By Matthew Appleby
Thursday, 13 February 2014

Great British Bake Off winner Jo Wheatley says hybrid pastries such as crookies, cronuts, jonuts, cragels, cupnuts, cheeselovas and townies could be options for garden centre caterers wanting to keep up with foodie trends she finds through social media.

Speaking at the HTA catering conference in Coventry, the BBC TV show winner said Van Hage Ware was her favourite garden centre, where she visited the cafe and bought ‘bootfuls’ of products.

She said cannoli and mini cupcakes as well as traditional cakes such as lemon drizzle, teacakes, rocky road, traybakes and Victoria sponge were trendy.

Tea campaigner Jemma Swallow said the ‘theatre of tea’ was a trend, despite the projected £8.7bn UK coffee market for 2018.

She said UK-grown tea “did not make the cut” in her ranges but matcha, puerh and white tea were exclusive beverages set to become more mainstream. 

The Garden Centre Group food and beverage director Jason Danciger gave a history of catered coffee. He praised Tesco for buying coffee chain Harris  Hoole and said the branded coffee shop market would be worth £4.1bn in 7,000 outlets by 2018.

Photo of Christine Laemer at Tropical Garden Cooking Classes, by Arianna McKinney for Voice of Guanacaste

A year ago, in August of 2012, Christine Laemer went for a mammogram and found out she had breast cancer. This news changed her lifestyle and diet completely, and now she is sharing some of what she has learned about health and nutrition through Tropical Garden Cooking Classes.

Originally from Germany, Laemer has lived in Samara for more than 20 years now. She related that she was a vegetarian before coming to Costa Rica, but after marrying a Costa Rican, she adapted to the local diet. Through the years, she noticed that she suffered from frequent headaches and infections and when she was diagnosed with cancer, she realized her immune system must be weak.

After having surgery in October of 2012, she began researching other treatments besides chemotherapy, which she decided against. In the process, she learned that many people successfully battled cancer through diet. She decided to try to do the same, cutting out coffee, sugar and processed foods and eating mainly vegetables and juicing, along with a little fish, nuts and whole grains.

“When I changed my diet, I quickly saw improvements. My headaches went away, I looked younger, I lost weight,” she noted. “I felt like I was before. I found myself again. I remembered the passion of preparing a nice salad again and taking time for yourself and putting love into your food, and that love comes back to you.”

As others in the community, even people she didn’t really know, began to take note of the changes she had made, the idea of offering classes developed. She is offering two types of hands-on classes.

The cultural cooking class explores the Costa Rican food heritage with a healthy twist, for example learning to make empanadas in a pan instead of fried in oil, as well as learning to cook over a wood fire. Other possible menu items include gallo pinto, tortillas, fried cheese, plantains, tamales, traditional rices and more.

On the other hand, the nutritional cooking class focuses on living a healthy lifestyle with a nutritional balanced diet to feel better, younger, healthier, more empowered and happier. This class features juicing, homemade lemonade with ginger to detox, and how to prepare dishes such as hummus, garbanzo burgers or veggy casseroles.

“I love the natural setting and that she uses all local ingredients,” commented Keisha Boulais, who attended one of the classes. “It was very informative. I learned a lot about how to eat healthy using local ingredients.”

The classes are held at her home right next to the Buena Vista River, about 5 kilometers from Samara and include a tour of her garden, which includes numerous varieties of fruit trees, herbs and other plants.

Classes can be for lunch, dinner or both, including a bonfire cookout at night. Groups of one to four are welcome, and personalized individual sessions are also available. To schedule a class or get more information about healthy cooking in the tropics of Costa Rica, call 8320-2358.

Article Voice of Guanacaste

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Originally published: February 10, 2014 7:18 PM
Updated: February 10, 2014 7:24 PM

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

A new home owner’s pre-built Sunshine GardenHouse, on Feb. 4, 2013, was made from a kit to greatly extend the growing season. (Credit: AP / Dean Fosdick)

Galleries

16 plants for a healthy garden



Helping critters in winter



Invasive plants and local alternatives

Americans are a restless bunch. They change locations with a frequency that would tire a migrating songbird.

But there is more to moving day than unpacking boxes; there’s also learning to care for that garden inherited with the new home.

If you were thinking ahead, you asked for an inventory of the plants and accessories that came with the house.

