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Applying the science of ecology to the home landscape can be challenging, especially when working with desert plants.  Come and learn about desert plants and why they behave the way they do with influences such as insects, water and sunlight.  Knowing and understanding how these plants behave (and why!) will make you a better gardener, conservationist and general steward of the environment. 

There are many human-wildlife conflicts occurring in the Californian home landscape. Learn how to manage everything from mice to mountain lions using integrated pest management.

Social media is becoming more influential and has evolved into a powerful direct communication tool. With the program's focus on education and outreach, social media is a natural fit to help disseminate information and reach a wider audience than ever before! Learn the latest in developing and managing content with the team from Communications Services at UC Agriculture and Natural Resources. Grow a larger fan base and create a loyal following. This session is designed to inspire and empower you with new social media marketing ideas and tools.

National Extension Social media Training: 
https://sites.google.com/a/extension.org/social-media-resources/welcome

Having a display of common ‘good bugs” and ‘bad bugs’ is very useful during outreach events. Come learn how to pin insects and make your own insect collection! Participants will learn the basics of catching and preserving insects and other arthropods, and get hands-on experience pinning insects. Attendees will even get a ‘starter kit’ to take home to continue building your program’s collection of insects common in your area. Bring at least 10 good sized dead insect specimens, so you can practice pinning. Some insects and other pinning materials will be provided. (This is a duplicate session.)

First, second and third place winners of the UC Master Gardener Program Search for Excellence (SFE) will present on their winning projects. SFE recognizes projects that exemplify the incredible impacts programs are making across the state. Attend, enjoy, and learn about our phenomenal 2017 SFE winners.

Ernesto Sandoval wants you to know that you can grow succulents in your garden. Sandoval, director of the UC Davis Botanical Conservatory will present his case using high quality photographs and science. The focus will be on aloes, agaves, cacti, and other beautiful and practical succulents, but Ernesto will also discuss some less common drought-tolerant plants.

Proper pruning of grapevines preserves one year old wood and encourages the vines to grow a structure conducive to harvesting. Proper pruning is a worth wile investment and a skill one can develop. It helps to understand a few basic principles of grape pruning to maintain a healthy and productive vine. Learn when, how and why to prune grapevines with UC Cooperative Extension Viticulture and Pest Management Farm Advisor Dr. Carmen Gispert.

Join Dr. James Downer Horticulture and Plant Pathology Advisor as he discusses the health of shade trees. Trees catch, harbor and infect each other with diseases that are contagious, cause symptoms, shorten their lifespans and predispose them to failure. Accurate diagnosis of tree diseases and an understanding of the physiology of disease development aids in developing treatment protocols that include adjusting arboricultural practices to maintain diseased trees.

Learn how PlantRight partners with the nursery industry, plant scientists, government, and non-profits to stop the sale of invasive plants. Since 2010, PlantRight has been conducting an annual nursery survey for invasive plants with the help of many UC Master Gardener volunteers. Get an exclusive look at the 2017 Nursery Survey results and find out what you can do to stop the sale of invasive ornamental plants and promote non-invasive alternatives.

Did you know that most tree ailments are not caused by diseases or insects? Non-living disorders such as too little or too much water, high heat, frost, pollution, not enough root space, topping, soil compaction, root damage due to nearby construction and other stressors can lead to unhealthy trees and even premature death.   Since prevention is always key, learn how to reduce the chances of losing a valuable tree before its too late.

As gardeners, we know that color is important, but why?  Learn about color theory and how gardeners can use harmonious color combinations to evoke feelings or influence state of being.  See color theory in action with displays from the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix, Arizona and find inspiration for color and composition in your own landscape.  We’ll use unique desert plants and their flowers, leaves and textures to merge art and science during this class. 

Learn about the development and breeding of Dr. Jim Sproul’s unusual Hulthemia rose hybrids. After more than 15 years working with these unique hybrids, Sproul has developed a series of Hulthemias that have been named the Eyeconic® Roses which offer a unique flower form with a distinguishing central blotch characteristic of these beauties. The early hybrids are relatively maintenance-free in climates of the Western U.S. and Canada, however, Jim continues to work on improvements and is especially working toward more black spot tolerant selections.

Plan a new garden landscape, plant color and seasonality to update and enhance property value. Practice low maintenance gardening. Enjoy time in the outdoors instead of being a slave to mowing, sowing and growing chores. LandEscape will guide you through the dizzying array of new plants, outdoor materials, design choices, sources, and sites that can define an outdoor Landscaped Lifestyle. From the oldest trade secrets of best plants and practices to the newest introductions of green roof technology, pollinator gardening, the latest hardscape materials and mixed-use residential environments, this course will encourage everyone to relax into his or her own “LandEscape!”

