Common Ground Events

Pam Scott forwarded this list from Common Ground in Palo Alto.  Some great classes coming up.

Here is the link to their website:  Common Ground

BLUEBERRIES, BLACKBERRIES, AND RASPBERRIES
Nancy Garrison  Saturday, November 14, 2009
10:30 - 12:30   $30, To register call 650-493-6072 or
http://berries.eventbrite.com/

Learn how to successfully grow blueberries, raspberries, blackberries and mulberries for bountiful berry harvests May through late fall. Mulberries are less known but wonderful in that they are seedless and Thornless, with flavor like a combo of many different berries. You will learn the best varieties of each and specific planting instructions including soil amendments and trellising.
Nancy has been researching the best varieties for this area for many years and will share her vast knowledge so you will get abundant harvests.  Nancy offers a center tour of her favorite and must-have products after the class.

SOIL FOODWEB
Alane Weber  Saturday, December 5, 2009
10:30 - 12:30   $30, To register call 650-493-6072 or
http://soilfoodweb.eventbrite.com/

Super soil! The soil Foodweb consists of all the beneficial micro- and macroscopic soil critters that function harmoniously in our garden soil. They are responsible for nutrient cycling, soil production and immune system boosting. Understanding the riches in our soil will give you greater ability to surf with nature's wisdom and make better compost.
Alane is an advisor for Soil Foodweb, Inc. She runs the education program of RecycleWork's Master Composting Program for San MateoCounty. Her approach is animated with humor and suffused with the integrity of sustainable care for our lands.

RAINWATER HARVESTING
Sherri Osaka  Saturday, December 12, 2009
10:30 - 12:30   $30, To register call 650-493-6072 or
http://rainwater.eventbrite.com/

Prepare for next summer’s dry season by collecting and storing rain water now. This class explores methods of rainwater harvesting and storage from roof materials, to tanks and their costs, to landworks, and finally to using pure, sweet rainwater in your garden. We'll discuss permitting, mosquitos, and calculating the amounts of rainwater against the cost of storage. We'll show how rainwater harvesting not only saves water, but energy and infrastructure as well, and how it can be a part of every garden.
Sherri is the owner of Sustainable Landscape Designs and is co-founder of the Sustainable Landscape Roundtable, an organization that encourages landscape professionals to adopt ecological practices, and a director of the Santa Clara Valley Chapter of the California Native Plant Society.