San Diego Spring Home/Garden Show: The 25th annual spring show returns with hundreds of exhibitors, display gardens, plant sales, 20 garden masters offering lectures and advice and more from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday at the Del Mar Fairgrounds, 2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd., Del Mar. Tickets are $8 for general admission and free for children under 12. Seniors get in for $1 on Friday only. Visit springhomegardenshow.com.
Anza-Borrego plant show: The Anza-Borrego Desert Natural History Association hosts its annual Native Plant Show & Sale from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at the Borrego Desert Nature Center, 652 Palm Canyon Drive. A native plant landscaper will answer gardening questions, and there will be a succulent workshop, lecture on medicinal and ceremonial plants and a basket-weaving demonstration. Call 760-767-3098.
Smoke alarm installations: The Burn Institute's Senior Smoke Alarm program offers free smoke alarms and LED nightlights (and free installation) for San Diego County seniors on a first-come, first-served basis. The next installation day is March 20. Register to Gwen Lammers at 858-541-2277, ext. 13, e-mail glammers@burninstitute.org or visit www.burninstitute.org.
Oceanside Green Week: The city of Oceanside will host its second Green Week and Green Fair on Monday through March 13. Free events include a film festival, green storytime at the library, a beach cleanup, e-waste collection and Green Fair at the beach amphitheater. The film festival is 6 to 9 p.m. Tuesday at the Oceanside Civic Center Community Rooms; the Green Fair is from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. March 13 and features environmental booths, food, demonstrations and more; the e-waste dropoff is also from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. March 13 in Betty's parking lot, next to the fair; and the beach cleanup is 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. March 13 on the south side of the Oceanside Pier. Go to www.ci.oceanside.ca.us or call 760-435-5021.
Free catalog: Elitecrete.com is offering a free 2010 Decorative Concrete and Custom Flooring catalog for a limited time. Go to elitecrete.com or call 888-323-4445.
Less guesswork: The Water Conservation Garden in San Diego is offering a full-color plant list with photos called "Nifty 50: Plants for Water Smart Landscapes," which offers gardeners an easy way to select drought-tolerant plants. Each listed plant is attractive, often available in nurseries, noninvasive, easy to maintain and drought-tolerant. Free copies are available at the garden; the list is also online at www.thegarden.org.
Water-smart topiary debuts: The San Diego Botanic Garden in Encinitas and succulent artist Margaret Jones have replanted the Dorothea into a water-smart topiary, using plant cuttings to mimic a lifesize woman. The topiary, formerly constructed of ivy, is now made of water-saving plants such as echeverias, graptopetalums, crassulas and sedums; go to sdbgarden.org.
Herb Festival & Tomatomania: The San Diego Botanic Garden presents its annual Herb Festival, Spring Plant Sale, and Tomatomania event from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. March 20 and 21 at 230 Quail Gardens Drive in Encinitas. James Duke, author of "The Green Pharmacy Guide to Healing Foods: Proven Natural Remedies to Treat and Prevent More than 80 Common Health Concerns," will be the guest at this year's festival. He will give a presentation each day and will sign copies of his book. There will also be guided tours of the herb garden, speakers on garden and herb-related topics, the Herb Festival Marketplace, the A-Z of Herbs information booths, and the SDBG Spring Plant Sale. Back by popular demand is Tomatomania with lectures and plenty of hybrid tomato seedlings. Children's activities will focus on dill, the Herb of the Year. Call 760-436-3036, ext. 206, or visit SDBGarden.org.
Julian Daffodil Show: Julian hosts its annual "Daffodil Lovers" show, featuring floral displays, judging and National Daffodil Society experts on hand for questions from noon to 5 p.m. March 20 and 21 at Julian Town Hall, 2129 Main St. and the Blue Heron Garden Show at 2116 Third St.
Easter lily display: The Botanical Building in San Diego's Balboa Park hosts its 51st annual display of Easter lilies from March 26 through April 21. More than 300 fragrant lilies will be installed inside the wood-lattice nursery building, which is from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Fridays through Wednesdays (closed Thursdays and holidays). Free; go to balboapark.org.
Gardening seminar: The Spring Home Gardening Seminar, sponsored by San Diego's Master Gardener Association, will return March 27 to UC San Diego's campus in La Jolla. The 20th anniversary event will feature 27 classes on everything from alstroemerias to xeriscape design. There will also be an expanded Seminar Market Place with plants for purchase, birdhouses, seedlings, note cards and more. Attendees choose from classes in three sessions; cost is $20 for one class, $35 for two and $45 for three, and early registration is recommended. Go to www.mastergardenerssandiego.org or call 858-694-2860.
