Upcoming home and gardens events around Sonoma County

SANTA ROSA

Native plant sale

Fall is the best time to plant California natives. The Milo Baker Chapter of the California Native Plant Society wants to help you land the best plants for your garden by offering a wide variety during their annual autumn sale Oct. 8 at the Santa Rosa Veterans Memorial Building.

Society members have trees, shrubs, perennials, bulbs and seeds as well as native plant books, posters and t-shirts. Experts will be on hand to answer questions about selecting and caring for your natives. 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. 1351 Maple Ave., Santa Rosa.

CLOVERDALE

Composting: The ancient ?way of recycling

Master Gardener Lyle Bullock will give a free workshop on composting Oct. 15 at the Cloverdale Library.

In addition to explaining how to create and maintain a compost bin, she will talk about why giving back to your garden is as vital as taking from it and that compost is a key component to growing healthy plants. 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. 401 N. Cloverdale Blvd. For information visit sonomamastergardeners.org.

SANTA ROSA

Jail Plant Nursery sale

Fall is a great time to plant perennials, bushes and frost hardy flowering plants and winter vegetables.

Pick up everything for your fall garden at the Sonoma County Jail Plant Nursery’s final autumn plant sale Oct. 1.

Run by low-risk inmates, the nursery offers California natives, drought-tolerant shrubs, perennials, succulents, groundcovers, fruit and ornamental trees and vegetable starts.

Ten Sonoma County Master Gardeners will be on hand to help shoppers select appropriate plants for their gardens and to answer questions.

Plants are grown by inmates using compost and no fertilizers or pesticides. All income from he sale goes to support educational projects for inmates. 9 a.m. to noon. 2254 Ordinance Road, Santa Rosa. Checks and cash only. For information call Rick Stern at 525-8310 or email jailind@mcn.org.

GLEN ELLEN

Learn about plant ?combinations

Sonoma County Master Gardener Sara Malone will give a free talk Oct. 1 at Quarryhill Botanical Garden on plants and plant combinations that will make your garden shine all year round.

A gardening blogger and editor of the American Conifer Society’s website. Malone will focus on plants that don’t disappear during the cold months and that provide color, texture and structure after flowering perennials have gone into dormancy. Malone will also show how to explore Quarryhill and other botanical gardens for ideas for your own garden.

Malone’s own garden has been featured in Fine Gardening, Garden Design and Pacific Horticulture magazines. 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Space is limited so people are urged to RSVP at 996-3166. 12841 Sonoma Highway, Glen Ellen.

SONOMA

Frey, Gordon on ?bee-friendly gardens

Garden designer Kate Frey and well-known bee scientist Dr. Gordon Frankie will team up on Oct. 2 for a talk on “Bee Friendly Gardens in California.”

Frankie, based at U.C. Berkeley, will discuss his research on native bees in urban environments, as well as talk about the lives of native bees and with photos of their surprising habitats.

Frey, an award-winning garden designer, as the author of “The Bee Friendly Garden.” Cost is $20 with kids 12 and under free. 1-2:30 p.m. Cornerstone Sonoma Garden Barn. 23570 Arnold Dr, Sonoma. To register visit cornerstonesonoma.org or call 933-3010.

SONOMA

Best fall plants

Make the most of your fall planting with tips by an expert.

Master Gardener Dennis Przybycien will show photos and talk about the Top 20 plants for Sonoma County at the Oct. 6 meeting of the Valley of the Moon Garden Club.

There will also be a short video by Annie Hayes of Annie’s Annuals and Perennials Nursery in Richmond that will go into soil preparation for the fall, cutting back and cleaning up the garden for winter.

Following the meeting there will be a plant raffle and complimentary refreshments. Non-members are invited to attend for $5. 6:30 p.m. The Sonoma Valley Veterans Building, 126 First Street W., Sonoma For information call 935-8986.

SANTA ROSA

Planting spring bulbs

A pretty way to display spring bulbs is in pots. King’s Nursery in Santa Rosa will stage two demonstrations on Saturday, Oct. 1, offering tips and techniques and winning combinations that will make for beautiful displays in the spring.

The free demonstrations will be at 10 a.m and 2 p.m. 1212 13th St, Santa Rosa. 542-4782.

Compiled by Meg McConahey. Direct Home and Garden news to meg.mcconahey@pressdemocrat.com or call 707-521-5204. Please submit items at least three weeks in advance of an event. On Twitter @megmcconahey.