Sonoma County at play in the garden

Showcase your wild side

The National Wildlife Federation invites all outdoor lovers to submit photos that best illustrate the positive impact gardening has on wildlife with its inaugural Garden for Wildlife Photo Contest. Mid-summer is the perfect time to capture wildlife gardens at their peak. Beginning Sept. 10, you can upload videos on nwf.org in four contest categories:

People in the Wildlife Garden

Close-up Native Plants and their Wildlife Visitors

Wildlife Observed where People Live, Work and Play

Wildlife Garden Habitat Features and Landscapes

At the end of the contest period, a grand prize winner will be selected to receive a $1,000 cash prize and a winner from each category will receive a premium bird feeder and a copy of “Wildlife Gardening: Tips for four seasons”.

Additionally, the runner up to the grand prize recipient will win a $500 cash prize.

Healdsburg

Take a class on irises at ?Russian River Rose Company

Is your iris patch growing less and less each year? Now through October is a good time to rejuvenate these sleeping gems. The Russian River Rose Company is offering iris classes Aug. 18 and 19.

The garden and nursery will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. with hundreds of roses, irises and perennials for sale. Special iris demonstrations at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., 1685 Magnolia Ln., Healdsburg.

SEBASTOPOL

Free workshop on ?fall food gardening

August is the prime time to begin planting a garden to reap a good cool weather crop.

A free workshop today led by the Sonoma County Master Gardeners will delve into best practices for the west county food garden. The material will include integrated pest management, nutritious fall/winter gardens and the benefit of cover crops. 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Sebastopol Regional Library, 7140 Bodega Ave., Sebastopol. Ucanr.edu/sites/scmg

SANTA ROSA

Replace your thirsty lawn

Water hungry lawns can be replaced by low-maintenance gardens and a free workshop Aug. 11 will teach you how to make the transition.

Linda King will lead the class. She has been a master gardener for 17 years and a landscape designer for 12 years, specializing in creating colorful and texture-rich gardens that thrive in our dry climate. 10:30 a.m. to noon, 1717 Yulupa Ave., Santa Rosa. 707-845-3355.

SANTA ROSA

Longtime orchid grower to speak

Ken Jacobsen will be the presenter at the Sonoma County Orchid Society’s meeting Aug. 14.

He will talk about the recent AOS Cymbidium Awards. Jacobsen was first introduced to orchids in the 1960s and has been growing Cymbidiums for more than 40 years.

His collection now numbers over 2,500 Cymbidiums, and some 4,500 of the other genera. 6:30 p.m., Santa Rosa Veterans Memorial Building, 1351 Maple Ave., Santa Rosa.

You can send Home and Garden news to Staff Writer Peg Melnik at peg.melnik@pressdemocrat.com. Send items at least three weeks in advance of your event.