HOME AND GARDEN NOTES
To submit items, call Melissa Howell at 475-3770 or send email to mhowell@oklahoman.com. Reference “Home and garden calendar.” Please submit items at least 10 days before publication.
MEETINGS
Central Oklahoma Bonsai Society, 7 p.m. Tuesday, Will Rogers Exhibition Center, 3400 NW 36. Program to be announced. Visitors welcome.
Central Oklahoma Beekeepers Association, 7 p.m. July 26, Will Rogers Exhibition Center, 3400 NW 36.
WORKSHOPS
Ready, Set, Grow, sponsored by the Central Oklahoma Wellness Alliance and the Oklahoma City Community Foundation, 6:30 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, OSU Agriculture Resource Center, Room 196, 400 N Portland Ave. Workshop will feature tips and instruction on growing herbs and other culinary favors including basil, rosemary, sage, mint, garlic, onions and peppers. Chef Vera Cheek, Francis Tuttle Technology Center, will demonstrate how to use herbs while cooking to add flavor, and share tips on healthy herb substitutions for sugar and salt. Oklahoma City Community Foundation horticulturist
and landscape architect Brian Dougherty will share tips on growing herbs in containers and offer guidance on the growing process. Free. Register by email to m.bays@occf.org.
WEDNESDAYS @ WILL
Wednesday @ Will Rogers Gardens lecture series is open to the public and is presented at no charge by the Oklahoma County Extension Master Gardeners and the Oklahoma County OSU Cooperative Extension Service.
Cactus and Succulents, 6 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Will Rogers Exhibition Center, 3400 NW 36. Program will be presented by Master Gardener Freddy Hill.
COMMONWEALTH URBAN FARMS
The following workshops are located at CommonWealth Urban Farms, 3310 N Olie Ave. Workshops are $10 per session, $15 per couple or pair, and free to volunteers. Full season price is $100 for 18 workshops. Pay on-site with cash or check for individual classes or purchase a season membership online. No registration required. Go to commonwealthurban farms.com for information or season passes.
Small Wonders — Microgreens & Shoots, 11 a.m. to noon July 14. Learn how to plant and grow pea shoots, plus kale, radish, dill and basil microgreens and how to avoid common problems. Each participant will have a chance to plant a mini tray of microgreens to take home.
Worms Make Me Happy — Composting & Vermicomposting, 11 a.m. to noon July 21. Allen Parleir, coordinator of Closer To Earth and co-founder of CommonWealth, will discuss the difference between a worm bed and a compost pile, and demonstrate how to build one successfully to make that beautiful, rich, black substance we call “gardener’s gold”.
MYRIAD BOTANICAL GARDENS
The following workshops are located at Myriad Botanical Gardens 301 W Reno. Prices vary. Call 445-7080, or go to www. myriadgardens.org for information or to register. Ladies’ Night Out: Floral Designs, 7 to 8:30 p.m. July 20, 2nd Floor Conference Room. Gather your friends, sisters and mother for a party with light refreshments and soothing tunes as you learn the basics and finer points of fashioning floral arrangements. No experience necessary. Please bring pruners and a bag to take your arrangements home. Cost is $45 for members, $55 for nonmembers. Register by July 16.
Designing Your Fall Garden, 10 a.m. to noon July 21, Second Floor Conference Room. Fall vegetable gardening can be one of the most pleasant times to grow your own food in Oklahoma. In this class, backyard kitchen gardener and owner of My Raggedy Herbs, Lori Coats, will discuss planning an autumn garden space, identifying proper planting dates and selecting the best-suited varieties for Zone 7. Cost is $14 for members, $19 for nonmembers. Register by July 19.
Smart Gardening: Growing Food Made Easy, 10 a.m. to noon July 28, Second Floor Conference Room and Garden Grounds. Dale Spoonemore, a self-taught horticulturist, who transformed his once empty backyard into an efficient organic food farm, will discuss how he embraced innovative gardening approaches to expand nutritional selections including his self-designed subsistence gardening smartphone app. Cost is $10 for members, $12 for nonmembers. Register by July 26.
EVENTS
Gardens Walking Tour, 10 to 11 a.m. July 28, South Lobby and Garden Grounds, Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 S Reno. Learn about Oklahoma plants the Myriad Garden’s educational walking tours. Each month features different plants from its outdoor collection that make great choices for our region. Selfguided plant tour handouts are available in the South Lobby. Walkups welcome. Free.
HELPLINE: For answers to horticulture questions, call the Oklahoma County Cooperative Extension at 713-1125, 8 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. Monday-Friday and ask to speak to a Master Gardener. Questions via email may be sent to okmganswers @gmail.com.