June Garden Events and Gardening Tips

Elise — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 23:44:58 +0000

June Special Events

Love Our Lake Day, Sunday, June 9 from 11am to 4pm at Lake Merritt, Lakeside Park and in the surrounding Oakland neighborhoods. Oaklanders and visitors alike are invited to come play in the car-free streets & parks surrounding Lake Merritt and celebrate the area’s transformation through Measure DD!

We are expecting many visitors to the Gardens at Lake Merritt. We need 8–12 Volunteer Ambassadors to welcome our guests. If you would like to join the fun, please send us an email and include your contact information and the times you are available to volunteer with us.

The festive event will enrich three miles of car-free streets with recreation and cultural activities for the entire family. At 2pm Mayor Jean Quan will be at the south end of the lake for the Grand Opening of Lake Merritt Boulevard featuring a beautiful new amphitheater and four-acre park.

California Suiseki Society Show, Saturday and Sunday, June 8 & 9 from 10am-5pm, at the Lakeside Park Garden Center. Free to the public. Stones have been admired and collected by mankind since time immemorial. And throughout history, cultures around the globe have developed unique names, disciplines and guidelines for their particular art form.

The Japanese art is called “Suiseki”, in China “Scholar’s Rocks”, in Korea it is “Suseok” or “Gongshi”. Among many other terms used, some might include: viewing stones, artistic stones, object stones and many more.

Bay Area Carnivorous Plant Society Show, Saturday June 15, noon-4pm. Free at the Lakeside Park Garden Center. Carnivorous plants derive some or most of their nutrients (but not energy) from trapping and consuming animals or protozoans, typically insects and other arthropods.

Gardening 101: Get Your Hands Dirty, Saturday, June 22, noon-1pm. Join us at this hands-on workshop with Master Gardener instructors. You will plant seeds, plant seedlings, build and turn a compost pile, prune perennials and learn how to plan your garden space. Handouts and best practices for seed starting, composting, pruning and more. Gather in the master Garden Trials Gardens in the Edible Demonstration Garden.
Master Gardener Jacqueline Bruhn gardens extensively with children in local public schools and sees the benefit of experiential learning for all ages. Please join us, and bring your own gardening questions! Download the full Workshop Series schedule here: 2013 Trials Garden Workshop Series

Introduction to Bonsai: Interactive Demo and Questions in the Bonsai Garden, Sunday, June 23, 1pm-3pm. This free workshop (held every fourth Sunday of the month) covers the art of Bonsai including techniques, styling, care and grooming. You are welcome to bring your own tree for some TLC.

Community Work Party Events

First Saturday of each month, (June 1) 9am-noon – Mediterranean Garden

First Saturday of each month, (June 1) 9am – 1:30pm – Succulent Garden

First and third Saturday of each month, (June 1 & June 15) - Edible Gardens. If you’re interested in gardening at an Edible Garden; the Victory Garden Foundation’s People’s Victory Garden will have mentored gardening days on the 1st and 3rd Saturdays. Please see the Event Calendar for the month.

Third Saturday of each month, (June 15) 9am- noon – Sensory Gardens, Palmetum, and the Rhododendron Garden

WEEKLY

Every Tuesday Evening, Sensory Garden, 5:30pm-7:30pm.

Every Thursday Morning, Succulent Garden, 9am-noon

June Gardening Tips

Prepared by the Alameda County Master Gardeners

Fertilize, water and deadhead flowers to keep them blooming.
Check your plants for insects and disease. Get help from UC Pest Notes.
Replace harvested cool season crops with warm season crops.
Harvest and enjoy!
Check to be sure that your irrigation system is working and meets the needs of your garden.

For more information on gardening tips and information from the Alameda County Master Gardeners, go to http://acmg.ucdavis.edu/

Gardens “The Heart of Oakland”– Oakland Magazine

Elise — Wed, 23 May 2012 19:28:58 +0000

OAKLAND MAGAZINE – “AAA’s Via magazine proclaimed The Gardens at Lake Merritt one of the top five California gardens, yet this Oakland oasis still remains a charming little secret for many locals.”

“If Lake Merritt is considered the gem of Oakland, then the 50-year-old gardens are the city’s heart. ”

““A garden is a reflection of its community. Oakland is awakening and renewing. This is a garden by the people, for the people. It exists today due to selflessness, volunteerism, and a dedication to nurture the unique and remarkable.””

To read the entire article: http://www.oaklandmagazine.com/Oakland-Magazine/May-June-2012/In-the-Mix/

Volunteer For Outdoor California & Kaiser Permanente Corporate Earth Day April 24th

Admin — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 21:20:37 +0000

Young volunteer photo opportunity

A group of Kaiser Permanente volunteers working at the Gardens on Saturday. They were managed by Volunteer Outdoor California. This was a Corporate Earthday Event. The volunteers sheet mulched several areas, weeded the Succulent Graden, and worked on clearing the area around the fence surrounding the garden.