All of our events are free! Donations for educational workshops are greatly appreciated to help cover the cost of supplies.

All events are located at Ploughshares Nursery 2701 Main Street Alameda unless otherwise noted.

Bay-Friendly Advisory Table
Saturday, March 20, 2010
11am-2pm

Bay-Friendly Edible Garden Workshop
Saturday, April 17, 2010
10am-1pm

Bay-Friendly Bay Area Garden Tour
Sunday, April 25, 2010
10am-4pm

*To sign up for the complete Bay-Friendly Garden Tour which includes stops at over 40 public and private gardens, register at the Bay-Friendly website by April 16.

Bring Back the Natives Super Sale!
Saturday, April 24 and Sunday, April 25, 2010
All Day

Children's Day/Garden Crafts for Children
June 19, 2010
10am-2pm

Growing, Harvesting, and Preserving Herbs
Date: TBD
10am-Noon

In this workshop we’ll cover ways to harvest and preserve various herbs for later use, decorations, or even thoughtful gifts. We’ll include a mix of culinary and medicinal plants and cover many of their respective uses. Most of the supplies will be available at the nursery but bring a decorative bottle with a rubber stopper and we will even make herb cooking oils from our herbs here at the nursery!

Lovely Lavender
Date: TBD
10am-Noon

Crafting with lavender extravaganza! There are millions of uses and applications for lavender; lavender wands and satchels are two of the small projects we will cover in this workshop. Most of the necessary materials will be available at the nursery but please bring your favorite slender ribbons, pretty scraps of fabric, clippers, etc. for more variety and fun. You may also bring your own lavender flowers that you trimmed up in the morning (just make sure the stems are at least 8” long).

Gourd Carving
Date: TBD
10am-Noon

Gourds are incredible natural canvases for art. Many cultures around the world have used decorative gourds for hundreds of years as water vessels, musical instruments, ceremonial masks, jewelry, and bowls. This introductory workshop covers basic curing, cleaning, decoration and carving techniques. We'll apply the skills to make a birdhouse, musical shaker, or bowl for you to take home. Most materials will be provided but stay tuned for any that you might or need to bring.

Building Rustic Garden Art
Date: TBD
10am-Noon

What more can you do with the extra branches, twigs and vines pruned in your garden? Creating things with natural materials is a wonderful way to make use of that excess debris! A coat rack, trellis, musical instrument, or vegetable baskets are just a few of the items that can be crafted from your yard waste or other found items. In this workshop we’ll cover a few simple and entertaining garden projects that might turn you into a passionate garden artist! You don’t need to be an experienced woodworker to do the projects, just bring a little passion and patience and your creativity will come alive!

Flashy Flowerpots
Date: TBD
10am-Noon

Terracotta flowerpots are one of the most useful, inexpensive and widely available containers but they can become bland and monotonous. In this workshop we’ll learn ways of modifying and beautifying ordinary terracotta into something much more than a just container for holding plants. You’ll have a chance to create something personal and tailored to your tastes with the satisfaction of knowing that you made it yourself. No prior experience necessary, just come and have a good time! We have many pots available for you to use, or bring in an old one. Materials will be provided but feel free to bring in old paintbrushes, sponges, stencils or anything else you can think of that might aid in the experience.

Companion Planting
Date: TBD

10am-Noon

The idea that certain plants can benefit others when planted next to, or close to, one another is the general basis of companion planting. Practicing this form of gardening benefits plants by giving them pest control and fertilization naturally without the need to use chemicals. In many cases companion planting can give a higher crop yield.  In this workshop we’ll discuss the basics of companion planting as well as do some hands on “gettin’ dirty” work. Be sure to wear grubby clothes, gloves and a pair of clippers.

Container Gardening

Date: TBD
10am-Noon

Some folks get discouraged when living in an urban area where personal garden space is limited. But even the smallest patio or porch can boast a crop of vegetables or a garden of flowers when planting in containers. In this informative workshop you'll learn how to select containers, how to choose a good potting mix or make your own, how to plant and care for your container gardens, which plants are best for containers, and more! We’ll be doing hands-on work so please wear appropriate gardening clothes and accoutrements.

Slow Food is an idea, a way of living and a way of eating. It is a grassroots movement around the world that pairs the pleasure of food with a commitment to community and the environment. Come learn about the movement, collect resources and friends, join a local chapter, and enjoy being part of a delicious greater cause! Welcoming Kate Casale of Alameda Point Collaborative's Growing Youth Project. 

Everybody Loves Worms
Date: TBD

Why compost? Because recycling organic waste allows us to return desperately needed organic matter to the soil. Why compost with worms? Because it’s super cool and efficient!  Worm composting is a method for recycling food waste into a rich, dark soil conditioner. The great advantage of worm composting is that it can be done indoors and outdoors, allowing for small space year round composting. There will be a demonstration with some hands-on worm coddling, information on where to find worms and their houses, and worm-composting starter kits for sale. Welcoming Micki of Bay Worms.

If you’re like us, one of the best parts of spring and summer is the chance to plant, grow, and harvest tomatoes. We’ve been waiting all year and now finally we can get our hands dirty and our salsa recipes perfected! Join us in welcoming Helen Krayenhoff of the illustrious Kassenhoff Growers to this highly anticipated workshop. Tips and techniques for growing tomatoes will be covered plus a tremendously tasty sale on all tomatoes and tomato related items.

10am-Noon

We welcome you to Alameda Point Collaborative’s new state of the art commercial kitchen where we will introduce easy food preservation techniques and recipes featuring locally grown ingredients. This is an essential basic workshop for those who seek healthy food that retains nutritional value all year round.  Supplies to bring are to be announced. Workshop located at Alameda Point Collaborative's main office, 677 W. Ranger Rd Alameda (right down the block from Ploughshares Nursery).

10am-Noon

Since there is a limited amount of water that can be used before significant environmental consequences impact us all, it is sensible to use plants that are native to our region or from a climate that is very similar. Drought tolerant, California native, xeriscape, and water wise are the vernacular that we use in the Bay Area. In this workshop we will help you choose plants and cover design basics that are both beautiful and appropriate. No need to fear! There are so many plants well adapted to our climate that almost any garden style can be created. Come by to get an idea, be inspired, ask questions or whatever you need to help make that move from water-wasting to water-savvy.

10am-Noon

Fill your garden with things covered in recycled pieces of broken china and tile. Create colorful garden art from objects like shovels, tables, bricks, pavers, and terra-cotta pots. Mosaics are great fun to do and require only simple and inexpensive household items! This workshop covers the basics of turning random objects into fine mosaic pieces. Bring your old china, tile, mirrors, as well as any object that you would like to decorate (make sure it is inflexible) and we’ll provide the rest. 

10am-Noon

Bamboo is a wonderfully versatile building material and one of the world’s most renewable resources. It’s lightweight, strong, and flexible, and it looks at home in most garden settings. At Ploughshares we have bamboo to spare and we need help putting this useful material to good use. Learn bamboo-building basics including simple designs and lashing techniques while creating your own trellis for pennies on the dollar!  Bring a sharp set of clippers, loppers, and we’ll provide the rest.

Building a Flower Press/Collecting and Working with Pressed Flowers
Date: TBD

10am-Noon

Pressing flowers is super simple, fun, and it doesn't require any expensive or hard-to-find equipment. You don't have to be very artistic, the flowers do it all for you!  We will discuss the best types of flowers for pressing, when to pick them, how to press them, and materials for pressing and preserving your flowers.  We will also build simple flower presses, collect some material from the nursery gardens and review some of the many crafts that can be made with the pressed material.  Bring clippers and some cardboard, we’ll supply the rest.