The improper care of palms stems from a lack of knowledge about the unique physiology and needs of palms. Improve your knowledge of proper palm care practices by joining Dr. James Downer Horticulture and Plant Pathology Advisor with the UC Cooperative Extension in Ventura County as he highlights palm nutrition and management techniques to keep palms looking their best.

Learn the art of propagation from UC Davis Arboretum Nursery Manager Taylor Lewis. Topics include starting from seeds, rooting cuttings, and making divisions. Proper preparation of materials, choosing the right containers, the best tools, media choices, hardening off and rooting hormones are also covered. This session will take place in an outside classroom setting and offer hand-on activities. (This is a duplicate session.)

Why does my tree’s fruit production seem to move higher and higher each year? UC Cooperative Extension Farm and Horticulture Advisor in Sacramento County Chuck Ingels will discuss different ways to train fruit trees to keep small enough to reach from the ground or small ladder. Particular emphasis will be placed on fruit bushes and espalier training, which facilitate tree management and covering trees to exclude pests.

Join Karrie Reid, Advisor with the University of California Cooperative Extension San Joaquin County as she explores the evolving methods of the irrigation trials and their role in expanding the information available about plant water use in the landscape. Participants will come away with an understanding of the difference between drought-tolerance and low-water use, and the strategies that make for successful low-water gardening in the west. Beautiful landscapes and water-conservation can go hand in hand.

Do you garden in a place with poor or no soil? Do you wish you had raised beds, but you’re dreading the expense and effort of filling and constructing them? Straw bale gardening may be an answer! Participants will learn the basics of this gardening system as well as its pros and cons in California.

Since the Greeks put marble fauns in the landscape, people have been accessorizing their gardens with non green “stuff” that adds to the appeal of living outdoors. Walk through your garden with thoughts developed in this—sometimes humorous—look at artistic exterior creations. From watering cans through containers to stained glass, crafts, stone, metal, and truck tires with supplies from the basement to the attic this presentation will excite you with the possibilities waiting to happen for your next season.

Proper pruning of ornamental trees improves their structural strength, maintains their health, enhances their beauty, and increases their value. Proper pruning is a worth while investment and a skill one can develop.   Pruning is one of the most important cultural practices in ornamental tree management. Many people are apprehensive about pruning, but knowing how, when and why to prune will end these fears. Join Dr. James Downer horticulture and plant pathology Advisor with the UC Cooperative Extension in Ventura County and learn about the proper training and pruning practices of ornamentals trees.

Capturing a garden or plants’ true beauty is difficult and often times challenging. Come learn tips for using a camera to capture those special moments of nature’s beauty with Ernesto Sandoval, Director, UC Davis Botanical Conservatory and plant photography enthusiast. With over 16 years of experience in photography Sandoval enjoys sharing slideshows to plant friendly people as well as helping them learn from his trial and error approach to plant photography. No experience required.

Installing drip irrigation may seem simple, but there’s a lot to know with all the different ways to use it. We will view and discuss the basic parts from the controller and valve to the end caps, and we’ll focus on different types of drip tubing and emitters. There will also be discussion of design and “looping” the system, as well as the need to be sure you have enough pressure for your system to work correctly. This session will take place in an outside classroom setting.

Many areas of California have climates or microclimates that only occasionally get frost or temperatures that dip below freezing during winter. This affords gardeners the unique opportunity to grow a wide variety of rare fruits that are native to subtropical locations in addition to low-chill temperate zone fruit. Join Tom Del Hotal, as he talks about many of the uncommon fruiting plants that gardeners can enjoy in the warmer areas of California.

Soil solarization is a non-chemical method for controlling soil borne pests using high temperatures produced by capturing radiant energy from the sun. The method involves heating the soil by covering it with a clear plastic tarp for 4 to 6 weeks during a hot period of the year when the soil will receive the most direct sunlight. When solarization treatment is augmented by addition of organic soil amendment(s), it is termed biosolarization.

Under water restrictions? Don’t forget to water the trees! With the removal of lawns some trees have experienced a fast decline and even death. Learn how trees respond to drought, recognize drought symptoms, and the ways help trees survive the drought. Join UC Cooperative Extension Environmental Horticulture Advisor of San Mateo-San Francisco counties Dr. Igor Lacan to learn the dos and don'ts of managing trees during drought or water restrictions.