Home and garden briefs: Rose tours for Mother’s Day

PETALUMA & HEALDSBURG: Take Mom to a rose nursery open house

Don’t give your mom a single rose or simply a bouquet. Give her an entire rose garden - or how about a rose farm? - for Mother’s Day.

Two of the prettiest destination rose nurseries are holding open houses on May 10 so moms can immerse themselves in the beauty and fragrance of the world’s favorite flower.

Garden Valley Ranch in Petaluma, which field-grows cut roses and has lovely display gardens as well as a nursery, is offering free garden tours, light refreshments and rosy offerings for all mothers. Hours are from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 498 Pepper Road, Petaluma. For information, call 795-0919, email fallon@gardenvalley.com or visit gardenvalley.com.

The Russian River Rose Company also welcomes mothers and their loved ones from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. for a stroll under 12-foot arbors billowing with huge rambling roses. Guided tours are offered throughout the day, along with light refreshments, and each mother receives a rose gift. $2 donation. 1685 Magnolia Drive, Healdsburg. For information, call 433-7455 or email info@russian-river-rose.com.

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SANTA ROSA: Rose Society holding show, sale

Stop and smell the roses at the annual Redwood Empire Rose Society Show and Plant Sale on Saturday, May 2.

Rose enthusiasts will offer their favorites, including a limited supply of a new, disease-resistant rose. 1 to 4 p.m. at the Luther Burbank Art & Garden Center, 2050 Yulupa Ave., Santa Rosa.

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HEALDSBURG: Healdsburg Homes Tour

When a city has been around as long as Healdsburg, it develops a rich and varied collection of architecture.

The 25th annual Healdsburg Homes Tour on Sunday, May 3, is a chance to trace the history of the town, first laid out in 1857, not just from the outside but the inside. It’s also a way to see how other homeowners have managed to remodel or renovate old homes in a way that respects their past while still making them functional for 21st-century living.

The tour this year will feature homes that span the epochs, from an 1885 Victorian on South Fitch Mountain Road that recently won a Historic Preservation Award from the Healdsburg Museum to an ultra-modern factory-built Blu Home that was recently installed on a narrow lot only a few blocks from the town center.

Cost for the tour is $35 in advance (healdsburgaauw.com) or $40 the day of. Tickets are available at check-in at the Healdsburg Museum, 221 Matheson St. at Fitch. The tour, put on by the Healdsburg branch of the American Association of University Women, benefits local education and scholarships for girls. For information, contact kk.lacy@gmail.com.

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SONOMA: Stock up for garden

The last chance for frost has passed, making it finally safe to plant your summer garden.

Stock up on bedding plants, perennials, water-wise plants, vegetable starts and succulents at the annual plant sale May 9 put on by the Valley of the Moon Garden Club.

Club members have also propagated a selection of Sonoma heirloom plants for sale, all organically grown. An indoor display of flower arrangements and succulent pot gardens, a sale of other garden-related items, and homemade breakfast treats and coffee make this more than just a plant sale. 9 a.m. to noon in the back parking lot of the Sonoma Community Center, 276 E. Napa St., Sonoma.

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SANTA ROSA: Protect your orchids

Learn to become a pathologist to protect your orchid plants.

Janet Lamborn of Agdia Testing Services will talk about how to identify viral pathogens that attack orchids as well as offer information on transmission, prevention through sanitation, and testing options during the next meeting of the Sonoma County Orchid Society on May 12.

Lamborn has been in the plant diagnostic industry for more than 14 years. The talk is open to nonmembers. 7 to 9 p.m. at the Santa Rosa Veterans Memorial Building, 1351 Maple Ave., Santa Rosa. For information, visit sonomaorchids.com.

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SEBASTOPOL: Tips from the “Gopher Guy”

Gregg Crawford, the “Gopher Guy,” makes a repeat appearance at Harmony Farm Supply & Nursery on May 9 with ideas for reclaiming your garden from rodent squatters.