PHOTOS: Plants that promote a healthy garden | Invasive plants and alternatives | Your garden photos | Helping critters in winter

MORE: Garden Detective blog | Gardening 101

“There’s no problem with asking owners for a list of landscape items and for an explanation about the plantings,” said Shirley French, an agent with the Woodstock, Va., office of Funkhouser Real Estate Group. “Usually, the owners are more than happy to give you a list. In fact, if they know the purchasers are interested, that will make for good feelings on both sides.”

Gardening priorities are determined mostly by the seasons. You won’t be mowing the lawn in February, although you might be combing the seed catalogs.

But where to start with a newly purchased property?

Michael Becker, president of Estate Gardeners Inc. in Omaha, Neb., suggests that putting safety first.

“Check out the dangers,” said Becker, a spokesman for Planet, the Professional Landcare Network that certifies green industry professionals. “Are the retaining walls stable? Are any trees leaning or diseased with dead branches?

“Assess the hardscape,” Becker said. “Is anything heaving, creating tripping hazards? Examine the drainage around the house. More often than not, it isn’t correct and may be damaging the structure. Bring in some professionals to help sort things out.”

As for plantings, be patient with the perennials.

“Go through the seasonal changes,” Becker said. “Learn what things look like in your yard. Determine if it’s aesthetically what you want, or if it’s so high-maintenance you won’t have the time to care for it. Most perennials need pruning and deadheading.”

Other things to consider when dealing with an unfamiliar landscape:

— Make note of the average frost dates. Do soil tests. Map the yard for sun and shade. “If you live in the city and all you have is a porch or a patio to work with, where is all that water going to go that you’ll be putting on plants?” asked Josh Kane, president and head designer at Kane Landscapes Inc. in Sterling, Va. “Also, where do you get the water? You’ll have to figure out how to care for everything.”

— Water fixtures. “Look for care instructions when dealing with special features,” Kane said. “A lot of people get put off or are scared of things like koi ponds, pools and fountains that require startups, maintenance and attention during the seasons.”

— Don’t try to do everything the first year. Mulching will keep the weeds down. Composting will improve the soil. Bringing in some annuals for window boxes, hanging baskets or containers will provide instant color. “Nothing gives you as much impact in a garden as planting annuals,” Kane said.

— Anticipate. Avoid planting trees or shrubs near sewer or water lines, to prevent root damage. Study the plat map for restrictions that could prevent expansions or additions. “A lot of people might want to build a big outdoor room or pool and find they can’t do it because of an easement on the property,” Kane said.

THE BEST URBAN HOME GARDENING SECRETS

With the diverse climatic conditions, gardening and garden care becomes a little difficult. Every plant has a sustainable quality for different Indian climates.

There are different gardening tips for different Indian climate. In this article we will discuss a few common gardening tips for Indian gardens.

1.Selection of the plant – The first gardening tip for Indian climate is the selection of plants. The plants, shrubs or flowers selected for your garden should be compatible with the climate of your area. It is pointless to choose a water requiring plant in an area which has dry climate. Similarly, it is not fruitful to choose a temperature sensitive plant in an area with extreme weather conditions.

2. Fighting abilities – Indian climate is unpredictable. Therefore, a good gardening tip would include use of plants which have high resistance to climatic conditions, diseases and soil conditions. Use plants that are sturdy to survive every climatic challenge thrown on them.

3.Easy to care – When using plants for gardening, chose such plants that have minimal maintenance. Indian climate varies drastically in every area. High maintenance plants are tough to grow as you need to put in a lot of care for the plants. Also, the survival of low maintenance plants is much higher than high maintenance plants. DO YOU CARE FOR YOUR POTTED PLANTS?

4.Water – Water is the basic necessity of plants. Chose a plant with minimal water requirement if you live in an arid or semi arid regions. Chose a plant which can survive with excess water if you live in a wet area with heavy rains. Water should be provided to the plants according to their needs.

5.Sunlight – Sunlight is needed for the growth of plants. Whatever climatic condition you are living in, you must make sure that the plants in your garden should be exposed to sunlight for a minimum of 3 hours in a day. This is an important gardening tip for Indian gardens.

6.Seasonal rotation – Use seasonal plants in your garden to enhance the soil fertility and maintain quality of plants. Change plants according to their suitable seasons. This gardening tip is good for people who can regularly change their garden plants and have ample time to redo the garden every season.

Gene Bush, of Munchkin Nursery Gardens in southern Indiana, had a few important lessons and a long list of recommended plants for his listeners at a recent program entitled “10 Months of Bloom from Perennials in the Shade Garden.”

