Home Front Home Front (January 13, 2006)

GRAFT -- A GOOD THING . . . James Kern will teach a class, "Grafting Fruit Trees" tomorrow from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Common Ground, 559 College Ave., Palo Alto. Kern, a master gardener, member of the Rare Fruit Tree Growers and a landscape contractor, will demonstrate how to get the fruit you want from the appropriate rootstock. The cost is $23. For information, call (650) 493-6072 or visit www.commongroundinpaloalto.org.

RHODIE TRIP . . . Paul Anderson, director of District Five (California and Hawaii) of the American Rhododendron Society, and president of the California chapter, will talk about his recent trip to New Zealand and Australia rhododendron gardens at the next meeting of the American Rhododendron Society, Peninsula chapter, on Wednesday, Jan. 18, at 7:30 p.m. He will include photos of the Heritage Park Rhododendron Garden, Ruapuna Park and much more. Admission is free and refreshments will be served. The group meets at the Hillview Community Center, Room 12, 97 Hillview Ave., Los Altos. For information, visit www.deanza-ars.com.

SHAPING FRUIT TREES . . . Tomorrow's "Fruit Tree Espalier Workshop" at Filoli is sold-out, but Alex Fernandez will offer a three-part "Fruit Tree Espalier Series" beginning Saturday, Feb. 4, from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at Filoli, 86 Canada Road, Woodside. The first workshop will cover "Starting Your Espalier in Winter." (Upcoming classes include "Training and Taming Your Espalier" on Saturday, May 27, and "Summer Pruning, Training & Fruit Development" on Saturday, July 15.) Each class costs $30 for members and $35 for non-members (series is $60 for members, $75 for non-members). For information, call (650) 364-8300 or visit www.filoli.org.

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