Home and garden events in the Southland

OCT. 11

Huntington plant sale:

Staff and volunteers will answer questions about plant selection and care, soil improvement, pruning and dividing, lawn care and pest problems at the Huntington Botanical Gardens’ annual event. 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. today and Sunday. 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino. Free. (626) 405-2100.

Native plants:

Theodore Payne Foundation for Wildflowers and Native Plants holds its annual Fall Festival featuring discounts on hundreds of California native trees, shrubs, ground covers, flowering perennials and shade plants. 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Free. Artist in residence Pamela Burgess leads a workshop on shadow drawing from 1 to 3 p.m. $20 to $30. 10459 Tuxford St., Sun Valley. (818) 768-1802.

Persimmons:

Jim Bathgate, who has been farming persimmons for 35 years in San Diego County, will speak at the South Bay California Rare Fruit meeting. 10 a.m. South Coast Botanic Garden, 26300 Crenshaw Blvd., Palos Verdes Peninsula. E-mail: South_Bay@CRFG.org.

African violets:

Hundreds of African violets will be exhibited and sold during this event sponsored by the African Violet Council of Southern California. 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. today and 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Sunday. Descanso Gardens, 1418 Descanso Drive, La Cañada Flintridge. Included with regular garden admission of $3 to $8. (818) 949-7980.

OCT. 12

Glendale homes:

The Glendale Historical Society hosts “Modestly Modern Glendale,” a self-driving tour of five midcentury houses in Glendale. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tickets will be available at the starting point, the southwest corner of Verdugo Boulevard and Mountain Street. $20 to $30. (818) 242-7447.

Claremont homes:

The Claremont Heritage self-guided home tour highlights seven cottages and bungalows within walking distance. 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Begin at 1204 N. Indian Hill Blvd. $20 to $25. (909) 621-0848.

OCT. 13

Bat lecture:

Francine Spears talks about the benefit of bats for gardens at the meeting of the Los Angeles Garden Club. 9:30 a.m. Griffith Park Visitors Center Auditorium, 4730 Crystal Springs Drive, Los Angeles. Free. (818) 357-4485.

OCT. 15

Art Deco:

Frank Pollaro, a noted designer of Art Deco-inspired furniture, will exhibit his work in the Grace Kelly Suite of the Hotel Bel-Air though Friday. 701 Stone Canyon Road, Los Angeles. Reservations required: (908) 206-1888.

OCT. 16

Composting:

Landscape designer John Lyons lectures on “The Art of Composting, Vermiculture and Great Garden Soil,” including how to set up a year-round worm bin, what to do with your compost and worm castings, plus mulches, cover crops and soil microbiology. 9:30 a.m. to noon. Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden, 301 N. Baldwin Ave., Arcadia. $20. (626) 821-4624.

OCT. 17

Mobius event:

The Los Angeles Chapter of the American Institute of Architects presents a special screening of the documentary “Bird’s Nest: Herzog & de Meuron in China” as part of its Mobius LA Conference and Trade Show at Pacific Design Center. The documentary follows Swiss architects Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron on the national stadium for the recent Olympic Games in Beijing and a city area in the provincial town of Jinhua, China. A reception begins at 5:30 p.m., followed by the screening at 6:30 p.m. $25 to $30. Registration required at www.mobiusla.com.

Orchid show:

Hundreds of exotic blooms will be on view and for sale in elaborate displays that interpret this year’s Asian-inspired theme, “Harvest Moon Festival,” at the Southland Orchid Show. 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Friday through Oct. 19. Huntington Botanical Gardens, 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino. Included with general admission of $6 to $20. (626) 405-2100.

Craftsman Weekend:

Pasadena Heritage celebrates the centennial of the Charles and Henry Greene’s Gamble House with the 17th annual Craftsman Weekend. The event will kick off with a reception at the Huntington Library to preview the exhibition “A New and Native Beauty: The Art and Craft of Greene & Greene.” Join tours of residences designed by the architects, and visit the Masonic Marketplace, where antique dealers and contemporary artisans exhibit furnishings. www.pasadenaheritage.org.

OCT. 18

Greene & Greene exhibition:

“A New and Native Beauty: The Art and Craft of Greene & Greene” is a chronological survey of the lives and careers of Charles and Henry Greene. About 140 objects from 30 of their commissions will be on view, including inlaid furniture, artfully executed metalwork, luminous stained glass and rare architectural drawings and photographs. A portion of the demolished Bandini House in Pasadena will be re-created by architect Kelly Sutherlin McLeod for the installation. Related events include a conference, lecture, panel discussion and concert. Through Jan. 26. Boone Gallery, Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens, 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino. $6 to $20. (626) 405-2100.

CONTINUING

Lautner show:

Closing Oct. 12 -- “Between Earth and Heaven: The Architecture of John Lautner.” Through Oct. 12. Hammer Museum, 10899 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles. $5 to $7. (310) 443-7000, www.hammer.ucla.edu.

Greene & Greene:

“Seeing Greene & Greene: Architecture in Photographs,” an exhibition of more than 70 photographs by various artists, celebrates the work of Arts and Crafts legends Charles and Henry Greene. Runs through Jan. 4. Pasadena Museum of California Art, 490 E. Union St. $5 to $7. (626) 568-3665.

Neutra tour : Richard and Dion Neutra’s VDL Research House II, managed by Cal Poly Pomona’s College of Environmental Design, will be open to the public 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays. 2300 Silver Lake Blvd., Los Angeles. $10. www.neutravdl.org .

Spider Pavilion:

The Natural History Museum’s Spider Pavilion features hundreds of spiders in a greenhouse habitat. Timed tickets are available from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily through Nov. 2. 900 Exposition Blvd. Spider Pavilion admission is $1 to $3; museum admission is $6.50 to $9. (213) 763-DINO.

-- Lisa Boone

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