Home Front for July 8: Home Front for July 8: (July 08, 2005)

Sick plants? . . . At the next Master Gardeners Workshop and Plant Clinic, tomorrow, 9 to 11 a.m., master gardeners David Peterson and Niki Muller will offer advice on natural garden pest and disease control. Topics range from preventing bugs to managing insects without poisons. The free workshop is at the Gamble Garden Center, 1431 Waverley St., Palo Alto. For information, call (408) 282-3105.

FRUIT PICKING TIME . . . The Foundation for Global Community is sponsoring a "Harvesting for the Hungry" day tomorrow, 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Volunteers meet at 222 High St., Palo Alto, and can expect to pick a ton of late-season plums, peaches and citrus, which will be donated to local food closets. Be prepared with long sleeves and sturdy shoes. For information, contact Joni Diserens at joni@villageharvest.org or (650) 740-7725.

WONDERFUL WILDFLOWERS . . . At the next general meeting of the California Native Plant Society, Santa Clara Valley Chapter, on Friday, July 22 at 7:30 p.m., various members will talk about this season's extraordinary wildflower sightings. Members may contribute slides or digital photos to share with the group (Call Kevin Bryant at (408) 353-8824 or mtngreen17@verizon.net before July 12). The group meets at the Los Altos Library program room, 13 S. San Antonio Road, Los Altos. Meetings are free and open to the public.

HOMEBUYING FOR WOMEN . . . Menlo Park Adult Education will present a "Homebuying for Women Seminar," taught by Carla Rayacich, on three Thursdays, beginning July 14, 7 to 9 p.m. at Menlo Park Recreation Center, Room 112, 701 Laurel St., Menlo Park. Cost is $41. Rayacich, CEO of Stanford Mortgage, will cover whether homeownership is appropriate, obstacles to overcome, how to figure out what you can afford and success strategies. For information, visit www.menlopark.org, e-mail luis@stanfordmortgage.com or call (650) 323-0400.

REALTORS RAISE $$ . . . Coldwell Banker is launching its annual fundraising campaign on July 11 for Habitat for Humanity, with a community-wide raffle ($2 tickets are available at any CB office) through Aug. 26; winners will be informed by telephone on Sept. 1. Prizes range from $5,000 cash to several stays in a luxury condo in Maui, the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai and the Bernardus Lodge in Carmel. For a complete list of offices, visit www.CaliforniaMoves.com. Money raised this year will be used for Habitat home construction in 2006.

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