Whether you’re looking to tour a historic garden, learn some gardening skills or explore local flora and fauna, you’ll find plenty of opportunities on the Peninsula. Check out our November home & garden events calendar.
Learn edible gardening techniques from Loreta O’Brien. Photo courtesy Getty Images.
Fall & winter edible gardening webinar
6-7 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 6 | Zoom | Free | Registration required
Join the City of Palo Alto for a one-hour class on growing a thriving vegetable garden while conserving water. Instructor Loretta O’Brien will share tips on starting from seed, building healthy soil with compost and cover crops, and mastering smart, organic watering techniques.
Seeds in envelopes. Photo courtesy Getty Images.
Seed & cutting exchange
1- 3 p.m., Nov. 8 | Peninsula Conservation Center, 3921 E. Bayshore Road, Palo Alto | Free | Information
Have native plant cuttings to share? Or looking for new ones to grow?
Join fellow gardeners at the Native Seed and Cutting Exchange, hosted by the California Native Plant Society’s Santa Clara Valley Chapter Wildflower Ambassadors. Trade your extra native plants and seeds, browse a diverse selection ranging from easy-to-grow favorites to rare finds, and take home new additions for your garden. Coin envelopes will be provided for seeds, but bring your own containers for cuttings. If you’re contributing from your garden, label your cuttings clearly and keep them cool and moist in a bucket of water for easy sharing.
No cuttings to bring? No problem — there’s usually plenty to go around.
A man tends to flowering plants and shrubs in his garden. Photo courtesy Getty Images.
Landscaping basics
11 a.m. to noon, Saturday, Nov. 8 | Mountain View Public Library, 585 Franklin St., Mountain View | Free | Registration recommended
Thinking of upgrading a garden space or replacing your entire yard? Now is a good time to start planning. This presentation will provide the basic information you need for success whether you design and do it yourself or hire someone else.
Roaming slugs glow on the hillside at Filoli during its second annual Nightfall. Photo by Linda Taaffe.
Final days of ‘Nightfall’
Daily, now- Nov. 10 | Filoli, 86 Cañada Road, Woodside | $45-$49 adult, $35-$39 children | Tickets and information.
Explore Filoli after dark during its annual “Nightfall,” when the 16-acre estate and mansion are transformed into a haunting wonderland. Guests can tour the home, which is decked out in eerie decor, or wander the woods behind the house where dozens of scarecrows, trolls, roaming slugs, glowing mushrooms and other surprises await.
A botanical bas-relief made with wildflowers. Photo courtesy Getty Images.
Botanical Bas-Relief
10 a.m. to noon, Thursday, Nov. 13 | Gamble Garden, 1431 Waverley St., Palo Alto | $88 members, $110 non-members | Registration required
Learn the ancient art of plaster bas-relief in this two-hour hands-on workshop at Gamble Garden. Using white clay, plaster and garden foliage, participants will create a botanical plaster tile. Bas-relief, an art form dating back to ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, Greece and Rome, uses subtle raised forms to give a three-dimensional effect. While your plaster cures, you’ll also craft a botanical print greeting card to take home.
All materials are provided. No experience necessary. Ages 13 and up.
Seeds for sale in a market. Photo courtesy Getty Images.
‘Unlocking the Mysteries of Seed Catalogs’
1:30 – 2:30 p.m, Sunday, Nov. 16 | Rinconada Library, 1213 Newell Road, Palo Alto | Free | Information
Do you love to look at seed catalogs but wonder if you’ll really be able to grow plants from seed? Do you stare at the seed rack in your local nursery puzzling through which variety to plant? Join UC Master Gardener Sharon Erickson for a lively discussion of the terminology used in seed catalogs and on seed packets.
Every year, Woodside’s Filoli estate is decked out in lights and decor for the holidays. Courtesy Gino De Grandis Photography/Filoli.
Holidays at Filoli
10 a.m. – 9 p.m., daily, Nov. 22 – Jan. 11 | Filoli Historic House & Garden, 86 Cañada Road, Woodside | Tickets required. Prices vary.
Celebrate the holiday season at the historic Filoli estate. Holidays at Filoli, which kicks off on Nov. 22, transforms the historic estate into a wonderland of breathtaking beauty and festive delight. Day and night, there’s something magical for everyone at Filoli. During the day, take a gilded journey through the elegantly decorated house and garden and explore Thistlewyck, an enchanting village in the Redwoods. At night, immerse yourself in the glowing wonder of Holiday Lights.
See Filoli’s calendar of holiday events.
Join docent naturalists on a hike through Picchetti Ranch Preserve on Nov. 28. Photo courtesy Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District.
‘Throw Off That Turkey Torpor!’ hike
10 a.m. – 1:30 p.m., Friday, Nov. 28 | Picchetti Ranch Preserve, 13100 Montebello Road, Cupertino | Free | Information
The weather is cooling and the rainy season is here. Observe the effects of the changing season on a wide variety of plant communities with Docent Naturalists Martin Manley, Dave Kocsis and Linda Smith on this moderately-paced, 4.5-mile hike along the Zinfandel and Orchard Loop trails. If the weather allows, you’ll take a lunch break at the picnic tables by Stevens Creek. At the end of the hike, you’ll have the option for a little wine tasting at Picchetti Winery on your own. Please note that this hike will go ahead in light or moderate rain— it can be a wonderful time to explore if you have appropriate raingear. Meet at the preserve parking lot on Montebello Road.
Most Popular
Comments are closed.