Floral design demonstration: Award-winning floral designer Rene van Rems will demonstrate ornamental plant history and style from the Victorian era, the Kennedy years and today from 10:30 a.m. to noon March 27 at the Maritime Museum of San Diego, 1492 N. Harbor Drive. Van Rems will focus on California floriculture and how some nonnative plants made it here. Tickets are $20 and include admission to the museum; go to sdmaritime.org or call 619-234-9153, ext. 101.
E-waste cleaning: The Solana Center for Environmental Innovation will host a free spring cleaning of electronic waste at 137 N. El Camino Real in Encinitas. The event is sponsored by the city of Encinitas and Recycle San Diego; TVs, computers and most small electronics are accepted. Items not accepted include large appliances, batteries, CFL light bulbs and household hazardous waste. Go to www.solanacenter.org or call 760-436-7986, ext. 217.
SOHO documentary premiere: San Diego's Save Our Heritage Organization will mark its 40th anniversary with the premiere of Dan Soderbergh's film documentary on the group's history from 1969 to 2009. The film will be screened at 6 p.m. March 29 at the Old Town Theatre, 4040 Twiggs St., San Diego. The 65-minute film features an interview with former San Diego artist Robert Miles Parker, who started the group in an effort to save the 1887 Victorian Sherman-Gilbert House. The documentary traces how the group played a pivotal role in saving and helping to restore local architectural icons such as the Santa Fe Depot in San Diego, the Hotel del Coronado, the Horton Plaza park and fountain, Balboa Theatre and Villa Montezuma, as well as its failure to save the Klauber House near Balboa Park and the Green Dragon Colony in La Jolla. Tickets are $20 ($15 for SOHO members). Admission includes a wine-and-cheese reception. Call 619-297-9327 or sohosandiego.org.
Cutting sale: The Southern California Plumeria Society will host its annual cutting sale from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 3 and 4 at Casa del Prado, Room 101, in Balboa Park. Plumeria cuttings will be for purchase at the free event, and members will demonstrate how to plant them; sale also includes culture books and other plumeria items. Go to www.socalplumeriasociety.com or call 619-461-5942.
Earth Day program at Alta Vista Gardens: The 13-acre hilltop garden will host an Earth Day program from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 24, featuring vendor booths, guest speakers, children's activities and tours. The gardens are in Brengle Terrace Park, 1200 Vale Terrace Drive, Vista. Admission is free. Visit altavistagardens.org or call 760-945-3954.
Earth Day festival in Poway: The city of Poway Earth Day Festival and the Chamber of Commerce Spring Street Fair are combined this year and are from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 25. Applications are being accepted for the festival and are available at poway.com. Call 858-748-0016.
Fallbrook Garden Club 79th annual flower show: The club's "Fallbrook in Bloom" show runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 25 at the Elder House, 127 W. Elder St., Fallbrook. The public can submit entries for judging at 9 a.m. (no fruits or vegetables). Visit fallbrookgardenclub.org.
Helpline available: The Water Conservation Garden's Water Smart Pipeline is available to answer questions on how to garden in the water shortage. Gardening expert Nan Sterman will answer phone calls and return messages from 8:30 a.m. to noon Tuesdays and 1 to 4:30 p.m. Thursdays. E-mail pipeline@thegarden.org or call 866-962-7021.
Water-efficient garden open: Oasis Water Efficient Garden is now open at 10816 Reidy Canyon Trail in Escondido, next to Fentiman Farms. The garden specializes in cactuses and succulents, as well as other drought-tolerant materials. Oasis is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesdays-Saturdays and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays; e-mail atrevino@altmanplants.com or call 760-744-8191, ext. 3550.
Free workbook: The National Kitchen & Bath Association has created a free NKBA Kitchen & Bath Workbook for those interested in remodels or new construction. Order at nkba.org.
Got antiques?: The long-running PBS series "Antiques Roadshow" will be visiting San Diego in June as part of its six-city 2010 tour. Although the location has not been announced, the tour will stop in San Diego on June 12. Local residents can bring in their curios and collectibles for free appraisals that may be televised during the television series' 2011 season. Because demand always outstrips supply for tickets, PBS hosts a lottery system for tickets. The public can apply for tickets at any time until April 19 on the Roadshow Web site )www.pbs.org/wgbh/roadshow/tickets.html) or by phone at 888-762-3749. After the drawing, the winning names will be posted online in mid-May.
