Sonoma County garden events for week of July 29

SEBASTOPOL: Annual plant sale

Who isn't smitten by the delicate little pendulum blossoms of the fuchsia plant?

Gardeners can pick up a few for themselves on July 29 at the annual plant sale put on by the Sebastopol Fuchsia Society.

All of the plants for sale are grown by members of the society. There will be plenty to pick from, including hanging baskets and uprights in various colors. 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sebastopol Center for the Arts, 282 S. High St., Sebastopol. Admission is free. 707-838-9429.

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SEBASTOPOL: Exchange garden tips

Swap garden tips with fellow green thumbers at the Garden Roundtable in Sebastopol on July 29.

The 11 a.m. gathering is a chance to get and give information and help with gardening challenges.

It is put on by the Community Seed Exchange, which meets the last Saturday of every month (except November and December) at St. Stephen's Church, 500 Robinson Road, Sebastopol. The exchange maintains a seed library with more than 200 varieties of vegetables, flowers, grains and herbs. It shares the seed at no charge with the hope that people will grow them and return seed from their harvest to the library. The library will be open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. the day of the roundtable. For information call 707-829-0868 or email juliejess@comcast.net.

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SONOMA: Learn how to prune

Garden guru Maile Arnold will help unlock the mysteries of pruning during a talk Aug. 3 before the Valley of the Moon Garden Club.

Arnold will give a PowerPoint presentation for the home gardener on pruning many varieties of plants and trees, showing photos of specimens before and after pruning and giving tips on the time of year to cut back.

Through years of experience Arnold has learned that some varieties of plants within the same family and with the same common name, need to be pruned differently in order to thrive.

Arnold grew up in Hawaii. Her own Sebastopol garden is full of flowers. She and her husband Warren, a stone sculptor, maintain a mini-farm on 5 ½ acres in Sebastopol. They raise goats for milk and cheese, chickens and sheep and grow all their own fruit and vegetables. They do all of the work themselves.

The meeting is at 7 p.m., with a meet and greet starting a half hour earlier. Visitors are welcome. There will be a plant drawing and refreshments. Sonoma Veterans' Memorial Building, 126 1st St. W., Sonoma. 707-935-8986.

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SANTA ROSA: Fruit tree sale

Instead of just stocking up on fresh fruit at the Farmer's Market, why not tote home your own tree?

The California Rare Fruit Growers garden club will be holding their annual Fruit Tree Sale at the Original Santa Rosa Farmers Market on July 29, with heritage apple, plum, peach, cherry and other trees for sale at $20 each. Most are about 2-3 feet tall and rooted in 5 gallon pots. Small trees planted in big holes will outgrow big bare-root trees within a couple of years. Members also always bring a few unusual plants for sale so prepare for surprises.

Proceeds from the sale go toward rescuing rare fruit trees and funding agricultural scholarships.

The roundtable will be from 9 a.m. to noon. The Farmers Market is on River Road behind the Luther Burbank Center and Sutter Hospital at 50 Mark West Springs Road. For more information about visit crfg-redwood.org or call 707-576-7250.

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PETALUMA: Working with worms

Worms are a gardener's best friends. Learn how to put them to work for you at a free workshop Aug. 3 in Petaluma. Jen Roberts, of the Sonoma County Master Gardeners, will talk about how to set up a work composting operations, including the basics of creating a worm bin, what to feed the critters and how to care for them. 6 p.m. Petaluma Seed Bank, 199 Petaluma Blvd., N., Petaluma.

Compiled by Meg McConahey. Send 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.