Habitat Design Holiday Pop Up Shop
Looking for some great holiday gifts??? If you’re in Sonoma or just feel like being there, come join us for our 1st Pop Up Shop of the holiday Season. BIG SAVINGS – we promise:)
- WHERE: 514 Donald Drive, Sonoma, CA. Map it
- WHEN: This Friday and Saturday (Dec 7th & 8th, 2012)
- TIMES: 10AM- 5PM (NO early birds, puleassse)
Fun Things to Do After Thanksgiving
After you’re done with the Turkey stuffing (I’m not talking bread-stuff), there are some fun things happening around the Bay Area:
- Photo via http://mag.amazing-kids.org
Holiday Traditions @ Filoli: Check out Filoli’s annual ‘magical showcase of holiday decorations, holiday merchandise, gifts and exceptional personal and household items. Kicking off this 9 day event is the Premier Access Shopping Evening. Enjoy a leisurely stroll and see the decorations while listening to music, drinking wine and eating hors d’oeuvres. There’s good shopping too!!!
For more info, go to http://www.filoli.org/holiday-traditions/
- Photo via http://floragrubb.com
Succulent Gardens – Make & Give: Choose from one of three dates to participate in this free session, hosted by one of our favorite nurseries – Flora Grubb in San Francisco. They have lots of free ongoing workshops and this one looks cool. Their garden design specialist, Patrick Lannan, teaches you how to create a beautiful succulent garden. And he even teaches you how to take care of them!
For more info, check out http://floragrubb.com/florasblog/?p=5171&cat=51
This Week in the Bay: A History of the Native Plants and People of California
If you love history and gardening, this will be the perfect event for you!
- Photo via thesurfersparty.com
Taking place this Sunday at Gamble Gardens, Frank Niccoli — owner of The Village Gardener — will be speaking about the relationship of endemic native plants to the first people of California. You’ll learn how plants were used as food, medicine, and materials for everyday life.
The event is $25 for Gamble Garden members, and $35 for non-members. Register here >
This Week in the Bay: Autumn at Filoli Festival
Now that it’s officially fall (the first day was Saturday), it’s time to party at Filoli in Woodside, CA!
- Filoli garden manager Alex Fernandez with “Esopus Spitzenberg” — a tree from the orchard. Photo via sfgate.com
Taking place this Saturday the 29th, the Autumn at Filoli Festival will be featuring a pumpkin patch, docent-led hikes around the beautiful property, live music and BBQ.
Something else unique they’re offering is a tasting of one-of-a-kind apples, pears and grapes from the Gentlemen’s Orchard — which features over 760 trees and vines of heirloom fruit. As if a trip to Filoli isn’t exciting enough (you could tour the gardens and estate for days), the Festival will have something for everyone! Get tickets here >
This Week in the Bay: All About Soil & Composting
Healthy soil is incredibly important to the success of a garden. To learn more about soil and composting, attend one of these two great workshops going on this Saturday…
- Photo via nationalgeographic.com
1. Soil Prep for the Urban Gardener, Sept. 22 in Palo Alto: Taking place at Common Ground Garden Supply, this workshop will teach you bed preparation options for higher crop yields and soil fertility. They will look at soil reports, soil amendments, discuss cost and resource uses in establishing growing areas, and conclude with why using your native soil and double-digging is the most efficient, cost-effective solution. Get tickets here >
2. Advanced Composting: Fine Aerobic Composting, Sept. 22 in Redwood City: Alane O’Reilly Weber, who has over 40 years of experience in the Bay Area professional landscape trades, will teach a workshop on how soil biology and the more rigorous methods of batch composting can make excellent, high grade compost appropriate for use with seedlings, gardens and compost tea. It’s all taking place at Lyngso Garden Center in Redwood City. Register here >
This Week in the Bay: Two Events We Know You’ll Like
We know you’ll be interested in these events because some of you who attended Sunset Celebration Weekend were asking for them! So here they are…
- Photo via ladybirdandfellow.blogspot.com
1. Succulent Terrarium Workshop with Urban Bazaar, Sept. 13 in San Francisco: Taking place at the SF Conservatory of Flowers, this workshop will teach you how to create a tiny world of succulents, moss and rocks in a glass orb or jar. Brandi, the owner of Urban Bazaar, will be sharing skills such as identifying different types of succulents, succulent care and how to use color in your terrarium. Tickets are free, but space is limited so get your ticket here >
2. Installing Flagstone Patios and Pathways, Sept. 15 in Redwood City: Tons of people were asking about our flagstone patio at Sunset Celebration Weekend, and if you’re ready to install it yourself, this is the workshop to attend! Tony Morales, president of Redwood Landscape, Inc., will guide you from the initial design process, through construction and more. Register here >
This Week in the Bay: Two Organic Garden Workshops!