Home and garden tours
San Diego Horticultural Society's Encinitas Garden Tour & Garden Shopping Spree: The Society hosts a tour of four gardens in Olivenhain and Leucadia from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. March 13. Tour stops include an art-filled xeriscape garden and a garden made with recycled materials. Tour participants are also eligible for up to a 25 percent discount at 10 local nurseries and businesses. Tour tickets are $20 in advance ($15 for members; order at sdhortsoc.org) or $23 on the day of the tour at Grangetto's, 189 S. Rancho Santa Fe Road, Encinitas. Call 760-295-7089.
Historic Home Tour in 2010: Save Our Heritage Organization in San Diego is holding its 2010 Historic Home Tour on March 21. The tour includes five private homes on Seventh Avenue in San Diego that were designed and built between 1904 and 1913. Tickets are $30 in advance and $35 the day of the tour; there will also be a show and sale of antiques and new furnishings from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and a silent auction from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Call 619-297-9327 or go to sohosandiego.org.
"Gardens Within Gardens": The town council of Elfin Forest/Harmony Grove will host its 2010 Elfin Forest Garden Festival, called "Gardens Within Gardens," from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 3. Pick up tickets and maps the day of the event at Elfin Valley Nursery, 20110 Elfin Forest Lane; five gardens will be presented. Evelyn Alemanni will also be signing copies of her book, "America in Bloom: Best Ideas," and local vendors will be present. Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 the day of the event, with proceeds benefiting the Elfin Forest/Harmony Grove Town Council; go to www.elfinforestgardens.info.
Encinitas Garden Festival & Tour: The fifth annual Encinitas Garden Festival & Tour will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 17 in Leucadia. The event will include a self-guided walking tour of more than 20 private gardens, as well as a marketplace of vendors, artists, plant growers and more. Gardens on the tour include private greenhouses, the school garden at Paul Ecke Central, a drought-resistant garden at a fire station and more. Tickets are $21 in advance for adults and $7 for children ages 10 and under; if tickets are still available the day of the event, prices will increase to $25 and $10. Buy tickets after March 1 at www.encinitasgardenfestival.org, or in person at Anderson La Costa Nursery, Barrels and Branches or Weidner's Gardens. Parking is at San Dieguito Academy; call 760-753-8615.
Lake Hodges garden tour: The Lake Hodges Native Plant Club will host its 22nd annual spring garden tour on April 23, focusing on drought-tolerant and California-friendly plants, and featuring five gardens in Poway and Sabre Springs. Tickets are $15; vendors will also sell native and drought-tolerant plants and garden-themed items. Buy tickets at Walter Anderson Nursery and Poway Nursery in Poway, El Plantio Nursery in Escondido, and at the Escondido Historical Society Office, 321 N. Broadway (Grape Day Park). Tickets may also be purchased on tour day from 9 to 11 a.m., or send a stamped, self-addressed envelope to Donna Zimmer, 1428 Via Valente, Escondido, CA 92029 (make check payable to Lake Hodges Native Club). Go to www.lhnpc.org or call 858-486-8733.
Coronado historical home tour: The Coronado Historical Association will host "Historic Home Tour: The Winchester Legacy" from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 2. The tour will feature a walking tour of five historical homes and a renovated lodge; all but one home are Craftsman-era bungalows. Tickets are sold in advance; they are $30 when bought by April 20 and $35 after. Go to www.coronadohistory.org or call 619-435-7242.
Fallbrook Garden Club tour: The Fallbrook Garden Club will present its sixth annual garden tour from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. May 22. Seven gardens are included on the tour, from a Mediterranean botanical garden to a grape vineyard to a Victorian house and garden; vintage automobiles will also be on display at selected homes, as well as at the Fallbrook Historical Society. Tickets are $20 per person (two for $35) and are available the day of the event at 260 Rockycrest Road. Call 760-468-5842.
Meetings
American Begonia Society: The Mabel Corwin branch meets at 1:30 p.m. March 14 at the Olivenhain Meeting Hall, 423 Rancho Santa Fe Road in Encinitas. Jim Jaeger of the L.A. Fern Society will speak about ferns; attendees are asked to bring begonias and ferns. E-mail marybegonia@att.net or call 760-753-3977.
Buena Vista Audubon: Meets at 7 p.m. March 17 at the Nature Center, 2202 S. Coast Highway in Oceanside. The Rev. Don Baldwin will bring John Muir to life in a dramatic characterization; call 760-439-2473.
California Coastal Rose Society: Meets at 7 p.m. March 16 at Heritage Hall, 2650 Garfield Street in Carlsbad. Baldo Villegas will speak on "Garden Insects: Beneficials vs. Pests." At 6:15 p.m. Joel Ross will continue his rose-aholics lecture; go to californiacoastalrose.com.
