Spring in Guadalupe Gardens takes place April 24 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission and abundant parking are free. The event will be in Columbus Park, located on Spring Street at Taylor Street within Guadalupe Gardens of San Jose, but I don't think the name of the event was derived from the address.

History San Jose and Willow Glen Books will have books about gardening and local history for sale. Judith Martin will be there from 10 a.m. to noon to sign her book Tangible Memories. Carolyn Downey will be signing her book Voices From the Orchards between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Specialty growers will be marketing unusual plants, such as esoteric roses and vegetables, including heirloom tomatoes. Other vendors will have art and gardening paraphernalia. This event is also a good source of information about composting, water-efficient gardening and solar energy. There will also be a raffle of plants from some of the specialty growers.

Children may visit Kid's Korner to play fun and educational games, win prizes and plant seeds while learning about the ecology of the Guadalupe River, pollution prevention and water conservation. More information about this event may be obtained from Friends of the Guadalupe River Park and Gardens at 408.298.7657 or online at www.grpg.org.

The annual Cherry Blossom Festival of Cupertino will be during the same weekend, April 24 and 25, in Memorial Park, across from De Anza College. The Santa Clara Valley Koi and Water Garden Club will have water garden products for sale at its information booth during the event. More information may be obtained by telephoning Chris Lawson at 408.725.1960 or by email at Meritleasecorp@aol.com.

More imminently, the Clara B. Rees Iris Society will be conducting its 45th annual spring show, "The Romance of Iris," in only a few days—on April 17 from noon to 7 p.m. and April 18 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Westgate Mall, located at 1600 Saratoga Ave. in San Jose. Plants of some of the varieties exhibited in the show will be available for sale. Admission is free. More information may be obtained by telephoning 408.264.4278.

"Living Spaces," the 19th annual Spring Garden Tour of the Gamble Garden, will not be until April 30 and May 1, but more volunteers are needed to staff the event. Those who volunteer prior to April 23 will be able to purchase advance tickets for the tour at the member price of $25. More information may be obtained by telephoning 650.329.1356 between 9 a.m. and noon during the week or by emailing admin@gamblegarden.org.

"Living Spaces" will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and will include five other private gardens in Palo Alto as well as a plant sale, lunch, boutique and a silent auction. Gamble Garden is incidentally located at 1431 Waverley St. near Embarcadero Road in Palo Alto and is otherwise open daily from dawn to dusk at no charge.

Flower of the Week: Irish heath

Like rhododendron and azalea, Irish heath, Daboecia azorica and Daboecia cantabrica, prefer acidic and well-drained soil in partial shade. Daboecia azorica (native to The Azores) is usually shorter than 8 inches and blooms in April and May with reddish pink, half-inch-long flowers on short spikes. Foliage is dense but finely textured, composed of narrow, quarter-inch-long leaves.

Daboecia cantabrica (native to Western Europe) may be as high as 2 feet and blooms from May to October with purplish-pink, half-inch-long flowers on spikes that may be 4 inches long. Cultivars of this species bloom with reddish-pink, pink or white flowers. Leaves are slightly larger than those of Daboecia azorica.

Horticulturist Tony Tomeo can be contacted at 408.358.2574 or at LGHORTICULTURE@aol.com.