A day of food and flowers

Julie Cebula is one of the experts sharing food preservation techniques at the Valley of the Moon Garden Club’s Day of food and flowers on August 3.

Food and flowers with the experts

Ever wonder what to do with too many zucchinis, or how to preserve Gravenstein Apples for year-round enjoyment? Do you want to learn how to freeze or dry food, or how to create a beautiful arrangement using flowers from your garden?  On Saturday, August 3, the Valley of the Moon Garden Club presents food preservation classes in the kitchen at the Sonoma Community Center from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. A flower arranging class will be held from 2 to 4 p.m.

Food preservation demonstrations and workshops will be conducted by Phina Borgeson of the Redwood Empire Rare Fruit Group, Julie Cebula, Siga Weber, Bonnie Brown, Linda Bergman, and Mary Martinez.

The day includes step-by-step workshops in canning, jamming and preserving, chutney making, food dehydration and freezing and the “art of gleaning.” Tasting samples and written directions will be provided.

The day begins with the 9:30 a.m. workshop “Sharing and Extending the Harvest,” a general introduction to food preservation that shows what you can do with all those zucchinis, cucumbers, apples, i.e. pickle relish, baking, drying.

At 11 a.m. the focus is food drying/dehydration, freezer storing, and preserving the Gravenstein Apple. At noon, experts share techniques on jamming and preserving fruit, followed at 1 p.m. by a short course in chutney making.

At 2 p.m. floral designer Jenise Kneeland who will demonstrate how to make a flower arrangements, a hand held bouquet and a corsage, including information on tools and suppliers.

In addition to the classes, there will be a public Flower Show in Room 110 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. All gardeners are invited to bring a single stem of a flower from their garden or an arrangement in a vase between 9and 10 a.m. for the exhibit.

Reservations and advanced tickets are required, as workshops are limited. Cost of all four food preservation workshops is $20 total. Cost of the flower arranging workshop is $15. Please e-mail your reservation for classes to [email protected] or call Bonnie Brown at 935.8986. A box lunch made by Lovin’ Oven may be purchased for $10, or participants may bring their own.