Ramona Garden Club: Meets at noon Wednesday at the Ramona Woman's Club, 524 Main St. Marshall and Lucy Randol, owners of Randol Ridge Ranch, will talk about growing organic vegetables; go to www.ramonagardenclub.com or call 760-787-0087.
San Diego County Cymbidium Society: Meets at 7 p.m. March 17 at the Woman's Club of Carlsbad, 3320 Monroe St. Paul Tuskes will discuss "Encyclia, Where Did They Go? ---- Growth and Care." An orchid culture class precedes the meeting at 6:30 p.m.
San Diego Horticultural Society: Meets at 6:30 p.m. Monday at the Del Mar Fairgrounds, 2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd., Del Mar, at the Surfside Race Place. Pat Welsh will discuss "Growing Summer Vegetables the Organic Way." Cost to attend is $10 for non-members. Call 760-295-7089 or visit www.sdhortsoc.org.
Temecula Valley Rose Society: Meets at 10:15 a.m. March 18 at the Temecula Public Library Community Room, 30600 Pauba Road, Temecula. Bob Martin of the San Diego Rose Society will discuss "Weird Rose Science." Go to www.temeculavalleyrosesociety.org.
Vista Garden Club: Meets at noon Friday at the Gloria McClellan Senior Center, 1400 Vale Terrace Drive, Vista. Anne Linehan of Setting It in Stone will demonstrate making creative "drought tolerant" stepping stones and other garden accessories. Call 760-726-8737.
Classes
Anza-Borrego Foundation: The Anza-Borrego Foundation's Institute holds classes, educational hikes, driving tours and more; memberships in the foundation start at $25. Go to www.theabf.org/events or go to 760-767-4063.
-- 9 a.m. Sunday: Illustrated Nature Journaling; $45 ($35 for members)
-- 9 a.m. March 14: Boat Tour Through Picacho
Bates Nut Farm: The Valley Center farm and Susan Wingate of Earth Alliance will host a "Wonderful Worms Workshop" from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. March 20. Wingate will teach about recycling home and garden wastes through the use of worms, through a process called vermicomposting. The seminar is $45 and includes a picnic lunch, a starter box of worms and instructions on how to vermicompost. Go to www.batesnutfarm.biz or call 760-749-3333.
Bonsai workshop: Michelle Dougherty will lead a bonsai workshop at the San Marcos Senior Center, 111 Richmar Ave., at 9 a.m. Wednesday, March 17 and 24. The class will cover basics, including history, biology, watering, repotting, pest control and more. Call 760-233-5060.
California-Friendly Gardening Workshop: With the Santa Fe Irrigation District and the San Dieguito Water District, the Olivenhain Municipal Water District will host a free workshop on water-wise landscape design, low-water plants and low-water irrigation systems from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. March 13 at the San Diego Botanic Garden, 230 Quail Gardens Drive. Register at 760-632-4236.
Drought-tolerant plant event: Landscape designer Doug Kalal will present "30 Great Drought-Tolerant Plants for Your Garden" at 3 p.m. Saturday at the Solana Beach Public Library at Earl Warren Middle School, 157 Stevens Ave., Solana Beach. Kalal will also present the lecture at 6 p.m. March 16 at the San Marcos Public Library, 2 Civic Center Drive in San Marcos. The free 50-minute lecture will include photos, flowers, foliage and stories; go to www.sdgreatgardens.com or call 619-200-7066.
El Plantio Nursery: The Escondido nursery will host a series of free seminars at 1322 San Pasqual Valley Road. Go to www.elplantionursery.com or call 760-745-8736.
-- 1 p.m. March 20: Let's Talk Tomatoes (and Peppers) with Steve Goto
Grangetto's: Grangetto's Farm & Garden Supply in Escondido will host a free seminar on "Vineyard Installation and Management" at 9:30 a.m. March 13. Pete Anderson, vice president at Witch Creek Winery in Carlsbad, will cover vineyard trellising, design, pruning and irrigation. Grangetto's is at 1105 W. Mission Ave. in Escondido; go to www.grangettos.com or call 760-745-4671, ext. 215.
San Diego Botanic Garden: These classes are upcoming at the gardens, 230 Quail Gardens Drive in Encinitas. The gardens also have docent-led tours, 10 a.m. Saturdays (free with admission); botanical originals, 9:30 a.m. first Sunday of the month ($20); and bird watching, 8 a.m. first Monday of the month (free with admission). Children's activities are free with membership or admission and include Toddler Tales and Tunes (10 a.m. second, third, fourth and fifth Tuesdays); Garden Arts and Crafts (10 a.m. Wednesdays); Plants, Wings and Crawly Things (10 a.m. Thursdays); and Friday Fun (9 a.m. Fridays). Go to sdbgarden.org or call 760-436-3036, ext. 206.
