2025
HELP BEAUTIFY CENTRAL PARK'S ROSE GARDEN SATURDAY - March 8, 2025. 10:00 am - 12:00 noon
FREE!
Registration requested. Use the button below or call 650-579-0536x3
The Arboretum Society needs energetic volunteers to spread compost and mulch in the Rose Garden at Central Park. Bring thick gloves.
Location: Central Park Rose Garden - meet at the gazebo. Children ages 13-17 welcome with an accompanying adult. All volunteers are required to sign a City of San Mateo Volunteer Release and Waiver of Liability.
Registration requested. Use the button below or call 650-579-0536x3
The Arboretum Society needs energetic volunteers to spread compost and mulch in the Rose Garden at Central Park. Bring thick gloves.
Location: Central Park Rose Garden - meet at the gazebo. Children ages 13-17 welcome with an accompanying adult. All volunteers are required to sign a City of San Mateo Volunteer Release and Waiver of Liability.
DOG FRIENDLY NATIVE GARDENS SUNDAY - March 2, 2025 1:00 - 2:30 pm
FREE! In person and via Zoom
Registration required. Use the buttons below or call 650-579-0536x3
Do you dream of starting a native garden but worry that your dogs won’t have a place to run, rest or do their business? Wondering which plants are most dog friendly, and how you can discourage digging up your new plantings? Join us for a lively conversation about dog friendly gardening, and learn about the ways that you and your dog can enjoy a lush and biodiverse garden together. During this talk, we will explore how to
Registration required. Use the buttons below or call 650-579-0536x3
Do you dream of starting a native garden but worry that your dogs won’t have a place to run, rest or do their business? Wondering which plants are most dog friendly, and how you can discourage digging up your new plantings? Join us for a lively conversation about dog friendly gardening, and learn about the ways that you and your dog can enjoy a lush and biodiverse garden together. During this talk, we will explore how to
- Incorporate your dogs’ instinctive habits into your garden design
- Choose resilient plants that bounce back if stepped on
- Avoid plants that are toxic to dogs (native and non-native list included)
- Select dog friendly native grasses, and learn which ones to avoid
- Protect new plants from damage
- Include natives with fragrant foliage that can perfume your pup
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Presenter: Jennifer Dirking
Jennifer has been an organic gardener for over 40 years, but only recently, in 2021, transformed her garden from a food desert to a habitat oasis in her suburban San Carlos neighborhood. Inspired by Doug Tallamy’s “Nature’s Best Hope,” she has reached beyond her garden fence to develop partnerships and inspire hundreds of others throughout the Bay Area to begin their own native gardening journey. She is currently the Chair of the Wildflower Ambassador program at the California Native Plant Society Santa Clara Valley Chapter, co-administrator of the Native Plant Resource Teams, and moderator for the Nextdoor group ‘Bring Back Bay Area Bees, Butterflies and Birds” https://nextdoor.com/g/7zda4zk0b/ |
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WELCOME SPRING WITH COLORFUL CONTAINERS
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SUNDAY - February 2, 2025
1:00 - 2:30 pm |
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FREE! In person and via Zoom
Registration required. Use the buttons below or call 650-579-0536x3 Create beautiful containers that will last the entire season. Learn the guidelines for container gardening success. Review plant choices and color combinations for all situations. Get inspired then go plant! Presenter: Laurel Nagle Laurel has been in the container gardening business for over 10 years. She owns Every Bloomin' Thing, a service that creates seasonal containers 4 times a year for businesses and homes. A Master Gardener since 2009, she has lectured on ornamental and edible container gardening in San Mateo and San Francisco. The In-Person class is fully booked. To join the waitlist, please register for the Zoom session. We will notify you if there are any cancellations. |
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HELP PRUNE CENTRAL PARK'S ROSE GARDEN SATURDAY - January 11, 2025
Come to learn or share your expertise on how to prune roses. This is a free event in which you will contribute to the beautification of San Mateo’s beloved rose garden. No experience is necessary. Volunteers from the San Mateo Arboretum Society will be on hand to instruct beginners. Light refreshments will be provided. Dress warmly and bring pruning shears and gloves (preferably long gauntlet type).
Location: Central Park Rose Garden - meet at the gazebo.
