Home & Garden Digest

Dec 07, 2023

Join fellow gardeners for a free monthly Santa Cruz Garden Exchange from 5-6 p.m. Tuesday in the parking lot of the Santa Cruz Live Oak Grange, 1900 17th Ave., Santa Cruz. Please park in the northern rows of the parking lot away from the building. Gardeners are welcome to bring anything from their garden including seeds, bulbs, succulents, houseplants, veggies, fresh flowers, informational material or any garden-related items to trade within your garden community. You do not need to bring something in order to participate and you must take back anything not given out. Marigolds, Cosmos, Favre, Sunflower, and many other seeds are available. Chicken manure is available upon request. Look for the Santa Cruz Garden Exchange on Facebook. For questions, call 831-515-7162 or email [email protected].

Gardeners and arborists take note. Rare, unusual, exotic fruit-producing plants will be available to the public for purchase from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at the Santa Cruz Live Oak Grange, 1900 17th Ave., Santa Cruz. Although the Fruit-a-Palooza sold out early, the vendor fair portion of the event will be open to the public all day, featuring a wide selection of hard-to-find semi-tropical spice and fruit-bearing shrubs and trees, medicinal plants and vegetable starts. The nurserymen and women themselves will be on hand to answer your questions and offer advice. Parking will be limited, so consider carpooling, and be sure to come early before the vendors sell out. For information, email [email protected].

Come pick and taste the best of what spring in Pajaro Valley has to offer at a local Organic Strawberry Patch and Farm Stand at Live Earth Farm, 1275 Green Valley Road, Watsonville. Spots are limited for two hours at 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Farm Discovery and Live Earth Farm are partnering to make this event fun, safe and sweet. Ticket purchases support Farm Discovery's farm-based nutrition, food systems and environmental education, as well as 2023's produce distribution program for our community in need and emotional sanctuary farm walks. No refunds. If you decide not to attend, your fee will be converted to a donation to support our education programs. To book tickets for U-Pick at Live Earth Farm, visit allevents.in/watsonville.

Join fellow community members from Catholic Community at Stanford from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday at Common Roots Farm, 301 Golf Club Drive, Santa Cruz, for a morning of volunteering. This opportunity is open to undergraduate and graduate students, young adults, and permanent community members. Work may include planting, harvesting, working soil, clearing beds, petting chickens, feeding sheep, or whatever needs to be done on the farm that day. The morning will begin at 9:30 a.m. and end around 12:30 p.m. We will provide lunch to those who wish to stay. We are unable to provide rides to the farm but will help volunteers coordinate carpooling. Additional details will be provided to those who sign up. For questions, email [email protected].

Public tours of the Santa Cruz Resource Recovery Facility will be offered at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. every Friday from June 16 through Aug. 25. Tours are limited to 20 people. Children must be at least 8 years old. Youth ages 8 to 18 must be accompanied by an adult. Carpooling is encouraged as parking is limited. Visitors will see what happens to the 30 tons to 50 tons of material that Santa Cruzians place into their blue recycle bins every single day. They will learn why it is important to "recycle right" and avoid "wish-cycling." Visitors will also see a mountain of scrap metal, learn about the facility's Household Hazardous Waste Program and see the Food Scrap Pre-Processor Machine. Pre-registration is required. No drop ins. For information, visit eventbrite.com.

Learn all about how to grow vegetables in containers with Master Gardener Laura Westley June 17 from 10:30 a.m. to noon at Martial Cottle Park in the UC Master Gardener Pavilion 5283 Snell Ave., San Jose. You will learn everything you need to know to have successful vegetable harvests from containers this summer. Do you feel limited by lack of space to grow the vegetables you love? Are you thinking of moving this summer but want to grow a garden anyway? Then this talk is for you! Discussion will include information on topics such as containers — size, material, color, soil, watering, and drainage, which plants work best, light requirements and location. It is recommended that visitors wear closed-toed shoes, layered clothing and a hat, as the class is held outside in our pavilion. A refillable water bottle, notebook and writing implements are handy. Please arrive 15 minutes early to allow time to park and sign in.

Registration is not required. Cost is free. Please note: the park charges $6 for parking. Or park closer to our parcel on Chynoweth Avenue near Vauxhall Circle for free. For information, http://mgsantaclara.ucanr.edu.

Learn about how to compost at home from 4-5 p.m. Thursday at the Los Gatos Library 100 Villa Ave. Los Gatos. Reduce your carbon footprint and recycle your waste by composting your organic waste at home. This workshop will focus on backyard composting of yard trimmings and food scraps. Finally, learn about compost application — your soil will thank you. To register, visit surveys.ucanr.edu.

The Garden Digest is compiled by Jesselyn Rego. To submit items for the calendar including events, meetings, resources, or anything garden related, email [email protected].

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