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YUMMY FRUITS ... UC Master Gardener Nancy Garrison will teach a class on how to “Grow Unusual, Delicious Fruits in the Bay Area” on Saturday, May 14, from 9 to 10:30 a.m. at Gamble Garden, 1431 Waverley St., Palo Alto. The free class will demonstrate how to grow such exotic fruits as Chilean guava, white sapote, paw paws and mulberries. Information: Master Gardeners at 408-282-3105, between 9:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., Monday through Friday or http:// mastergardeners.org TREE WALK ... Arborist Robert Booty will lead a free tree walk through the Palo Verde neighborhood on Saturday, May 14, from 10 a.m. to noon. Meet at Palo Verde Elementary School, 3450 Louis Road, Palo Alto. To register, email sharon@canopy.org; for a self-guided walk, visit www. canopy.org
Also online at PaloAltoOnline.com
GOOD FOR THE GARDEN,GOOD Ten Palo Alto gardens are featured on Bay-Friendly Garden Tour
FOR THE PLANET story by Carol Blitzer | photographs by Veronica Weber
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hirty years ago Kathleen Craig moved into the home that had been in her husband Roger’s family since the 1950s. The turn-ofthe-century house, located across the street from San Francisquito Creek, sat on about a third of an acre — most of it dirt and a few large, mature trees. Soon after moving there, Craig started taking gardening classes, ultimately giving up her high-tech job and becoming a permanent member of the Association of Professional Landscape Designers. After growing up in apricotladen, rural Willow Glen (San Jose), she missed the sights and smells of her childhood garden. “This garden had two seasons: oxalis in spring and foxtails in summer,” she said, while sitting in her very-muchchanged garden. Craig has incorporated as many of the seven principles of Bay-friendly gardening (see sidebar) as she could in transforming her nearly blank canvas to a lush, brilliant work of art. Her efforts can be seen during the eighth annual Bay Friendly Garden Tour, which is sponsored by the Bay-Friendly Coalition and the City of Palo Alto, on Sunday, May 15. Her yards — front, side and back — have very little “full” sun, which shines from morning to evening. “I’m constantly pushing the envelope to push plants to perform,” she said, noting that they often look good in photos, but “not until you put them in the ground can you tell what happens in a shady environment.” The tour will actually begin through a wooden gate that leads up a brick path to the original carriage house, now used for storage. Lining the path are blooming purple iris and espaliered pear and apple trees, “to give a sense of an allée,” she said. On the right, in one of the sunnier spots, grow a variety of edibles, including tomatoes in stacked pots that lift them closer to the sun. Marigolds offer fragrant foliage that keeps away insects that attack the tomatoes, she said. Many of the plants are dual purpose: The mustard relatives are both brightyellow flowers and attracters of benefi-
KID-FRIENDLY GARDENING ... Noelle Marquis will talk about “KidFriendly Water Wise Gardening” on Saturday, May 14, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The free class is offered by the Bay Area Water Supply & Conservation Agency. Information: 650-349-3000 for exact location in Mountain View. ORGANIC VEGGIES ... Jody Main, food and garden writer, will offer a class on “Organic Vegetable Gardening” on Saturday, May 14, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Common Ground Education Center, 559 College Ave., Palo Alto. The class deals with practical information on planting and caring for vegetables and herbs organically; class includes a six-pack garden, plant list and recipes. Cost is $31 plus a $7 materials fee. Information: 650-493-6072 or www. commongroundinpaloalto.org or http://organicvegetablegardening. eventbrite.com/ WHOLE HOUSE ... Harrell Remodeling will offer a workshop on “Whole House/Major Additions” on Wednesday, May 18, from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at 1954 Old Middlefield Way, Mountain View. Information: 650-230-2900 or www.harrellremodeling.com RHODIE PALS? ... Bee Brown, president of the De Anza Chapter of the American Rhododendron Society, will talk about what plants grow well next to rhododendrons on Wednesday, May 18, at 7:30 p.m. The group meets in Room 12 of the Hillview Community Center, 97 Hillview Ave., Los Altos. Information: www.deanza-ars.com HOUSES SELL HERE ... Several local Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage offices were named among the top producing of the 750 Coldwell Banker offices in the nation, according to a press re(continued on page 45)
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Kathleen Craig’s Bay-friendly garden features an organic vegetable garden with a variety of herbs, cabbage and tomatoes.
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