Children ages 13 - 17 welcome with accompanying adults.
All volunteers are required to sign a City of San Mateo Volunteer Release and Waiver of Liability.
Location: Central Park Rose Garden - meet at the gazebo.
Children ages 13 - 17 welcome with accompanying adults.
All volunteers are required to sign a City of San Mateo Volunteer Release and Waiver of Liability.
ROSE GARDENING QUESTION & ANSWER
SATURDAY - January 4, 2025
1:00 - 2:30 pm
via ZOOM. FREE!
Registration required. Use the button below or call 650-579-0536x3
SATURDAY - January 4, 2025
1:00 - 2:30 pm
via ZOOM. FREE!
Registration required. Use the button below or call 650-579-0536x3
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Archana Singh, Arboretum Society Rose Garden volunteer, will answer your questions on rose growing and provide insights into rose care, maintenance, winter pruning, fertilization, pest and disease management. Following a brief overview, the session will focus on question and answers giving you the opportunity to clarify doubts, share experiences, and seek solutions to rose problems.
Send in questions ahead of the session to [email protected]. Archana Singh is a San Mateo Arboretum Society Rose Garden Volunteer and has been growing roses for over 25 years. Her small garden is filled with 75 roses and more than a 150 different types of plants selected to attract birds, butterflies, bees and other pollinators. She believes in a no-nonsense approach to rose gardening and loves to share her passion with anyone willing to listen! |
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ROSE PRUNING AND WINTER CARE WORKSHOP
SUNDAY - January 5, 2025 1:00 - 3:00 pm (End time extended by half an hour from 2:30 to 3:00) |
In Person.
Fee: SMAS members: $25. Nonmembers: $35. The fee includes one rose bush to prune and take home. Registration required. Use the button below or call 650-579-0536x3 |
In this hands-on workshop, you learn how to shape roses and care for them to encourage profuse flowering in spring. You will prune a container rose under the guidance of Arboretum Society Rose Garden volunteer and Lead Instructor, Archana Singh. The session is intended to be personalized and you will have the opportunity to ask questions and clarify doubts. The workshop is open to people of all experience levels - from beginner rose gardener to expert. Bring pruning shears and gloves (preferably long gauntlet type).
Archana Singh is a San Mateo Arboretum Society Rose Garden Volunteer and has been growing roses for over 25 years. Her small garden is filled with 75 roses and more than a 150 different types of plants selected to attract birds, butterflies, bees and other pollinators. She believes in a no-nonsense approach to rose gardening and loves to share her passion with anyone willing to listen!
Archana Singh is a San Mateo Arboretum Society Rose Garden Volunteer and has been growing roses for over 25 years. Her small garden is filled with 75 roses and more than a 150 different types of plants selected to attract birds, butterflies, bees and other pollinators. She believes in a no-nonsense approach to rose gardening and loves to share her passion with anyone willing to listen!
2024
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HOLIDAY WREATH WORKSHOP
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SUNDAY - December 1, 2024
11:00 am - 1:00 pm (In Person); 11:00 am - noon (Zoom) |
Limited to 15 In-Person and 15 Zoom attendees.
Fee: SMAS members: $35/wreath; nonmembers: $45/wreath.
Registration required. Use the buttons below or call 650-579-0536x3
Use your imagination to create a one-of-a-kind beautiful wreath. We will provide a variety of fresh greens from San Mateo Central Park and all the supplies (frame, ribbon, wire & embellishments) needed to create your wreath. All you need to bring are pruning sheers and gloves. Zoom participants will be emailed dates & times when supplies can be picked up at the San Mateo Arboretum Society.
Fee: SMAS members: $35/wreath; nonmembers: $45/wreath.
Registration required. Use the buttons below or call 650-579-0536x3
Use your imagination to create a one-of-a-kind beautiful wreath. We will provide a variety of fresh greens from San Mateo Central Park and all the supplies (frame, ribbon, wire & embellishments) needed to create your wreath. All you need to bring are pruning sheers and gloves. Zoom participants will be emailed dates & times when supplies can be picked up at the San Mateo Arboretum Society.
PLAN YOUR HOLIDAY WREATH WORKSHOP! - FULLY BOOKED
Fee for 10 people or less is $450; $45 for each additional attendee. Minimum number of attendees is 10 and maximum is 15.