The program was sponsored by the Capital Area Extension Master Gardeners and the Franklin County Council of Garden Clubs and was held at the Franklin County Extension Office.

Bush shared three lessons he has learned through experience that might be of benefit to someone just starting a shade garden.

Layering: This concept involves placing in one area plants that will come into their prime at different times. Early spring beauties will arrive even before the official beginning of spring and then as their foliage dies down the later spring species will surface and fill up the vacant spot to be followed later by the plants that will dominate for summer and fall.

Let Mother Nature have her way with the plants that want to multiply and spread their seeds as volunteers in unexpected places. This is actually the best way to create the look of a natural woodland setting and saves you from a lot of unnecessary “control” maneuvers that involve bending, stooping, cutting and digging.

Free yourself up to experiment by using books, the Internet and gardening friends to make your best educated guess about which plants will thrive in your particular environment considering light, soil and water requirements — then just give it a try.

Most plants will give you a grace period of two or three years before they give up completely. Watch them carefully and if they do not appear to be thriving move them to a spot that would offer them more of what they seem to be lacking.

Suggestions
These suggestions are a sample of what is available and recommended.
Spring bloomers may include Lenten Rose (Hellebore), Wood Phlox (Phlox divaricata) and Celandine Poppy (Stylophorum diphyllum). The foliage of the poppy will go dormant after blooming and so will need something planted nearby that will come later to layer over the spot.

Christmas Fern, Autumn Fern and other ferns are some of the choices for this. The poppy and the phlox will also seed themselves and volunteer around the garden. Later in spring Virginia Bluebells (Mertensia) and Bleeding Hearts (Dicentra) provide pink and blue color for the garden. The foliage of Bleeding Hearts will go dormant after bloom and a possible layering plant to come along afterward to fill in the spot would be the variegated Solomon’s Seal (Polygonatum variegata).

In June and July the Japanese Shade Grass (Hakonechloa macra “Aureola”) has a glowing yellow color and cascading type foliage that offers a bright spot and interesting texture. The blue flowers of Downy Skullcap (Scutellaria incana) have blue blooms and also provide a favorite nectaring spot for butterflies.

With many of the flowering plants of June and July it is good to remember that they should receive “high shade.” In other words, they don’t require sun, but they do require light.

Late summer, fall
In August through October, the Cardinal Flowers (Lobelia cardinalis) are reliable for their bright red color. There are a number of fall blooming anemones blooming during this time and Asters are a must, as well.

Snow Flurry is one that will bloom in the shade with delicate white flowers. The hardy Begonia (Begonia grandis) makes a wonderful groundcover during the summer and then as fall arrives contributes its flowers of rosy pink on sprays of about 10 inches in height.

In November and December the garden is working its way toward dormancy but there is still much interest to be had. The Siberian Hardy Geranium (Geranium wiassovianum) has colorful foliage and the blooms of Barker’s Monkshood (Aconitum Barker’s), which started in October, continue right through frost.

A shade garden of perennials can offer something new in every season. The gardener will find on his daily walks that there is always something changing in the plant world — coming or going. Add a bench, a bird feeder, perhaps a birdbath and you will have created even more interest and a reason to leave the couch and the TV and go explore in your own backyard.

Bush’s complete program can be viewed on Cable 10 beginning at 3 p.m. Thursday. His website is http://www.munchkinnursery.com.

North Americans are a restless bunch. They change locations with a frequency that would tire a migrating songbird.

But there is more to moving day than unpacking boxes; there’s also learning to care for that garden inherited with the new home.

If you were thinking ahead, you asked for an inventory of the plants and accessories that came with the house.

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“There’s no problem with asking owners for a list of landscape items and for an explanation about the plantings,” said Shirley French, an agent with the Woodstock, Va., office of Funkhouser Real Estate Group. “Usually, the owners are more than happy to give you a list. In fact, if they know the purchasers are interested, that will make for good feelings on both sides.”

Gardening priorities are determined mostly by the seasons. You won’t be mowing the lawn in February, although you might be combing the seed catalogues.

But where to start with a newly purchased property?

Michael Becker, president of Estate Gardeners Inc. in Omaha, Neb., suggests that putting safety first.

“Check out the dangers,” said Becker, a spokesman for Planet, the Professional Landcare Network that certifies green industry professionals. “Are the retaining walls stable? Are any trees leaning or diseased with dead branches?

“Assess the hardscape,” Becker said. “Is anything heaving, creating tripping hazards? Examine the drainage around the house. More often than not, it isn’t correct and may be damaging the structure. Bring in some professionals to help sort things out.”

