Willowside School is back in business for fall planting

SANTA ROSA

School nursery ?open for business

The plucky little nursery at Willowside School is back in business in time for fall planting with the next open day on Sept. 21, rain or shine.

The nursery features thousands of plants, from low-water and drought-tolerant perennials and California natives, to a multitude of succulents, grasses, salvias and Japanese maples. 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. 6299 Hall Road, Santa Rosa. 707-569-4724.

GLEN ELLEN

Medicinal walk for plants with healing properties

Learn about plants with healing properties during a Medicinal Plant Walk Sunday at Quarryhill Botanical Garden. Experts leading the stroll are author/grower Peggy Schafer of the Chinese Medicinal Herb Farm in Petaluma and Sean Fannin, a Chinese medicine practitioner. They will help you identify plants in the Quarryhill main garden that have health benefits in traditional Chinese medicine. Schafer is the author of “The Chinese Medicinal Herb Farm: A Cultivator’s Guide to Small Scale Organic Herb Production,” and a frequent lecturer at colleges of Oriental medicine. $20, $15 for garden members. To register in advance visit quarryhillbg.org/medicinalplantwalk.html. 10 a.m. to noon, Quarryhill Botanical Garden, 12841 Highway 12, Glen Ellen, 707-996-3166.

SANTA ROSA

Garden Club to help you find if you are fire safe

The Santa Rosa Garden Club will present a workshop on wildfire protection Sept. 23. The presentation will cover common sense tips to make your property a “defensible space” to minimize the chance of wildfires spreading through the landscape and burning your home. The Master Gardener leading the workshop is Dennis Przybycien. He has a degree in chemistry and has worked for 35 years as a research chemist. There is a guest fee of $5 for this workshop. 1 p.m. Luther Burbank Art and Garden Center, 2050 Yulupa, Santa Rosa, santarosagardenclub.com.

SANTA ROSA

Discover: Is your garden a butterfly magnet?

Butterfly expert Suzanne Clarke will give a free lecture on Thursday on behalf of the Redwood Empire Rose Society. The lecture will be on the “Transformation of an Urban Garden into a Wildfire Sustainable Habitat.” Clarke is a Master Gardener and a member of the Santa Rosa and Petaluma Garden Clubs. Everyone is invited to explore the garden at 2050 Yulupa Ave., maintained by the rose society and open to the public. 7 p.m., Redwood Empire Rose Society, 2050 Yulupa Ave., Santa Rosa, ruthbrowning@sbcglobal.net, 707-794-7313.

SANTA ROSA

Program trains attendees ?to be Master Gardeners

The US Master Gardener Program of Sonoma County is accepting applications for the Class of 2020. Applicants can apply online at ucanr.edu. Deadline for the application is Sept. 23. Applicants must attend an orientation Oct. 7, from 6 to 8 p.m., or Oct. 8, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., at the Luther Burbank Art & Garden Center, 2050 Yulupa Ave., Santa Rosa. Master Gardener Trainees are taught about plant science and horticulture. Each trainee receives the California Master Gardener Handbook, among other publications.

KENWOOD

Garden party to celebrate fall at Wildwood Nursery

Wildwood Nursery is hosting a garden party Saturday to celebrate the start of the fall planting season. The free event will offer food, drink, music and butterfly sitings as well as special prices on plants.

The nursery has an extensive display garden with Japanese maples, dogwoods, ginkgos and habitat plants. Noon to 4 p.m., 10300 Sonoma Highway, Kenwood, wildwoodmaples.com, 707-833-1161.

SANTA ROSA

Planting winter crops is easy with help from the experts

Another potential planting season is upon us.

If you’re eager to get a winter crop going, the Sonoma County Master Gardeners will show you how during a free workshop on Saturday.

Specially trained in food production, these experts will cover the gamut of fall/winter gardens, from options for planting beds and where to put your garden, to compost and mulch, crop selection and planning, irrigation, maintenance, pest control, harvesting and cover crops.

The workshop includes handouts on planting dates for fall and overwintering crops, a sample garden layout and suggested vegetable varieties for Sonoma County. 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Sonoma Valley Regional Library, 755 West Napa St., Sonoma.

The workshop will be repeated on Sept. 21 at the same time of day at the Rincon Valley Library, 6959 Montecito Blvd., Santa Rosa. Sonomamg.ucanr.edu.

Send Home and Garden news to peg.melnik@pressdemocrat.com. Send email at least three weeks in advance of an event.