Gardener David Giroux is an orchid expert who will discuss varieties of orchids as well as share tips on maintaining healthy, beautiful orchids in your home and garden.

Bring your problem orchids to the talk for his diagnosis and advice.

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

You can grow blueberries successfully in Sunnyvale with a little attention to the right cultivation and pruning practices. We will give you the basics to get started, and highlight what’s needed to keep your plants healthy and productive, including good pruning practices.

Following the talk in the library, we will give a pruning demonstration in the nearby Master Gardener Teaching and Demonstration garden, weather permitting.

Location: Sunnyvale Library, 665 W. Olive Ave., Sunnyvale 94086 Directions to Sunnyvale Public Library

There's another way to deal with plentiful weeds: harvest and eat them! Deva Luna will teach you which weeds are edible, nutritious and safe to eat, share weed recipes and harvesting tips. You will cook and eat some during class! You can bring weeds with you to identify. She will also talk about organic weed control. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em!

Deva is a horticulturist/educator who learned how to forage weeds from her grandmother and has been eating them ever since. She has a UC Davis degree in "Plants and Art" and lives in the foothills with 90 fruit and nut trees and 40 chickens.

To register, sign up at the website Weed Appreciation Day or call 650-493-6072

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

Would you like to start your own vegetables and flowers from seed? Now is the time to start seeds for the next growing season! This talk will include a step by step guide on how to grow plants from seed. Everything from choosing the right container to hardening off and planting will be covered.

Location: Vineland Branch Library, 1450 Blossom Hill Rd., San Jose 95118 Directions to Vineland Branch Library

Would you like to have a healthy, lush green lawn while using less 
water, fertilizers and herbicides? Or have you been thinking about 
replacing part of your lawn?

The first part of this talk focuses on recommended practices for lawn care. You'll be able to go home and put into practice three easy tips that will save you water right away.

The second part of the talk focuses on options for replacing part or all of your lawn. You might be
 surprised how easy it is to replace your lawn - you do not need to dig
 it all up. Replacements options include low-water
 grasses that can be mowed and that take foot traffic, a low-growing ground cover, or several ground covers of varying heights. A low-water landscape with trees, shrubs, and flowering plants of all sorts is yet another option, or how about a raised vegetable bed or a few fruit trees?

This talk is suitable for people who tend their own lawns or have landscaping services. Handouts summarize lawn care tips and provide suggestions for plants that work well as lawn replacements.

Location: Avenidas, 450 Bryant St., Palo Alto 94301 Directions to Avenidas

Frost threatens, the ground is still cold, and all the seedlings you bought or started are ready to plant, so what do you do? Come join the Santa Clara County Master Gardeners and learn how to make and use a cold frame. We will discuss alternatives and build a cold frame in class. A list of materials and plans will be provided.

Our demonstration garden is located in the Guadalupe Community Garden, which is located between Coleman Avenue and HW 87 just South of the Mineta San Jose International Airport and HW 880. There is no street address, but you can use the corner of Walnut and Asbury, San Jose, CA to get directions or maps on the Internet.

Location: Guadalupe Demonstration Garden, Walnut and Asbury, San Jose 95110 Directions to Guadalupe Demonstration Garden

Master Gardener and mushroom afficianado and grower Jim Maley will cover identification, propagation, basic introduction and safety issues as well as cultivating mushrooms in your home garden.

Location: Prusch Farm Park, 647 S King Rd., San Jose 95116 Directions to Prusch Farm Park

Master Gardener Joan Cloutier will present information on early spring vegetables that can still be planted and harvested before your summer garden is in. Maximize your garden space and get more crops in a year! Planting, crop selection, growing, and harvesting tips will be discussed.

Location: South County Demonstration Garden, located at St. Louise Regional Hospital, 9400 No Name Uno, Gilroy 95020 Directions to South County Demonstration Garden

Find out which potato varieties grow well, produce high yields, and excellent flavor in our climate. Master Gardener Bette Lloyd will show you how to plant and grow them as well as select the best varieties.

A planting demonstration will take place at the Master Gardener South County Demonstration Garden next to the hospital after the presentation.

Location: Saint Louise Regional Hospital, 9400 No Name Uno, Gilroy 95020 Directions to South County Demonstration Garden

Join Master Gardener Rebecca Schoenenberger as she teaches you how to save water, time and money without sacrificing beauty in your garden. Learn which California native plants will provide year-round color and thrive in your garden. Plant list will be distributed to all participants. We will also cover 'how-to' do the project.

