Home&Real Estate Home Front
BIRDS AND BEES ... Master Gardener Rebecca Schoenenberger will offer a free workshop on “Growing Flowers That Attract Birds, Bees, Hummingbirds, Beneficial Insects and Other Organisms” on Tuesday, July 31, from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Los Altos Library, 13 S. San Antonio Road, Los Altos. Information: Master Gardeners at 408-282-3105, between 9:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., Monday through Friday or http://mastergardeners.org GARDEN BONANZA ... Filoli will offer three days of demonstrations, walks and talks, plus crafts for children during its “Great Big Garden Bonanza” from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, Aug. 3 and 4, and from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 5, at 86 Cañada Road, Woodside. Highlights include a walk through the heirloom orchard; as well as walks and talks focusing on everything from picking pears to preparing food or flower arranging using seasonal fruit and blooms. There’s also a display of cutting garden flowers and an art exhibit, “Handcrafted and Through the Lens.” All activities are included in Filoli’s admission fee, which is $15 for adult nonmembers, $12 for seniors, $5 for children (ages 5 to 17). Information: 650-364-8300 or www.filoli.org (for complete schedule of events) WHAT’S COOKING? . . . Hands-on cooking classes at Sur La Table, #57 Town & Country Village, Palo Alto, include: “Summer Berry Puddings Pies and Cakes” (Saul Flores, July 28, 11 a.m., $69; “Best of Thailand” (Terrina Wong, July 28, 5 p.m., $69); “Tame the Flame: Everyday Grilling” (Kim Henderson, July 29, 3 p.m., $69); “Date Night: Surf and Turf” (Will VanBrackle, Aug. 3, 6:30 p.m., $85); “Essential Knife Skills” (Saul Flores, Aug. 4, 11 a.m., $59); “Summer Tapas Party” (Will VanBrackle, Aug. 4, 5 p.m., $69); “Fresh French Fruit Desserts” (Saul Flores, Aug. 5, 11 a.m., $69); and “Sizzling Mexico” (Will VanBrackle, Aug. 5, 5 p.m., $69). Information: 650-289-0438 or email Cooking073@surlatable.com INTRO TO ALESSI ... New and classic Alessi designs for kitchen, tabletop and home will be on display at Fibre Arts Design Studio, 935 Industrial Ave., Palo Alto, from noon to 4 p.m. on Saturday, July 28. Alessi staff will be on hand to answer questions, and at 2 p.m., Jens Menke of Alessi will offer stories behind the designs and the history of the Italian ceramic company, as well as high tea. The current exhibition at the design studio, “Hearth and Home,” which explores concepts of constructed spaces, continues through Aug. 19. Information: www.fibreartsdesign.com or 650485-2121 n Send notices of news and events related to real estate, interior design, home improvement and gardening to Home Front, Palo Alto Weekly, P.O. Box 1610, Palo Alto, CA 94302, or email cblitzer@paweekly.com. Deadline is one week before publication.
Open HOME Guide 58
Also online at PaloAltoOnline.com
Avoiding
bloodsucking insects
Mosquitos can thrive in pools, ponds or even fountains
B
by Helen Carefoot
zzzzzz. T hwack. There’s nothing quite like the buzz of a mosquito to ruin a summer barbecue — or a warm night’s rest. Though 2012 has seen a decrease in mosquito activity in Palo Alto, late rains have created more possible nesting places in puddles. This excess of standing water has provided ample mosquito nesting grounds: This year so far, the Santa Clara County Vector Control District, the county sector responsible for pest control, has assisted abatement in 150 residences. Much of it occurs in foreclosed homes or in homes that have been rented out while their owners are on vacation. Mosquito season may begin as early as January, but droughts this year after heavy rains pushed the beginning of the season back to March. Typically, the season lasts from early April to late August, with
a peak in June and July. While most folks don’t take mosquitoes too seriously, last week’s discovery of a squirrel with West Nile virus in Menlo Park brings the potential problem quite close to home. Residents should take abatement measures to prevent mosquitoes from nesting in their yards, especially in sources of still water, said Russell Parman, acting district manager of the Santa Clara County Vector Control District. Close proximity to mosquito nesting grounds mean a greater chance of being bitten and possibly contracting a disease, such as West Nile virus. Timeliness is paramount in abatement because eggs become adults in about 14 days. As mosquitoes continue to lay eggs in the water source, the water becomes a more attractive venue for other mosquitoes to nest in, causing more mosqui(continued on page 35)
www.PaloAltoOnline.com • Palo Alto Weekly • July 27, 2012 • Page 33