Home & garden news, upcoming events

<p>WINDSOR / GUERNEVILLE</p><p>The Sonoma County Master Gardeners, whose mission is to educate other gardeners, have two two-hour workshops on Saturday, Feb. 4 — both free and starting at 10:30 a.m. at local libraries.</p><p>At the Guerneville Regional Library, Fred Revetria will tell you all you need to know about warding off varmints like moles and gophers. He will demonstrate the most effective traps and talk about deer-resistant plants and protective fencing. 14107 Armstrong Woods Road.</p><p>At the Windsor Library, prize-winning rosarian Jim Lang will demonstrate the best pruning techniques for different kinds of roses and cover their various growth patterns. By the end of the talk, you'll know what to prune out and what to leave behind. 9291 Old Redwood Highway, Building 100.</p><p>For information on all master gardener talks and services, visit sonomamastergardeners.org or call 565-2808.</p><p>SEBASTOPOL</p><p>Harmony Farm Supply & Nursery in Sebastopol will give a free workshop Saturday, Feb. 4 on pruning, emphasizing the simple yet high-yielding “central leader” style. Dress warmly and bring your own hand or lopping shears. 10 a.m. to noon. Classes are limited to 30 so reserve a spot at harmonyfarm.com. 3244 Gravenstein Highway N. 823-9125.</p><p>GLEN ELLEN</p><p>Learn when to pick and how to cure olives during a free workshop Sunday, Feb. 5, at B.R. Cohn Winery in Glen Ellen.</p><p>Olive expert Don Landis will cover the history of the olive in California, discuss the many varieties of olives, as well as when to pick and how to de-bitter without lye. The talk includes olive tasting with cheese and crackers. 15000 Sonoma Hwy 12. Reservations are required. Email olivedon@hotmail.com or call (800) 330-4064 ext. 124.</p><p>SONOMA COUNTY</p><p>Mark your calendar for Feb. 11 if you're interested in learning more about propagating seed, dealing with garden pests ecologically or transforming water-consuming turf into something better.</p><p>The Sonoma County Master Gardeners are holding a series of free workshops that day dealing with those popular topics, all starting at 10:30 a.m. For more information on them visit sonomamastergardeners.org.</p><p>- Noted landscape designer and teacher Maile Arnold will demonstrate how large stretches of thirsty grass can be transformed into lush areas with drought-tolerant plants and vegetables. The talk will be at the Sonoma Community Center, 276 E. Napa St.</p><p>“Sonoma's Mediterranean climate, especially in recent years of drought, makes growing large areas of turf impractical,” Arnold said. “I will share examples of several gardens, including one in Santa Rosa that reduced water usage from 19,000 gallons per month to 2000."</p><p>A landscape designer for more than 30 years, Arnold has appeared on the television shows "Your Organic Garden" and "A Gardener's Diary.” Her gardens also have been featured in Sunset Magazine and she has taught classes at Strybing Arboretum, the American Horticultural Society and The Garden Conservancy.</p><p>For more information call 938-0127, visit www.sonomamastergardeners.org. or contact Liz Treacy at 938-4626.</p><p>- Master Gardener Bob Weis will explain how to minimize troublesome garden pests without endangering your health or the environment during a free at the Rohnert Park/Cotati Library, 6250 Lynne Conde Way. </p><p>Weis will share what he knows about Integrated Pest Management or IPM, explaining how to minimize pests, what damage you need to look for on a plant and what to do before grabbing a can of insecticide.</p><p>Weis works at Santa Rosa's Harvest for the Hungry Garden, which grows organic vegetables and flowers for Sonoma County service agencies.</p><p>GLEN ELLEN</p><p>Hungarian botanist Zsolt Debreczy had a big dream — to document all of the world's temperate conifers in their natural habitats.</p><p>After traveling the world for 40 years, she has finally achieved her goal with the publication of her new book, “Conifers Around the World” (DendroPress, 2011; $250).</p><p>The two-volume set, with 3,700 full color photographs by István Rácz, features 541 species, subspecies, and varieties of temperate-zone conifers.</p><p>Debreczy will give an illustrated lecture about the project on Sunday, Feb. 12, at 5:30 p.m. at Quarryhill Botanical Garden, followed by a book signing. Guests are welcome to stroll the garden before the talk. Space is limited. To reserve call 996-3166. Cost is $15.</p><p>Quarryhill Botanical Garden is at 12841 Sonoma Highway, Glen Ellen. For information visit e-mail info@quarryhillbg.org or visit quarryhillbg.org.</p><p>You can send home and garden news to meg.mcconahey@pressdemocrat.com or call 521-5204.</p>