Organic gardening is a growing trend, and one that Habitat Design supports. If you’re ready to start your organic garden (or convert your current one), there are two great workshops this week taking place in Palo Alto and San Francisco.
- Photo via tipsfororganicgardening.com
1. Start Your Fall Organic Vegetable Garden, Sept. 8 in Palo Alto: Hosted at Common Ground Garden Supply, this workshop will teach you how to plant and grow winter veggies like arugula, beets and broccoli in an organic way. Instructors Lisa Putnam and Kathleen Putnam will cover everything from sowing seeds and caring for seedlings to composting and harvest season. Get your tickets here >
2. Organic Garden Design, Sept. 8 in San Francisco: Taking place at Garden for the Environment, this is a free workshop that will teach you how to grow a healthy and beautiful garden that minimizes the impacts on the environment. Topics include: composting, selecting climate-appropriate plants, how to water without waste, non-toxic weed control and more. More info here >
This Week in the Bay: Seasonal Gardening & Farming in San Jose
Here’s a new suburban farm we just found out about: Yummy Tummy Farms in San Jose. They offer educational classes and workshops on gardening and growing your own fruits and veggies.
- Photo via www.ces.ncsu.edu
This Saturday (and the first Saturday of every month), they’re holding a workshop on how to maximize your garden’s potential for gardening and growing fresh fruits, veggies and herbs during September.
They’ll discuss soil management, sewing, hydration, seasonally appropriate plants and more. It’s all taking place from 10am-1pm, and tickets cost $50. Get your tickets here >
This Week in the Bay: Jazz at Filoli, Alice Waters at the Idea House!
This week two well respected experts in their fields will be visiting two already-amazing venues…
1. Alice Waters speaks at the Sunset Idea House, Aug. 25th in Healdsburg: Alice Waters — founder and chef of Chez Panisse in Berkeley, CA — will be speaking at the Sunset Idea House twice this summer! Her first visit is this Saturday, and she’ll be discussing kitchen gardens and her Edible Schoolyard project with Sunset food editor Margo True and Sunset editor in chief Kitty Morgan. Tickets are $17.
2. Jazz at Filoli welcomes Cyrus Chestnut Quartet, Aug. 26th in Woodside: The second-to-last concert in the Jazz at Filoli series, the Cyrus Chestnut Quartet is bound to be a great time. Taking place this Sunday, your Jazz ticket will get you entrance to the gorgeous Filoli estate and gardens, which you can peruse until the concert starts at 1:30pm. Box lunches for the concert are also available.
This Week in the Bay: Melon Madness at the Ferry Plaza
Part of the locavore movement is that idea that you should enjoy fruits and veggies when they’re in season. And what better way to enjoy melon season than by attending Melon Madness in San Francisco?
- Photo via tastespotting.com
Taking place this Saturday, Aug. 18th is CUESA’s Melon Madness at the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market. CUESA is the Center for Urban Education about Sustainable Agriculture and they hold three farmers market every weekend in San Francisco.
From 10am-1pm this Saturday, there will be melon tasting — where you can sample and learn about the many varieties of melon. Then, at 11am and 11:45am there will be melon-themed cooking demos. Once you’re completely meloned-out, do the rest of your grocery shopping for the week at the Farmers Market!
