Floral couture, buckwheat plant giveaways and how to keep your garden from burning bright

If you have a plant-related class, garden tour or other event you’d like us to mention, email jeanette.marantos@latimes.com — at least three weeks in advance — and we may include it. Send a high-resolution horizontal photo, if possible, and tell us what we’re seeing and whom to credit.

Oct. 9
Claremont Garden Club hosts Wild Wings, a San Dimas-based organization devoted to rescuing and rehabilitating native California birds of prey. The talk will include an introduction to some of the rescued birds who were too injured to return to the wild. Refreshments at 6:30 p.m., talk takes place from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Napier Building, 660 Avery Road, Pilgrim Place in Claremont. claremontgardenclub.org

Oct. 9-13
The Fleurs de Villes’ floral couture exhibition at South Coast Plaza, 3333 Bristol St. in Costa Mesa, features a collection of mannequins dressed in fresh flower ensembles created by Southern California florists and floral designers, along with a fresh flower market. Open daily in the center’s Jewel Court. Free. southcoastplaza.com

Oct. 12
13th Landscape & Water Conservation Festival includes a pumpkin patch, petting zoo, plant sale and the chance to create your own succulent-topped pumpkin while learning about ways to save water in your landscape and home. Free drawings for water-saving appliances for people who live in the Chino Basin Water Conservation District. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Waterwise Community Center, 4594 San Bernardino St. in Montclair. cbwcd.org

Theodore Payne Foundation for Wild Flowers & Native Plants Fire-wise Garden Tour: Tujunga to Glendale includes two pre-tour talks on home hardening and fire-wise landscaping from 9 to 11 a.m. at Theodore Payne, 10459 Tuxford St., in Sun Valley, as well as self-guided tours of three home gardens, two fire stations with native plant gardens and the Sunland-Tujunga Welcome Nature Garden from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Pre-registration required. $12 for members, $18 non-members. theodorepayne.org

The San Fernando Valley Rose Society Annual Rose Auction & Potluck starts with a potluck at 1 p.m. in the Robert M. Wilkinson Multipurpose Senior Center, 8956 Vanalden Ave. in Northridge, where visitors can inspect the roses, tools and other items that will be auctioned off to benefit the organization. The potluck is open to all who bring a dish to share. Admission is free. sfvroses.org

The Laguna Beach Smartscape Expo includes a buckwheat plant giveaway by the Orange County chapter of the California Native Plant Society, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Laguna Beach County Water District, 306 3rd Street, Laguna Beach. This is the second of four giveaways planned in October to distribute about 1,500 4-inch “Dana Point” California buckwheat plants grown by the Tree of Life Nursery in San Juan Capistrano. The free plants are available to Orange County homeowners. buckwheatbringsbutterflies.com

The L.A. Arboretum’s Botany Bootcamp is a comprehensive full-day session that introduces participants to the terminology, concepts and structures needed to identify the seven most common plant families at the arboretum. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Pre-registration required: $65 members, $75 non-members. The class also requires a book, “How to Identify Plants” and a 10-30X illuminated jewelers loupe. arboretum.org

Oct. 13
South Coast Cactus & Succulent Society features longtime succulent grower Gunnar Eisel speaking about the challenges of growing two species of astrophytum, a.k.a. star cactus — A. myriostigma (bishop’s cap) and A. asterias (silver dollar). 1 p.m. in the South Coast Botanic Garden, 26300 Crenshaw Blvd., Rolling Hills Estates. southcoastcss.org

Oct. 15
“How to Grow Camellias and Keep Them Looking Beautiful” is the topic of this month’s meeting of the Southern California Garden Club in San Fernando. The speaker is Jim Fitzpatrick, a certified camellia judge, member of the South California Camellia Council and longtime camellia grower. 9:30 a.m. at the Sepulveda Garden Center, 16633 Magnolia Blvd., Encino. socalgardennclub.org

