HOME AND GARDEN NOTES

CALENDAR

To submit items, call Melissa Howell at 4753770 or send email to mhowell@oklahoman. com. Reference “Home and garden calendar.” Please submit items at least 10 days before publication.

MEETINGS

Oklahoma Orchid Society, 1 p.m. Sunday, Will Rogers Exhibition Center, 3400 NW 36. Special guest speaker is Fred Clarke of Sunset Valley Orchids.

Central Oklahoma Hemerocallis Society, 6 to 8:15 p.m. Friday, Will Rogers Exhibition Center, 3400 NW 36.

Apogon Iris Garden Club, noon Sept. 26, 12621 Cobblestone Parkway. Program is “Feeding your winter friends: Birds and types of food” by Cheryl McIntosh.

Central Oklahoma Beekeepers Association, 7 to 9 p.m. Sept. 27, Will Rogers Exhibition Center, 3400 NW 36.

Oklahoma Horticulture Society Fall Meeting, 2 to 3 p.m. Sept. 29, The Botanic Garden at Oklahoma State University, Stillwater. Guest speaker is Brian Kanotz with King’s Mums. Meeting will follow GardenFest.

Oklahoma Gardeners Association, 9:30 a.m. Oct. 3 Will Rogers Exhibition Center, 3400 NW 36. Mike Schnelle, endowed professor of floriculture at Oklahoma State University will discuss “Shrubs of Oklahoma.” Free and open to the public.

WORKSHOPS

OKLAHOMA CITY COMMUNITY FOUNDATION

Ready, Set, Grow: Beyond the Harvest, 6:30 to 8 p.m. Sept. 24, Room 196, OSU Agriculture Resource Center, 400 N Portland Ave. The fourth in a series of five, this session will focus on summer harvest successes, fall harvest expectations and how to incorporate fresh, healthy fruits and vegetables into a meal plan after the growing season is over. Featured speakers are Buy for Less registered dietitian Becky Varner and Oklahoma City Community Foundation horticulturist and landscape architect Brian Dougherty. Free community event. Register by Sept. 17 to m.bays@occf.org.

COMMONWEALTH URBAN FARMS

The following workshop is 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 onsite with cash or check for individual classes or purchase a season membership online. No registration required. Go to commonwealth urbanfarms.com for information or season passes.

Three Cheers for Lactic Acid Bacteria! 11 a.m. to noon Sept. 22. Learn about one of the components of the Korean Natural Farming method of cultivating indigenous microorganism to maintain soil fertility with no external inputs. David Braden, co-founder of CommonWealth Urban Farms, will show how he makes lactic acid bacteria and uses it for faster composting, odor prevention, soil fertility and foliar sprays. Free samples available.

MYRIAD BOTANICAL GARDENS The following workshops are at Myriad Botanical Gardens 301 W Reno. Prices vary. Call 4457080, or go to www. myriadgardens.org for information or to register.

Family Workshop: Mushrooms and Gnomes in the Gardens, 1 to 2 p.m. Saturday. Learn about the basic types of mushrooms and where they grow. Then finish by making mushrooms and gnomes out of recycled materials, making a little scene to take home and display in a garden or window. Cost is $6 for members, $8 for nonmembers. Best for ages 6 through 10.

Growing Your Fall Garden,6 to 8 p.m. Thursday. Dale Spoonemore with Seed to Spoon, will guide you in growing the highest quality produce in cooler temperatures. He will also demonstrate helpful techniques in growing and harvesting a backyard garden with ease. Cost is $10 for members, $12 for nonmembers.

Harvesting and Preserving Herbs, 10 a.m. to noon Sept. 22. Join Lori Coats, Backyard Kitchen Gardener and owner of My Raggedy Herbs, and learn how stressfree it is to harvest and preserve your bounty. No more wasting your precious produce. Discover tips and techniques for drying, freezing and utilizing the herbs that you have grown. Cost is $14 for members, $19 for nonmembers.

EVENTS

Basilmania! 7 to 9 p.m. Friday, SixTwelve, 612 NW 29 sponsored by CommonWealth Urban Farms and Closer to Earth. Celebrate the end of the basil season with basil-themed food and drink. Local chefs, including Elana Hughes, of Elemental, and Levi Hunt, of Scratch Kitchen & Cocktails, will serve culinary creations featuring basil for attendees while they enjoy live music, a silent auction and support urban agriculture and education. All proceeds go toward sustaining the work of CommonWealth Urban Farms and Closer to Earth. Admission is $25 per person and includes two drink tickets and basilthemed hors d’oeuvres. Purchase tickets at CommonWealth Urban Farms on Facebook.

GardenFest, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sept. 29, The Botanic Garden at Oklahoma State University, Stillwater. Event will include children’s activities, vendors, food and presentations on growing hemp and working with sand hydroponics.

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.