Free Gardening Classes

Master Gardeners of Santa Clara County has a variety of free gardening classes located here. Some upcoming classes include:

Saturday May 8, 2010 - Grow a Healthy Eco-Friendly Garden 
Start: 9:00 am
End: 11:00 am
Cost: Free
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 

Tuesday May 18, 2010 - 12 Months of Color in the Native Garden
Start: 6:30 pm
End: 8:00 pm
Cost: Free
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  

Wednesday May 19, 2010 - Backyard Bee Keeping 
Start: 7:00 pm
End: 8:00 pm
Cost: Free
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

Tuesday May 25, 2010 - Veggies 2.0: Part Two - Now what do I put in my summer vegetable garden? 
Start: 7:30 pm
End: 8:30 pm
Cost: Free
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

Saturday June 5, 2010 - Summer Pruning of Fruit Trees for Controlled Growth
Start: 10:00 am
End: 11:00 am
Cost: Free
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 
Saturday June 26, 2010 - Container Gardening Basics 
Start: 11:00 am
End: 1:00 pm
Cost: Free
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!
Location: Berryessa Branch Library, 3355 Noble Ave, San Jose 95132