The Alameda County Master Gardeners will hold their 9th  annual “Practical Gardening: Sustainability From the Ground Up” seminar  Saturday, October 29, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Lakeside Park Garden Center and the Gardens at Lake Merritt.

This very popular Fall/Winter Seminar moves this year to the Garden Center from Merritt College to accommodate a greater number of seminar participants. In addition, the Garden Center is adjacent to the Master Gardener Trials Gardens, allowing hands-on demonstrations. The Garden Center’s commercial kitchen also will be utilized to offer jam,  pickling and canning workshops.

” This new venue promises even more to eagerly awaiting Bay area gardeners – more space, more topics, more on site information and materials.”  

Participants will each attend three seminars/workshops presented by specialists in their areas of focus. This year we have another outstanding lineup of speakers for you.  Returning experts include Susan Handjian (Maintaining Your Garden), Wendy Johnson (and colleague Henry Wallace, Designing a Sustainable Garden), Rosemary Loveall Sale (Herbs), Pam Peirce (Pests in the Vegetable Garden IPM), and John Valenzuela (Fruit Stories).

 New speakers include our own Gail Durkin, ’06, with Body Mechanics, as well as Rachel Kaplan (Urban Homesteading), Grant Marcoux (Tools), and Rebecca Newburn (Seed Saving).  The kitchen at the Garden Center at Lake Merritt allows us to offer food preservation workshops in Jam Making, Pickle Making, and Mustards & Condiments lead by El Dorado Master Canners.  Certain to be popular and with kitchen space limitations, we may have to limit participation to only one of these workshops per attendee and on a first come basis.

Further details will be available as the time draws near.  For now, save the date on your calendar and don’t forget to sign up early for first-come selection of classes.

“Practical Gardening: Sustainability From the Ground Up”, ACMG 9^th Annual Fall/Winter Gardening Seminar

Date: Saturday, October 29, 2011

Time: 8:30am to 3:00pm

Location:The Garden Center at Lake Merritt, 666 Bellevue Avenue, Oakland

Cost:$45 for the day including mid-morning coffee and refreshments. Bring your own lunch or pre-order a box lunch when you sign up.

Signups begin AUGUST 31, 2011 at www.acmg.ucdavis.edu  (Right here!) or sign up to be notified when registration is open click here.