The hands-on workshop will be held from 10 a.m. to noon. Since capacity is limited, it’s a good idea to sign up online at harmonyfarm.com. 3244 Gravenstein Highway, Sebastopol. Call 823-9125.

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OCCIDENTAL: Arts & Ecology plant sale

The Occidental Arts & Ecology Center holds its annual Summer Plant Sale on Saturday and Sunday, May 2 and 3, featuring a huge selection of open-pollinated, heirloom and rare varieties of edibles and ornamentals.

Everything is certified organic and grown at the center. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. A one-hour tour of the center’s organic gardens will be offered at 1 p.m., and center staff will be on hand to answer questions.

The Occidental Arts & Ecology Center offers a wide variety of plants and crops, including permaculture plants, culinary and medicinal herbs and traditional food crops of the Andes, such as yacon, kiwicha, quinoa, mashua, oca, pepino and Cape gooseberry. For a detailed list, visit oaec.org. 15290 Coleman Valley Road, Occidental.

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SONOMA: Get rid of water-hogging plants

The Valley of the Moon Garden Club on Thursday, May 7, welcomes Aaron Ryan of Cottage Gardens, who will talk about switching out water hogs for water sippers.

Ryan, who majored in plant physiology and horticulture at the University of California, Santa Cruz, will focus on plants whose natural requirements are appropriate to Sonoma Valley’s climate and conditions. He also will talk about how you can have the kind of garden you envision, including an “English garden” look, with responsible design and selection options.

In addition to being responsible for growing 75 percent of the plants sold at Cottage Gardens, Ryan works as a garden design consultant. He will bring sample plants for his presentation.

Nonmembers are welcome to attend the meeting, which starts at 7 p.m., for a $5 fee applicable to a $20 membership. 126 First St. W., Sonoma. For information, visit vom-garden-club.org.

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HEALDSBURG: Garden Club plant sale

The Healdsburg Garden Club holds its annual plant sale Saturday, May 2 with hundreds of drought-tolerant succulents, many varieties of tomatoes and other vegetables, as well as perennials, herbs, flowering annuals, and some shrubs and trees.

All plants for sale have been grown by club members.

A continental breakfast with mimosas and a pasta and salad lunch will be available, as well as wine tasting and live music. Members of the Sonoma County Bee Association and the Sonoma County Master Gardeners will field questions. Every year, the club throws a Jumble Sale with interesting garden items, including tools. 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Healdsburg Senior Living Center, 725 Grove St., Healdsburg.

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HEALDSBURG: Workshop on using compost

Giving back to your garden is as vital as taking from it, says Master Gardener Lyle Bullock. She will tell you why and how to lavish your garden with a love offering of compost during a workshop May 9 at the Healdsburg Library, 139 Piper St. Free. 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

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SEBASTOPOL: Learn about succulents

Succulents continue to be hot in the horticultural world. Learn which varieties do best in Sonoma County and how to care for them during a free workshop Saturday, May 2.

Master Gardener Anne Lowings will talk about how these tough and versatile plants can add year-round interest with little maintenance or water. 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Sebastopol Regional Library, 7140 Bodega Ave., Sebastopol.

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SANTA ROSA: Willowside School plant sale

Willowside School has the sweetest little nursery, and by shopping there you not only get deals, but also support education.

The west Santa Rosa school nursery offers its next plant sale May 9 with a big selection of trees, perennials, succulents and more. 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., rain or shine. 5299 Hall Road at Willowside Road in Santa Rosa. For information, call 569-4724.

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PETALUMA: Landscape management tips

Learn how to create a landscape that is safe for your family and wildlife during a free workshop Saturday, May 2 at the Petaluma Regional Library.

Master Gardener Dennis Przybycien will talk about soil quality, fertilization, pest and disease management, weed control and water conservation, all with an eye on safe practices for pets, children, native plants and wildlife. 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. For information, visit sonomamastergardeners.org.

You can direct home and garden news to Staff Writer Meg McConahey at meg.mcconahey@pressdemocrat.com or 521-5204. On Twitter @megmcconahey.