Location: Santa Clara Main Library, 2635 Homestead Road, Santa Clara, CA 95051 Directions to Santa Clara Library

Did you know that our Mediterranean climate is perfect for year-round gardens? Join the Guadalupe River Park Conservancy and Master Gardener Ann Northrup for an exciting six-week series about sustainable vegetable gardening. Learn how to grow a successful, environmentally responsible food garden that produces delicious vegetables and herbs every month of the year.

Topics include soil preparation, amendments, and fertilizers; irrigation methods and systems; working with both seeds and seedlings; cultural requirements of specific warm and cool season crops and varieties that do well in our area; and how to identify and manage common pests, weeds, and diseases of vegetable crops in Santa Clara County.

The course meets in six two-hour sessions on Tuesdays, February 28 - April 3, 7-9 PM. Register online or call (408) 298-7657.

Location: Guadalupe River Park & Gardens, 438 Coleman Avenue, San Jose 95110 Directions to Guadalupe River Park & Gardens

Learn how to set up an easy-to-install drip irrigation system that attaches to an existing hose bib. UCCE Master Gardeners will demonstrate and discuss each part of the system.

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

Learn about the water needs of ornamental plants, vegetables, fruit trees and blueberries. You'll learn tips on installing and maintaining in-line drip emitter systems with hose-bib hook ups. This is an easy DIY project - you will come home confident you can set up drip irrigation in your own vegetable beds. Followed by hands-on demos and tour of our edible and waterwise demonstration gardens.

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

This talk covers the full gamut of tips from Master Gardener Deva Luna. Learn about appropriate plants and planting, irrigation, mulch and more. Classes are free but registration is required.

Contct BAWSCA at 650-349-3000 or landscape@bawsca.org to register and for more information. 

Location: Murphy Park Building, 260 North Sunnyvale Ave. Sunnyvale Directions to Sunnyvale's Murphy Park Building

Learn how to grow all the summer vegetables needed to make ratatouille. We’ll talk about growing tomatoes, peppers, eggplant and summer squash. Join Master Gardener Sue Zaslaw to learn how to provide your family with fresh, delicious, healthful homegrown vegetables. Several ratatouille recipes will be given to participants.

All aspects of caring for the plants will be covered: planning your garden, preparing the soil, growing from seed, watering, fertilizing, best cultural practices, dealing with bugs and diseases, and harvesting.

Two other major ingredients of ratatouille, onions and garlic, which are grown in the fall in our area, will be covered in a separate talk given in September.

Location: Pearl Avenue Branch Library, 4270 Pearl Ave., San Jose 95136 Directions to Pearl Avenue Branch Library

Did you know that our Mediterranean climate is perfect for year-round gardens? Join Master Gardener Candace Simpson for an exciting six-week series about sustainable vegetable gardening. Learn how to grow a successful, environmentally responsible food garden that produces delicious vegetables and herbs every month of the year.

 Topics include soil preparation, amendments, and fertilizers; irrigation methods and systems; working with both seeds and seedlings; cultural requirements of specific warm and cool season crops and varieties that do well in our area; and how to identify and manage common pests, weeds, and diseases of vegetable crops in Santa Clara County.

The course meets in six two-hour sessions. Tuesdays, March 6 - April 17, 7-9 PM. No class April 3.
Register online, or by sending email to adultschool@pausd.org or by calling (650) 329-3752. 

Location: Palo Alto Adult Ed (held at Palo Alto High School), 50 Embarcadero Road Palo Alto 94301 Directions to Palo Alto High School

Join Master Gardener Laura Westley as she teaches you how to grow your favorite summer vegetables, such as tomatoes, peppers, corn, beans, potatoes, melons, squash and eggplants. We will talk about how to start your plants from seed or transplants, as well as how to control the pests that attack these crops. You'll have all the information you need to get your summer vegetables growing!

$5 general public, free for Cupertino Senior Center members.

Location: Cupertino Senior Center, 21251 Stevens Creek Blvd., Cupertino Directions to Cupertino Senior Center

We're all familiar with growing traditional edibles - tomatoes in summer, greens in winter (and of course so much more, year-round!) - but did you know many ornamental plants are also edible? Flowers, fruit, seeds and leaves are all candidates. Learn which part of the ornamentals can grace your dinner table.

Location: Evergreen Branch Library, 2635 Aborn Rd., San Jose 95121 Directions to Evergreen Branch Library

Learn how to create your own garden plan using California native plants with experienced designer and landscaper, Master Gardener Deva Luna.