As for plantings, be patient with the perennials.

“Go through the seasonal changes,” Becker said. “Learn what things look like in your yard. Determine if it’s aesthetically what you want, or if it’s so high-maintenance you won’t have the time to care for it. Most perennials need pruning and deadheading.”

Other things to consider when dealing with an unfamiliar landscape:

• Make note of the average frost dates. Do soil tests. Map the yard for sun and shade. “If you live in the city and all you have is a porch or a patio to work with, where is all that water going to go that you’ll be putting on plants?” asked Josh Kane, president and head designer at Kane Landscapes Inc. in Sterling, Va. “Also, where do you get the water? You’ll have to figure out how to care for everything.”
• Water fixtures. “Look for care instructions when dealing with special features,” Kane said. “A lot of people get put off or are scared of things like koi ponds, pools and fountains that require startups, maintenance and attention during the seasons.”
• Don’t try to do everything the first year. Mulching will keep the weeds down. Composting will improve the soil. Bringing in some annuals for window boxes, hanging baskets or containers will provide instant colour. “Nothing gives you as much impact in a garden as planting annuals,” Kane said.
• Anticipate. Avoid planting trees or shrubs near sewer or water lines, to prevent root damage. Study the plat map for restrictions that could prevent expansions or additions. “A lot of people might want to build a big outdoor room or pool and find they can’t do it because of an easement on the property,” Kane said.

© The Associated Press, 2014

Americans are a restless bunch. They change locations with a frequency that would tire a migrating songbird.

But there is more to moving day than unpacking boxes; there’s also learning to care for that garden inherited with the new home.

If you were thinking ahead, you asked for an inventory of the plants and accessories that came with the house.

“There’s no problem with asking owners for a list of landscape items and for an explanation about the plantings,” said Shirley French, an agent with the Woodstock, Va., office of Funkhouser Real Estate Group. “Usually, the owners are more than happy to give you a list. In fact, if they know the purchasers are interested, that will make for good feelings on both sides.”

Gardening priorities are determined mostly by the seasons. You won’t be mowing the lawn in February, although you might be combing the seed catalogs.

But where to start with a newly purchased property?

Michael Becker, president of Estate Gardeners Inc. in Omaha, Neb., suggests that putting safety first.

“Check out the dangers,” said Becker, a spokesman for Planet, the Professional Landcare Network that certifies green industry professionals. “Are the retaining walls stable? Are any trees leaning or diseased with dead branches?

“Assess the hardscape,” Becker said. “Is anything heaving, creating tripping hazards? Examine the drainage around the house. More often than not, it isn’t correct and may be damaging the structure. Bring in some professionals to help sort things out.”

As for plantings, be patient with the perennials.

“Go through the seasonal changes,” Becker said. “Learn what things look like in your yard. Determine if it’s aesthetically what you want, or if it’s so high-maintenance you won’t have the time to care for it. Most perennials need pruning and deadheading.”

Other things to consider when dealing with an unfamiliar landscape:

— Make note of the average frost dates. Do soil tests. Map the yard for sun and shade. “If you live in the city and all you have is a porch or a patio to work with, where is all that water going to go that you’ll be putting on plants?” asked Josh Kane, president and head designer at Kane Landscapes Inc. in Sterling, Va. “Also, where do you get the water? You’ll have to figure out how to care for everything.”

— Water fixtures. “Look for care instructions when dealing with special features,” Kane said. “A lot of people get put off or are scared of things like koi ponds, pools and fountains that require startups, maintenance and attention during the seasons.”

— Don’t try to do everything the first year. Mulching will keep the weeds down. Composting will improve the soil. Bringing in some annuals for window boxes, hanging baskets or containers will provide instant color. “Nothing gives you as much impact in a garden as planting annuals,” Kane said.

— Anticipate. Avoid planting trees or shrubs near sewer or water lines, to prevent root damage. Study the plat map for restrictions that could prevent expansions or additions. “A lot of people might want to build a big outdoor room or pool and find they can’t do it because of an easement on the property,” Kane said.

———

You can contact Dean Fosdick at deanfosdick@netscape.net

Want to say it with flowers? Here are my top tips

Visit your local florist and take your pick of loose blooms in buckets. Orchids or other big exotic tropical blooms are well worth considering as an alternative to a ready-made bouquet of red roses. 

Instead of a single bunch of flowers on the big day, sign up for a service that sends a bouquet every month for a year (see www.interflora.co.uk). 