Fees include a variety of fresh greens from San Mateo Central Park, the supplies (frame, ribbon, wire & embellishments) needed to create your wreath and refreshments. All you need to provide are pruning sheers and gloves.
To schedule or for more information, email [email protected] or call 650-579-0536 x3.
Fees include a variety of fresh greens from San Mateo Central Park, the supplies (frame, ribbon, wire & embellishments) needed to create your wreath and refreshments. All you need to provide are pruning sheers and gloves.
To schedule or for more information, email [email protected] or call 650-579-0536 x3.
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QUICK INTRODUCTION TO IKEBANA DESIGN
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SUNDAY - November 3, 2024; 1 - 2:30 pm
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From this talk and demonstration, you will get an overview of basic ikebana design principles and techniques. Tips on proportion, line, and mass will be useful to anyone who enjoys arranging floral materials in any style; and it’s a great introduction for someone contemplating further study of ikebana flower arranging.
Presenter: Nancy "Sorin" LockeWith more than 30 years of ikebana experience, Nancy “Sorin” Locke has earned advanced teaching certificates from two schools of ikebana — Sogetsu and Wafu – giving her a strong background in contemporary design theory and technique. She holds the Jonin Somu rank in Sogetsu School of Ikebana. Combining her expertise in ikebana design with her enjoyment of horticulture and gardening, she inspires her students to create beautiful fresh arrangements and to see floral materials with “fresh eyes.” |
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SUCCULENT TOPPED PUMPKIN WORKSHOP
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SUNDAY - October 6, 2024
1 - 3:00 pm (In Person); 1 - 2:00 pm (Zoom) |
Limited to 15 In-Person and 10 Zoom attendees.
Fee: SMAS members: $25/pumpkin; nonmembers: $35/pumpkin.
Registration required. Use the buttons below or call 650-579-0536x3
Fee: SMAS members: $25/pumpkin; nonmembers: $35/pumpkin.
Registration required. Use the buttons below or call 650-579-0536x3
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In this workshop, Arboretum volunteer, Cathy, will show you how to make a unique decoration to celebrate the Fall Season. You purchase a 6-8 inch wide pumpkin & we will supply you with all the materials you need to decorate your pumpkin. Those viewing on Zoom will be emailed dates & times when kits can be picked up at the SMAS. Fantasy pumpkins, aka Cinderella, last a lot longer than a traditional carving pumpkin and have a flat top.
Instructor: Cathy Cathy has been working with a small group of SMAS volunteers to make succulent topped pumpkins for the last three years to sell in the nursery. Last year Cathy taught many of our new volunteers how to make mini succulent topped pumpkins. Cathy’s hobbies & interests (not in any order of preference) include ceramics, beading, sewing, crochet, upholstery, gardening, swimming, bowling and walking her Bichon Bolo's. She is also on her second three year term on the SMAS Board of Directors and is the SMAS Treasurer. |
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GERANIACEAE - THE EXCITING WORLD OF GERANIUMS AND PELARGONIUMS
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SUNDAY - September 08, 2024, 1 - 2:30 pm
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What is the difference between a pelargonium and a geranium? Would you like to know which plants to choose for your garden, the best soil, how to water, when to fertilize and prune, their pests and diseases and how to propagate? The talk will be illustrated with photos of new and enticing plants.
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Presenter: Robin Parer
Robin Parer is an Australian born horticulturist who lectures frequently to garden groups and societies throughout the United States. Over a long career she has appeared in numerous magazines and newspapers and has written many articles on the Geranium Family. She has written 'A Plant Lovers Guide to Hardy Geraniums' which was published by Timber Press in 2016. Robin has owned and operated Geraniaceae Nursery (www.geraniaceae.com) in Marin County for the past forty years, and has collected and propagated over 500 geranium species. She also has a large collection of erodium species, scented leaf pelargoniums, Martha Washington (Regal) pelargoniums, angel and pansy face pelargoniums and pelargonium species from Southern Africa. She has traveled widely, collecting both in the field, and from nurseries in the U.K., Europe, South America, Southern Africa and Australasia. She has received an Annual Award from The California Horticultural Society for Outstanding and Meritorious Contributions to Horticulture in California. Listen to the podcast by Topher Delaney: Garden The Knowledge • A podcast on Spotify for Podcasters, April 10, 2024 |
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HOW CLIMATE CHANGE IS CHANGING OUR PLANTS
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SUNDAY - August 04, 2024, 1 - 2:30 pm
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It has become obvious that our current land management practices are ineffective in sustaining the plants and animals that sustain us. Recent research has shown that 41 percent of the world’s insect population is in decline. Fewer insects would be devastating to amphibians, birds, fish, and reptiles that need these insects as a food supply. With global warming added to this scenario, it is like pouring gas on an already raging fire. In this seminar I will explore how the plants and birds are reacting to heterogeneous climate change and how we can modify this trend one garden at a time.