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

Master Gardener Bader Kudsi will guide us through a hands on workshop with grafting basics including practical ways to increase the variety of specific fruits in your home orchard.

Location: 647 S. King Rd., San Jose Directions to Prusch Farm Park

The Master Gardeners take part in the Arbor Day festival in Mountain View with an information table and children's activities. The day's event includes

* a ceremonial planting of an Arbor Day tree

* environmental education booths

* live music and activities for children including face painting, arts, crafts, games and stories

* information booths to learn more about trees and urban forestry, composting, recycling

* a tree climbing demonstration by the city's forestry operation

A great day! See you there. Bring your gardening questions.

Location: Pioneer Park, 1146 Church Street, Mountain View Directions to Pioneer Park

Still working out how to grow “The Best Home-Grown Tomato,” or are you looking for that last 5% of tomato growing knowledge you don’t already have? Join us for a review of growing healthy, tasty tomatoes, when to harvest them, how to extend tomato season and ways to outsmart pests. We’ll share tomato growing experiences from our demo garden and our dream of delicious, disease resistant tomatoes.

Location: Sunnyvale Library, 665 W. Olive Ave, Sunnyvale Directions to Sunnyvale Public Library

What fertilizers do Santa Clara County home gardeners really need to use to grow healthy plants? Master Gardener Joan Cloutier will teach you how to nourish your plants in an earth-friendly, sustainable manner while saving yourself time and money. Learn how to tell when your plants need fertilizer, what affects the plants' ability to use fertilizer, types of fertilizer, and the differences between fertilizing potted plants vs. those grown in garden plots. Questions are welcome.

Location: Cupertino Community Town Hall, 10350 Torre Avenue, Cupertino Directions to Cupertino Community Town Hall

Would you like to have a healthy, lush green lawn while using less 
water, fertilizers and herbicides? Or have you been thinking about 
replacing part of your lawn?

The first part of this talk focuses on recommended practices for lawn care. You'll be able to go home and put into practice three easy tips that will save you water right away.

The second part of the talk focuses on options for replacing part or all of your lawn. You might be
 surprised how easy it is to replace your lawn - you do not need to dig
 it all up. Replacements options include low-water
 grasses that can be mowed and that take foot traffic, a low-growing ground cover, or several ground covers of varying heights. A low-water landscape with trees, shrubs, and flowering plants of all sorts is yet another option, or how about a raised vegetable bed or a few fruit trees?

This talk is suitable for people who tend their own lawns or have landscaping services. Handouts summarize lawn care tips and provide suggestions for plants that work well as lawn replacements.

Location: Guadalupe River Park Visitor & Education Center, 438 Coleman Avenue, San Jose Directions to Guadalupe River Park, Visitor Center

One of the benefits of living in the San Jose area is the opportunity to grow a wide variety of citrus trees. The first hour of this class will include a PowerPoint presentation on the basics of growing and cultivating citrus fruit and which varieties are most productive in our region. The second hour will be spent in the Prusch citrus orchards studying the various specimens. This class will be taught by Master Gardener and Rare Fruit Grower Nancy Garrison.

Location: 647 S. King Rd., San Jose Directions to Prusch Farm Park

Learn which tomatoes have really great flavor and reliable production and are able to hold up under regular garden conditions. You will learn excellent trellising methods, soil preparation, what NOT to do, and how to avoid the brown crispy foliage blues so a bountiful harvest will be yours until frost.

Tomatoes featured are the result of Nancy's 25 years of hands-on tomato research.
As a former University of California Cooperative Extension Farm Advisor and former Master Gardener Program Coordinator, and current Master Gardener, Nancy continues to learn from the annual Master Gardener's tomato variety evaluations.

Save time after class for Nancy's popular Common Ground Center tour covering her favorite products.

To register, visit the website Growing Great Tomatoes or call 650-493-6072

Location: Common Ground in Palo Alto, 559 College Ave., Palo Alto 94301 Directions to Common Ground in Palo Alto

Do you ever wonder why no matter how early you plant your tomatoes, they just don't produce early fruit? And why do people even bother seeding their own vegetables? Join the Friends of Guadalupe River Park and Gardens and Master Gardener Susan Zaslaw for a fact-filled, fun workshop to kick your garden up a notch!

