SANTA CRUZ

Winter Garden Exchange updates posted

Join fellow gardeners for the free monthly Santa Cruz Garden Exchange from 8 to 9 a.m. Nov. 23 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. Gardeners are welcome to bring seeds, bulbs, succulents, houseplants, veggies, fresh flowers, informational material, manure 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. The Santa Cruz Garden Exchange season of Garden Tours has ended, thank you to everyone that participated, volunteered and contributed. Evening exchanges have ended and will resume in the spring. Winter workshops are coming soon. See you at the exchange, don’t forget your mug. For questions, call 831-515-7162 or email santacruzgardenexchange@gmail.com.

SANTA CRUZ

Gem and mineral weekend at local grange

Santa Cruz Mineral and Gem Society annual holiday sale from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, at the Live Oak Grange, 1900 17th Ave. Free admission and plenty of free parking. Rocks, minerals, crystals, gems, jewelry and lapidary arts will be available. Browse the bargains and pick up some great gifts for the holidays.

Find more information at scrockngem.org or email scruzmgs@gmail.com.

WATSONVILLE

Wreath making before holidays

Nothing sings of the holidays like making a seasonal wreath to decorate your space. Birdsong Orchard is hosting a hands-on workshop from 1 to 3 p.m. Nov. 24 and Dec. 15 on the farm at 613 Lakeview Road, where you will make your own wreath to take home. The multi-talented Jessica Tunis will be leading this workshop, and owner Nadine Schaffer will be there for backup help as well. For beginners who have never made a wreath before, Tunis will guide you through the basic techniques of wreath making and help you craft a unique design.

For more experienced wreath makers, please enjoy an opportunity to try a different design and work with new plants, textures and colors. All the materials you will need will be hand gathered, foraging extensively from Birdsong Orchard and Tunis’ mountain forest homestead. Suitable for ages 16 and up. Please wear sturdy, closed-toe shoes, bring a water bottle and your favorite garden snippers or clippers if you have them. To keep things intimate, this workshop is limited to 25 people.

Space is limited, reserve tickets at birdsongorchards.com/products/holiday-wreath-making-workshop-november-24th.

WATSONVILLE

2nd Saturday presents ‘A Country Christmas’

Bring your family and friends down to 2nd Saturday on the Farm Agricultural History Project from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dec. 14, located at 2635 E. Lake Ave. Every month enjoy a 2nd Saturday on the Farm, a family event that focuses on a particular area of agriculture. Visitors can participate in the regular activities of the Agricultural History Project plus others related to the day’s special focus. Over 2,500 visitors are hosted each year during 2nd Saturdays on the Farm.Unique interactive educational activities to help you have fun learning about past agricultural practices. One popular activity is wooden cow milking, where participants can try their hand at milking a life-size wooden cow with rubber teats. Another favorite is the kid-driven tractor, which uses a retrofitted John Deere tractor to allow anyone to learn how to drive. You sit in the seat and control the steering wheel, while a trained volunteer stands on a platform to your right to manage the speed. There’s even room for a parent or friend to stand on your left and enjoy the ride. For those interested in a more simulated experience, the Tractor Simulator offers a stationary tractor that you can drive down a virtual crop row, with a computer screen displaying how well you’re handling the tractor. Finally, the Puppet Theater features a new show each month, providing a delightful entertainment option for visitors of all ages. Thisd is a rain or shine event.

Admission is always free, but donations are gladly accepted. For more information, visit aghistoryproject.org.

FELTON

Tenants’ Rights 1-on-1 Counseling

Tenant Sanctuary is offering one-on-one counseling from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. Nov. 20 at the Felton Library, 6121 Gushee St. Felton. This program is for renters in Santa Cruz County who would like 1-on-1 support from a tenant rights counselor to discuss an issue with housing. In your 25-minute session, you will learn about your legal rights and how to use these rights to address your situation. Some topics that can be addressed are unsafe or unsanitary housing conditions, rental increases, eviction and threats or harassment, and communication with a landlord. This program occurs every other week.

Tenant counselors help renters understand their rights. They are not lawyers and do not provide legal advice, opinion or representation. Volunteer counselor Ciera is a renter and long-term resident of Soquel. She has been working with neighbors to address housing issues since 2018 and was a volunteer counselor with Tenant Sanctuary. As a member of the Santa Cruz County Renters Union, Ciera believes that renters can work together to gain safer and more affordable housing.

Call the Felton Branch Library at 831-427-7708 or visit santacruzpl.libcal.com/event/13042429 to register for your free, 25-minute appointment.

CAPITOLA

Housing Matters holds weekly outreach

The Housing Matters Outreach Team will be available from 1-4 p.m. every Tuesday in the Barbara Gorson Multipurpose Room at the Capitola Branch Library, 2005 Wharf Road, for families and individuals experiencing homelessness to help them access resources, navigate housing and meet with Housing Matters representatives. This is a drop-in service, first come, first served.

For more information about this outreach visit santacruzpl.libcal.com/event/12691252. For more information about Housing Matters call 831-458-6020, housingmatterssc.org">contact@housingmatterssc.org or visit housingmatterssc.org.

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.