Instructor: Frank Niccoli
Frank Niccoli has been a gardener for over 50 years. He was seven when his grandmother taught him the magic in seeds. He has a degree in horticulture having studied at the Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo and at the College of San Mateo and also has a degree in Business Psychology and is an instructor in the Environmental Horticulture Dept at Foothill College. He is the past president of the founding chapter of the California Landscape Contractors Association and served on the Board for the Association of Professional Landscape Designers.
Frank Niccoli has been a gardener for over 50 years. He was seven when his grandmother taught him the magic in seeds. He has a degree in horticulture having studied at the Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo and at the College of San Mateo and also has a degree in Business Psychology and is an instructor in the Environmental Horticulture Dept at Foothill College. He is the past president of the founding chapter of the California Landscape Contractors Association and served on the Board for the Association of Professional Landscape Designers.
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CALIFORNIA NATIVE GARDENING FOR YEAR ROUND INTEREST AND COLOR
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SUNDAY - July 07, 2024, 1 - 2:30 pm
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California is one of the most biodiverse places on earth, and has an amazing array of plants that thrive in our gardens. By learning the seasonal rhythms of your own area, and the unique charms of the plants that grow naturally there, you can enjoy a bounty of bloom, berry and bark throughout the year. In the process, you’ll save water and enjoy a lush landscape that feeds local ecosystems. Attendees will receive a free packet of California native wildflowers with a long bloom season to try out in their own gardens.
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Instructor: Jennifer Dirking
Jennifer Dirking has been an organic gardener for over 40 years, but only recently transformed her garden from a food desert to a habitat oasis in her suburban San Carlos neighborhood. Inspired by Doug Tallamy’s “Nature’s Best Hope,” (https://bit.ly/Tallamy-CA-Plants) she has reached beyond her garden fence to develop partnerships and inspire hundreds of others throughout the Bay Area to begin their own native gardening journey. Her simple tactics involving free wildflower seeds and promotion via social media provide a model for other individuals and organizations that want to reach further into their communities as well. She is currently the Chair of the Wildflower Ambassador program at the CNPS-Santa Clara Valley Chapter. This group of 40 volunteers has distributed over four thousand native wildflower seed packets with informational handouts to date. Jennifer is also co-administrator of the Native Plant Resource Teams, a program of the Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour. |
All photos: Jennifer Dirking
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2016
2017
2018
Succulents |
Birdhouse Workshop |
Spring Fairy Garden Workshop |
Pumpkin Workshop |
APRIL 2019 FAIRY TALES
Spring Fairy Garden Workshop with Carrie Ewing
Creative fairy gardens created for those who believe.
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The hat set the tone for the workshop.
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"Fun & creative! Great supplies." Hanna
"So many accoutrements! Loved it - so much fun!" Cathy
"It was a lot of fun and lots to choose from." Delaney & Jack
"Everyone is so pleasant, informative, and helpful." Kelly
"So fun and imaginative." Wendy
"So many accoutrements! Loved it - so much fun!" Cathy
"It was a lot of fun and lots to choose from." Delaney & Jack
"Everyone is so pleasant, informative, and helpful." Kelly
"So fun and imaginative." Wendy
December 8th - Wreath Workshop
Greens, frame and ribbon will be supplied. Bring your imagination, pruning shears & gloves. By using colorful greens and cuttings from San Mateo Central Park, you will be able to create a one-of-a-kind beautiful wreath. This is a family activity, children ages 5 - 12 with accompanying adult. Reservations are required.
