2024
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.