LIVE OAK

The Grange to hold Grafting Workshop

Ready to learn how to graft? Or is it just time to “up” your grafting game? Join the Monterey Bay chapter of California Rare Fruit Growers from 3-6 p.m. Sunday, at the Santa Cruz Live Oak Grange, 1900 17th Ave. in Santa Cruz for a hands-on dormant wood grafting class. Admission is $25 and includes the class, a potted Geneva 890 apple rootstock and your choice from a selection of delicious apple scions. Bring a plastic bag for any rootstock you hope to purchase.

Register at bit.ly/4gmTCNt.

LIVE OAK

Local Orchid Society hosts monthly meeting

Join the Santa Cruz Orchid Society at 7 p.m. Friday inside the Santa Cruz Live Oak Grange Hall, 1900 17th Ave. Guest speaker Tim Culbertson will be sharing a presentation on “Laelia anceps, a Treasure of Mexico.” The presentation will include some wonderful select divisions and seedlings of Laelia anceps and its hybrids. Although large, orchids grow well outside in our subtropical climate, and with their myriad colors and free-blooming tendencies, these are great plants for every collection.

Meetings are held the second Friday of every month. Guests are welcome to attend. In addition to the presentation, meetings include a show-and-tell table of blooming plants brought in by members with information on how to grow them and a chance to win an orchid from the opportunity table. There will also be light refreshments. For more information, visit santacruzorchidsociety.org.

FELTON

Beekeeping workshop at Quail Hollow Ranch

Visit Quail Hollow Ranch, 800 Quail Hollow Road, from 11 a.m. to noon March 9, to learn the basics on how to keep honeybees and their importance to our environment. Enjoy a show-and-tell of products of the hive and ask an expert all of your burning beekeeping questions. Emily Bondor, a local apiarist, educator and founder of the Santa Cruz Bee Co., will be the instructor for the day. This activity is $5 for residents and $5.50 for non-residents. For ages 12 and up; an adult must accompany ages 15 and under.

Register now for your spot at tinyurl.com/yahkandf.

WATSONVILLE

Birdsong Orchards presents Winter Workshops

February is time to prune most of your deciduous fruit trees. Visit Birdsong Orchard from 1-3:30 p.m. Saturday on the farm located at 613 Lakeview Road, for a workshop covering winter pruning and care of fruiting trees, to set them up for a fabulous growing season next year. Pruning new, young and mature trees will be covered, including a discussion on appropriate tools and different pruning styles. The workshop includes walking through the orchard, looking at how pruning decisions affect growth and productivity in walnuts, peaches, nectarines, plums, figs, apples, pears and persimmons. There will also be a discussion on what not to prune in the winter, watering and fertilization.

Suitable for ages 16 and up. Limited to 25 people. Attendees are encouraged to wear sturdy, closed-toe shoes and bring a water bottle. There will be about a 1-2 mile walk on a gentle slope.

If rained out, the event will be rescheduled.

Visit birdsongorchards.com/products/winter-pruning-workshop-feb-1 for tickets.February is also time to prune your roses, and it’s vital to their health that you do. Join Nadine at Birdsong Orchard from 1:30-3:30 p.m. Sunday, at 613 Lakeview Road, for a workshop covering winter pruning and spring fertilization of roses, to set them up for a fabulous growing season next year.

You will cover pruning shrubs, garden variety and climbing roses at different ages of growth with a live demo in the rose field. There will also be a discussion on fertilizing in spring for new growth and preparing the ground for planting new roses in the winter as well. To keep things intimate, this workshop is limited to 25 people and is suitable for ages 16 and up.

Attendees are encouraged to wear sturdy, closed-toe shoes and bring a water bottle. There will be about a half-mile walk total on a gentle slope.

Visit birdsongorchards.com/products/winter-roses-workshop-february-2 for tickets.

SOQUEL

Rare Plant Swap announces February event

Come spread the love of plants at the February rare plant swap event. Happening in person from 1 to 2 p.m. Feb. 22, at Anna Jean Cummings County Park, 461 Soquel San Jose Road. This plant swap is a buy, sell, trade and hangout event. No need to bring anything, just come and meet other local collectors in the Santa Cruz area. You are welcome to bring rare/uncommon plants, cuttings, corms, nodes, any plant accessories like pots, leca, soil additives or freebies.

Be sure to bring a bag or container to hold all your new plant/items. Please remember to keep it rare/uncommon plants only. Plant sales are allowed but Santa Cruz Rare Plants are not responsible for any sales or trades not conducted personally. Hope to see you there. Please contact any of the admins if you have any questions at fb.me/e/200FdwUXO.

The Garden Digest is compiled by Jesselyn Rego. To submit items for the calendar including events, meetings, resources or anything garden related, email sentinelhomeandgarden@gmail.com.