You will go home with handouts: a list of the many kinds of summer vegetables you can grow and recommmendations for varieties. You'll be inspired by the wide range of variety choices. Even if you don't want to start your own seeds, you'll learn how to select the hardiest plants from the nursery and learn tips for getting the best results from your transplants. You'll have the opportunity to plant a few seeds to take home and start this gardening season with extra ammunition for your most successful garden!

Location: Hillview Branch Library, 1600 Hopkins Dr., San José 95122 Directions to Hillview Public Library

Did you know that our Mediterranean climate is perfect for year-round gardens? Join Master Gardener Karen Schaffer for an exciting six-week series about sustainable vegetable gardening. Learn how to grow a successful, environmentally responsible food garden that produces delicious vegetables and herbs every month of the year.

Topics include soil preparation, amendments, and fertilizers; irrigation methods and systems; working with both seeds and seedlings; cultural requirements of specific warm and cool season crops and varieties that do well in our area; and how to identify and manage common pests, weeds, and diseases of vegetable crops in Santa Clara County.

The course meets in six two-hour sessions. Tuesdays, March 20 - April 24, 7-9 PM. Register online or call (408) 866-2105.

Location: Campbell Community Center, 1 West Campbell Avenue, C-31, Campbell 95008 Directions to Campbell Community Center

Learn how to grow all the summer vegetables needed to make ratatouille. We’ll talk about growing tomatoes, peppers, eggplant and summer squash. Join Master Gardener Sue Zaslaw to learn how to provide your family with fresh, delicious, healthful homegrown vegetables. Several ratatouille recipes will be given to participants.

All aspects of caring for the plants will be covered: planning your garden, preparing the soil, growing from seed, watering, fertilizing, best cultural practices, dealing with bugs and diseases, and harvesting.

Two other major ingredients of ratatouille, onions and garlic, which are grown in the fall in our area, will be covered in a separate talk given in fall.

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

Learn what can be planted in March to mature before it’s time to plant summer vegetables. You'll learn tips for prepping wet soil, direct seeding and transplanting to get the most from a spring garden.

Location: Avenidas, 450 Bryant St., Palo Alto 94301 Directions to Avenidas

You'll learn about the history, building codes and guidelines for using grey water. Master Gardener Deva Luna will present a tutorial in how to install your own Laundry-to-Landscape system. Find out what kinds of soaps to use, what plants you can irrigate easily, and where to buy materials. Deva Luna is a certified Greywater Installer.

Classes are free but registration is required. Call BAWSCA at (650) 349-3000 or email landscape@bawsca.org for more information!

Location: Redwood City Public Works Department, 1400 Broadway, Redwood City Directions to Redwood City Public Works

Ever wonder why, even though you plant your tomatoes and peppers early, sometimes it just seems to slow down the whole process? And why would people even bother to seed their own vegetables? In this class you will learn how to seed, transplant, grow and harvest the many vegetables you can grow in the summers. Join us for a fact-filled talk covering not only the basics, but many tips learned during forty-five years of vegetable gardening.

Location: Vineland Branch Library, 1450 Blossom Hill Rd., San Jose 95118 Directions to Vineland Branch Library

Our loyal fans come to our annual Spring Garden Market year after year for the glorious collection of unique and otherwise unavailable heirloom varieties of tomatoes and peppers - and now also other summer vegetables, flowers and herbs.

But this day-long gala fun event has expanded to include literally dozens of short talks on gardening topics of every description. Feed your mind as well as feeding your family with delicious vegetables - and learn to feed the soil.

You'll love shopping at the booths of gardening supplies and clothes - and more plants!- not to mention raised beds, chicken coops, fertilizers, bee keeping equipment, gifts and so much more. The Master Gardeners sell our top ten favorite tools and books, determined by polling the 300+ certified Master Gardeners in Santa Clara County.

Speaking of all those Master Gardeners - more than a hundred of our number will be on hand to talk with you about which variety of tomato or sunflower you might want to pick up, to steer you towards a talk or booth you're looking for and to talk with you about any gardening questions. Go ahead and bring a diseased plant (or leaf or branch), or bug, in a sealed plastic bag to show us and we'll help you ID it and decide what to do.

There are fun things to do all day, enjoyed by kids and adults both. Look at plants and bugs with a microscope at our Plant Q&A table, and have fun with hands-on demos and games at Master Gardener tables. Hungry? This year six fabulous gourmet food trucks will be on hand for healthy food - including coffee all day - and the beloved hot dog cart.

Location: History San Jose, 1650 Senter Road, San Jose 95112 Directions to History San Jose