Pot plants make a good alternative to cut flowers as they last a lot longer – a big plus point with ecologically minded recipients. Choose something showy – phalaenopsis (moth orchid) is a firm favourite. Sometimes spotted or striped, it comes in cream, white and yellow, as well as various shades of pink, from pale to raspberry. Miniature moth orchids, about six inches tall, are also charming, and cheap enough to make your own display, with several plunged in water to the rims of their pots in a pretty bowl filled with moss. Other good alternatives include anthurium, which has vaguely heart-shaped leaves and flowers (big and bright red, which are actually bracts), or gardenia, which has superbly scented white flowers that will be out now.  

When you really want to show a garden- lover you care, choose something that will give them long-lasting enjoyment, such as their favourite hard-to-find shrub (you can locate this via the RHS Plant Finder, either the printed book version or online at www.rhs.org.uk). Depending on your budget, you could treat them to anything from a cold frame to a top-of-the-range, stainless-steel gardening implement, ready-to-assemble wooden potting bench, tiered staging for conservatory plant displays, or even a little lean-to greenhouse. 

If they love visiting gardens, a picnic hamper, rug, folding seats, camping stove and thermos jugs always turn it into more of an outing. Better still, make an occasion of it by booking a Valentine’s lunch at the eatery of your favourite garden centre with an afternoon’s shopping thrown in.

Consider annual membership of the RHS or National Trust, or tickets for Chelsea or another big flower show (buy online at www.rhs.org.uk). Or how about a weekend gardening course or short holiday (a visit to the Dutch bulb fields perhaps)? Present the details on the day in a decorated envelope – accompanied by flowers, of course.

Question: I’m looking for environmentally safe ways to keep cats from “doing their businessâ€� in my butterfly garden as well as in the mulch around my trees.

Answer: Cat urine is quite potent. Not only is the odor bothersome, but the salts and nitrogen contained in it can burn plant foliage and roots. Plus, feline fecal matter can contain a number of pathogens, including roundworms, parasitic nematodes and Toxoplasma gondii (a parasite which causes the disease Toxoplasmosis).

Doing your best to keep kitty from using your garden as a litter box is a good idea.

Here are a few possible solutions:

Let’s start with two mechanical deterrents.

Motion-activated sprinklers, such as the Scarecrow by Contech (available through Amazon.com, Petco.com, and others), can be hooked up to the garden hose. They send a sharp burst of water whenever motion is sensed in the area, scaring away cats, dogs, deer and rowdy teenagers.

Another idea is a motion-activated ultrasonic device that emits a high-frequency sound whenever movement is sensed in the area, sending cats elsewhere. CatStop is one brand that’s available from retailers.

Cats prefer to dig before they “go,â€� so a simple physical barrier of chicken wire or plastic bird netting laid down over the soil and pinned into place will keep them from digging up the garden. You can cut holes through the netting and plant right through it or just lay strips of chicken wire around the perimeter of the garden. Most cats don’t like walking over it, either.

I’ve heard of people placing all manner of sharp-edged objects in their flower beds in an effort to keep cats from doing their business. I caution you against this, as you don’t want to harm the cat or any other wildlife (or children) who might be exploring.

Another commonly touted solution is to spread citrus peels, black pepper powder or crushed cayenne in the area. I haven’t had much success with these solutions, but I do know some gardeners who swear by them.

Be aware that you’ll need to replace them regularly to aid in their effectiveness. Lastly, I offer what might possibly be the easiest, least-expensive and most effective way to keep cats out of your garden: build them one of their own. Cats love catnip (Nepeta cataria and several other Nepeta species).

Purchase a few plants and tuck them into an out-of-the-way area of your yard. Near the plants, dig a shallow pit and fill it with fine-grained sand. Cats will much prefer to use this new sandbox area instead of your garden.

You might even find them lounging in the catnip on sunny summer days.

Horticulturist Jessica Walliser co-hosts “The Organic Gardeners� at 7 a.m. Sundays on KDKA Radio. She is the author of several gardening books, including “Grow Organic� and “Good Bug, Bad Bug.� Her website is www.jessicawalliser.com.

Send your gardening or landscaping questions to tribliving@tribweb.com or The Good Earth, 503 Martindale St., 3rd Floor, D.L. Clark Building, Pittsburgh, PA 15212.

Saturday

The ABCs of Home Composting: with Master Gardener Ken Steblein. 9-11:30 a.m. at Galveston County AgriLife Extension Service, 4102 Main, La Marque; 281-534-3413, aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/galveston. Free.

