LIVE OAK

Rise and shine with Santa Cruz Garden Exchange

Stop by the Garden Exchange for some fresh gardening inspiration as the spring weather arrives. Join the garden community for this month’s garden exchange and workshop, starting at 8 a.m. on March 22 in the parking lot of Santa Cruz Live Oak Grange, 1900 17th Ave. Park in the northern rows of the parking lot away from the building.

This is the ideal time to prepare your garden for a vibrant spring bloom. Gardeners are welcome to bring seeds, bulbs, succulents, houseplants, veggies, fresh flowers, informational material or any garden-related items to trade within the garden community. You do not need to bring something in order to participate and you must take back anything not given out. Spread the word and tell your friends. Bring your questions, ideas and enthusiasm — and don’t forget to check out the Garden Exchange workshop right after at 9 a.m.

For questions, call 831-515-7162 or email santacruzgardenexchange@gmail.com.

FELTON

Basic composting workshop at the library

A 2-hour composting workshop will be held from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday, on the Felton Branch Library patio at 6121 Gushee St. The workshop will cover general principles of composting and provide sufficient detail about backyard and worm composting to help get the process started. There will be plenty of time for participants’ questions to be answered by the presenters, who are master composters. Presenter Jeffrey Smedberg was recycling coordinator for Santa Cruz County for 26 years. Marla King has managed the worm composting operation at Grey Bears for a decade. Richard Dye was a teacher and principal and has been teaching composting for a decade.

Registration is limited to 25 participants. Sign up at santacruzpl.libcal.com/event/12958460 or call 831-824-6484.

Community Repair Café held at Grey Bears

Grey Bears Thrift Store is excited to host its next Repair Café from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, at the Grey Bears warehouse at 2710 Chanticleer Ave. The team of volunteers includes mechanical and electrical engineers, a knife sharpener, experts in clothing, textiles and shoe repair services. Whether you need help fixing bikes, toys, lamps, clocks, vacuums, clothes, shoes or more, they have skilled volunteers ready to assist. If you have repair skills and would like to volunteer, please join in helping extend the life of community members’ belongings. To get involved, email volunteer@greybears.org.

UCSC Center for Agroecology to host pest control class

Gophers are every backyard gardener’s nemesis. Join vertebrate pest control expert Thomas Whittman from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday at the Cowell Ranch Historic Hay Barn, 94 Ranch View Road, for this informative class on effective gopher control methods that are safe for humans and the environment.

Gophers and other vertebrate pests take a huge toll in agriculture as well as your own backyard; as much as 10% to 50% of crops can be lost to animal pests. Whittman has been working on this issue for over 35 years and has come up with innovative methods and tools to reduce crop damage by managing pest populations in several ways. The most effective lethal traps and techniques will be presented along with exclusion barriers, integrating pest predators and crop rotation. If there’s time, Whittman will answer questions about rats, deer and squirrels.

At the end of the class there will be a hands-on demonstration to identify gopher activity, find the burrow and set a few traps (weather permitting). Register for this workshop at tinyurl.com/bdhb6csv.

SANTA CRUZ

Registration open for Good Weeds, Bad Weeds Workshop

Attend a workshop hosted by UC Santa Cruz Center for Agroecology to learn all about weeds from 10 a.m. to noon March 29 at 94 Ranch View Road. The Good Weeds, Bad Weeds Workshop will offer a balanced perspective on weeds, exploring their ecological benefits alongside the challenges they pose in gardens. Learn how some weeds support beneficial insects while also understanding their competitive impact on desired plants.

Led by farm adviser Richard Smith, the session will focus on practical weed identification techniques, both by type and by season. Participants will also learn how to independently research and identify weeds, a valuable skill for ongoing garden management. A key component of the workshop will be exploring effective organic management strategies, emphasizing environmentally friendly approaches like hand-pulling, mulching and other sustainable methods. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own weeds for expert identification and will also participate in a guided “weed walk” for hands-on learning in a real-world setting. Admission is $40.

Registration is required at calendar.ucsc.edu/event/good-weeds-bad-weeds.

SANTA CRUZ

Housing Navigation Services offered at local library

Volunteer Housing Navigators will provide housing navigation services for people experiencing homelessness every Tuesday from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Life Literacies Center located at the Santa Cruz Public Libraries Downtown Branch, 224 Church St. For information, visit santacruzpl.libcal.com/event/13952615.

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