Home Front Home Front (January 14, 2005)

BRING YOUR OWN SHEARS . . . Kevin Raftery will teach a class on Fruit Tree Pruning tomorrow 10:30 a.m.-2 p.m. at Common Ground, 559 College Ave., Palo Alto. The goal is to maximize tree health and fruit production. Fee is $30. For information, call (650) 493-6072 or visit www.commongroundinpaloalto.org.

WHAT'S NEW IN RHODIES? . . . Kathy Van Veen, of Van Veen Nursery in Portland, Ore., will speak at the next meeting of the De Anza chapter of the American Rhododendron Society on Wednesday, Jan. 19 at 7:30 p.m. in Room 12, Hillview Community Center, 97 Hillview Ave., Los Altos. Autumn Gold, Evening Glow, Old Copper, Van and Anna Rose Whitney are examples of rhododendrons propagated by Van Veen. For information, call Mike McCullough at (408) 920-0884.

FRESH IDEAS . . . Betsy Fryberger, the Burton and Deedee McMurtry Curator of Prints and Drawings at the Cantor Art Center, will share her experiences touring the Veneto region of Italy on Sunday, Jan. 23, 2-3:30 p.m. "Classic Italian Gardens Bring Fresh Ideas to California" is the theme of her class, which takes place at the Gamble Garden Center Carriage House, 1431 Waverley Ave., Palo Alto. The class and slide show will include tips on placement of pots, privacy of high hedges and reducing unnecessary clutter. Fee is $25 for non-members, $20 for members. For information, call (650) 329-1356 or visit www.gamblegarden.org.

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