Growing Camellias in Houston: 10-11:30 a.m. at Maas Nursery, 5511 Todville, Seabrook; 281-474-2488; register at maasnursery.com. $40 plus tax, includes plant, pot.

Make Your Bed: with Mike Debrowski of Soil Mender Products. 10 a.m. at Enchanted Forest, 10611 FM 2759, Richmond, 281-937-9449; 2 p.m. at Enchanted Gardens, 6420 FM 359, Richmond, 281-341-1206; myenchanted.com. Free.

Grow Astonishing Indoor Orchids: 10:15 a.m. at Cornelius Nursery, 1200 N. Dairy Ashford and 2233 S. Voss; calloways.com/clinics. Free.

Floral Valentine Workshop: 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at Cornelius Nursery, 1200 N. Dairy Ashford and 2233 S. Voss; calloways.com/clinics. Free.

Kitchen Gardening: with Master Gardener Mary Demeny. 1-3 p.m. at Galveston County AgriLife Extension Service, 4102 Main, La Marque; 281-534-3413, aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/galveston. Free.

Bed Preparation Basics: with Mark Bowen. 1:30-3:30 p.m. at Wabash Feed and Garden Store, 5701 Washington; 713-863-8322, wabashfeed.com. Free.

Saturday-Sunday

Texas Home and Garden Show: 10 a.m.–7 p.m. Saturday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday at Reliant Center, Hall A, 1 Reliant Park; texashomeandgarden.com. $10, ages 14 and younger free.

Sunday

Backyard composting workshop:Part 1, 2-3:15 p.m., Part 2, 3:30-5 p.m. at the Houston Arboretum and Nature Center, 4501 Woodway; 713-681-8433, register at houstonarboretum.org. Part 1: $20 members, $30 nonmembers; Part 2: $80 members, $95 nonmembers; both parts: $90 members, $115 nonmembers.

Monday

What to Plant and Do Now:with Terry Gardener. Houston Urban Gardeners program. 6:30 p.m. at the Metropolitan Multi-Services Center, 1475 W. Gray; houstonurbangardeners.org. Free.

Tuesday

Spring Vegetable Gardening: Master Gardener Green Thumb lecture on Tuesdays. 6:30-8:30 p.m. Tuesday at Clear Lake Park, 5001 NASA Parkway, Seabrook; 10 a.m.-noon Feb. 15 at Maude Smith Marks Library, 1815 Westgreen, Katy; 6:30-8:30 p.m. Feb. 18 at Recipe for Success, 4400 Yupon and 6:30-8:30 p.m. Feb. 20 at the Trini Mendenhall Sosa Community Center, 1414 Wirt; hcmga.tamu.edu. Free.

Wednesday

Sugar, Sex and Poison: Plant Secrets Caught on Camera: with William Cullina. Nancy Stallworth Thomas Horticulture Lecture. 9:30 a.m. coffee, 10 a.m. program at St. Martin’s Church, 717 Sage; gchouston.org. Free.

To Bee or Not To Bee: Beneficial Insects vs. Chemical Control: with Mary Ann Beauchemin, naturalist and educator from Nature Discovery Center in Bellaire. 10 a.m. at Godwin Park Community Center, 5101 Rutherglenn. Free.

Lunch Bunch: Pre-Hispanic Uses of Cacti and Succulents Among Indigenous People: with Liliana Rodriguez Cracraft of the Houston Cacti and Succulent Society. Noon-2 p.m. at Mercer Arboretum and Botanic Gardens, 22306 Aldine Westfield; reservations, 281-443-8731. Free.

Thursday

Free annual rose pruning demonstrations and rose bush giveaway: with rosarians of the Houston Rose Society. 7:30 p.m. in the parish hall of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, 1819 Heights; houstonrose.org. Free.

Feb. 15

Urban Fores-Tree Keeper: 9 a.m.-noon at Trees for Houston, 10401 Stella Link; register at treesforhouston.org. or brooke@treesforhouston.org. Free for members, $20 for nonmembers, includes course materials and 1- to 3-gallon native tree.

Precinct 2 Harris County Master Gardeners fruit tree seminar and sale:seminar 8 a.m., sale 9 a.m.-1 p.m. at 7600 Red Bluff; 281-855-5600, hcmga.tamu.edu. Free.

Texas Master Naturalist Program:11 classes begin Feb. 15 locations in Fort Bend and Waller counties; 832-922-0524 or txmn.org/coastal. $150.