-- 7 p.m. Monday: Bye Bye Grass! Part I; $45 members, $50 nonmembers
-- 9 a.m. March 13: California-Friendly Gardening Workshop; free
-- 1 p.m. March 13: Bye Bye Grass! Part II; $45 members, $50 nonmembers
-- 1:30 p.m. March 13: Cooking with the Opera Singing Chef ---- Slow Foods: For Every Meal There Is a Season; $25 members, $30 nonmembers
-- 2 p.m. March 14: Contemporary Floral Design; $25 members, $30 nonmembers (register by March 10)
-- 9 a.m. March 20 and 21: Herb Festival, Spring Plant Sale and Tomatomania; free with admission
-- 9:30 a.m. April 1: Lunch with Bunny (ages 2-6); $12 per member child, $17 per nonmember child
San Diego Natural History Museum: The museum will hold a series of lectures on sustainable food (lectures are $5), as well as food and gardening programs. Go to www.sdnhm.org/sustainableplanet:
-- 10 a.m. Saturday: Cooking for the Seasons ---- Spring; $25 members, $33 nonmembers
-- 6:30 p.m. Thursday: Start a Vegetable Garden From Seed; $25 members, $33 nonmembers
-- 6:30 p.m. March 16: Mushroom Cultivation ---- Gourmet and Medicinal Mushrooms; $15 members, $20 nonmembers
-- 6:30 p.m. March 18: Introduction to Sustainable Gardening Techniques; $25 members, $33 nonmembers
-- 6:30 p.m. April 15: Gardening to Save, Conserve and Harvest Rain Water; $25 members, $33 nonmembers
-- 6:30 p.m. May 4: Developing Sustainable Foodsheds: The Next Steps in Eating Local; $5
-- 6:30 p.m. May 20: Growing Food Not Grass ---- Workshop and Lunch (field trip 11 a.m. May 22); $35 members, $43 nonmembers
-- 8 a.m. May 22: Flavors of Guadalupe Valley (field trip); $85 members, $95 nonmembers
The Water Conservation Garden: Free classes are offered at the Water Conservation Garden, 12122 Cuyamaca College Drive West, El Cajon, to help residents save water (and money) with landscaping. Registration required; call 619-660-0614, ext. 10, or visit www.thegarden.org. Ask about stimulus pricing when making multiple reservations (same-household 2-for-1 pricing). The garden also offers Spanish-language tours by reservation at 619-985-8837; "Little Sprouts" play group meets at 10 a.m. the first Tuesday of the month, by reservation only ($5 per adult/child couple).
-- 9 a.m. Saturday: A New California Garden; $20 members, $30 nonmembers
-- 1:30 p.m. Sunday: Ask the Horticulturalist tour; free
-- 6:30 p.m. Thursday: Designing Landscapes With Native Plants; $20 members, $30 nonmembers
-- 10 a.m. March 13: Water Smart Edibles in Your Landscape; $20 members, $30 nonmembers
-- 2 p.m. March 13: Square Foot Gardening ---- Growing Vegetables the Organic Way; $20 members, $30 nonmembers
-- 9 a.m. March 20: Water Smart Plant Fair
-- 9:30 a.m. March 21: Special Access Tour; reserve to 619-660-6841
-- 6:30 p.m. March 30: Hillside Gardening; offered through Cuyamaca College for $25, call 619-660-4350 or go to www.cuyamaca.edu/preview
-- 10 a.m. April 3: Toss the Turf ---- Less Water, Less Grass, More Fun; $20 members, $30 nonmembers
-- 1:30 p.m. April 4: Ask the Horticulturalist tour; free
-- 5:30 p.m. April 8 and 22: Professional Landscape Design Consultations; $60 members, $75 nonmembers, call 619-660-0614 to reserve a spot
-- 10 a.m. April 10: Water Smart Landscape ---- Beautiful Landscape on a Low-Water Budget; $20 members, $30 nonmembers
-- 10 a.m. April 10: Home Compost Workshop; $10 members, $15 nonmembers
-- 10:30 a.m. April 17: Trees in the Water-Conserving Landscape; $20 members, $30 nonmembers
-- 9:30 a.m. April 18: Special Access Tour; reserve to 619-660-6841
-- 9 a.m. April 24: 17th annual Spring Garden Festival
Send Home & Garden items to home@nctimes.com or mail to Home & Garden editor Pam Kragen, North County Times, 207 E. Pennsylvania Ave., Escondido, fax to 760-745-3769.