Oct. 17
“Marrying Home and Landscape,” a panel discussion sponsored by the Italian furniture company Flexform about how to design synergistic living spaces that extend outside the home. Architectural Digest West Coast Editor Mayer Rus will moderate the panel that includes architect Ron Radziner, landscape architects Judy Kameon and David Godshall and designer Roman Alonso. 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. with cocktails following until 9 p.m. at the Leica Gallery, 8783 Beverly Blvd., West Hollywood. Admission is free, RSVP to sales.la@33sixty.com

South Coast Rose Society hosts a rose Q&A with answers from a panel of the club’s consulting rosarians (rose experts), 7 p.m. at the South Coast Botanic Garden, 26300 Crenshaw Blvd., Rolling Hills Estates. southcoastbotanicgarden.org

Oct. 19
Meadow Planting workshop at the L.A. Arboretum. Crescent Farms staff members Leigh Adams and John Latsko explain how to grow a meadow from seed using native and compatible flowers. Free to arboretum members and non-members who pay $9 general admission fee ($6 seniors and students with ID). 10 a.m. to noon at the arboretum, 301 N. Baldwin Ave. in Arcadia. arboretum.org

The wildflowers of Western South Africa is the topic of this month’s meeting of the Southern California Daylily and Bulb Society, with a travelogue and photos by Tom Glavich, owner of the Skyview Succulents nursery. 10 a.m. in the Palm Room of the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Gardens, 301 N. Baldwin Ave., in Arcadia. sites.google.com/site/schasoc

Oct. 22-24
Rogers Gardens buckwheat giveaway from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the nursery, 2301 San Joaquin Hills Road in Corona del Mar. This is the third of four giveaways planned in October to distribute about 1,500 4-inch “Dana Point” California buckwheat plants grown by the Tree of Life Nursery in San Juan Capistrano. The free plants are available to Orange County homeowners. For more information visit buckwheatbringsbutterflies.com

Oct. 23-27
“Carved,” Descanso Gardens’ new nod to Halloween, features more than 1,000 professionally carved, glowing pumpkins along a one-mile walk through the garden’s Camellia Forest and Oak Grove. The event is designed to be family friendly, with special jack-o-lanterns — some 100-pounds-plus — carved to look like superheroes and famous movie monsters. The event also includes pumpkin carving demonstrations and seasonal snacks. Tickets include general admission to the gardens; $25 for members, $30 for nonmembers. Note that all times on Oct. 26 are reserved for members only and as of Oct. 8, more than half the remaining times were sold out. descansogardens.org

Oct. 26
14th Desert Garden Community Day sponsored by the Desert Horticultural Society of the Coachella Valley offers free classes, clinics and information booths about growing native desert plants, and a plant sale for those who want to stock up. Kids activities are offered too, 8:30 am. to 2 p.m. at UCR Palm Desert, 75080 Frank Sinatra Drive in Palm Desert. deserthorticulturalsociety.org

California Native Plant Society Membership Day includes a buckwheat giveaway at the Tree of Life Nursery, 33201 Ortega Highway in San Juan Capistrano, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., while supplies last. This is the last of four giveaways planned in October to distribute about 1,500 4-inch “Dana Point” California buckwheat plants grown by the Tree of Life Nursery. The free plants are available to Orange County homeowners. For more information visit buckwheatbringsbutterflies.com

Nov. 8
Sherman Library & Gardens Lunch & Lecture series presents “The Art of Gardening at Chanticleer,” a public “pleasure garden” in what was once the suburban Philadelphia home of the Rosengarten family. Bill Thomas, Chanticleer executive director and head gardener, will discuss the plant choices, unusual containers and imaginative furniture at what the Washington Post called “one of the most interesting and edgy public gardens in America,” 11:30 a.m. at 2647 E. Coast Highway in Corona del Mar. $25 for members, $35 non-members. Lecture only: Members free, non-members pay $5. slgardens.org

Nov. 10
“Dudleya: Succulent Diversity in Our Own Backyard” is the topic of November’s meeting of the South Coast Cactus & Succulent Society. Speakers John Martinez and Nils Schirrmacher will share their photos of the 11 species and six subspecies in the Santa Monica and San Bernardino mountains. 1 p.m. at the South Coast Botanic Garden, 26300 Crenshaw Blvd., Rolling Hills Estates. southcoastcss.org