Datebook: Events, exhibits, classes for the week ahead

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We’ve listed select home and garden events below. Suggest your own via reader comments. Submissions must be fewer than 75 words and must be for one-time events with legitimate value to other readers. No store promotions and no frivolous links, please. L.A. at Home staff will determine which submissions will be made public, but we won’t edit the comments.

Feb. 4: The winter Thursday Garden Talks With Lili Singer continues with landscape architect Sarah Peterson, who will discuss “Framing Design Through Landscape Ecology.” 9:30 a.m. to noon. $20. Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden, 301 N. Baldwin Ave., Arcadia. Registration: (626) 821-4623.

Feb. 5: Artists look at the medium of billboards and their role in the urban landscape in the exhibition “How Many Billboards? Art In Stead.” Sponsored by the MAK Center for Art and Architecture, this project will run for five weeks starting Friday and include 21 newly commissioned artworks for billboards on major boulevards throughout L.A. Participating artists include Michael Asher, Jennifer Bornstein, Eileen Cowin, Allan Sekula, Susan Silton and James Welling. Watch the project unfold and subscribe for up-to-date information at www.howmanybillboards.org.

Feb. 6: Create a modern floral design inspired by the ancient traditions of the Chinese New Year in this workshop presented by Flower Duet. Students will learn about the symbolism of Chinese plants while working with bamboo, pine boughs, fruit and fresh flowers. 2:30 p.m. $75 to $85. A similar class for kids 7 to 12 will be held from 1 to 2:30 p.m.; $25 to $30 fee includes one accompanying adult. Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens, 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino. Registration: (626) 405-2128.

Feb. 6: Learn how to start a vegetable garden in raised beds, containers and the ground in this class hosted by Silver Lake Farms. Class covers sowing seeds, preparing garden soil and maximizing harvests organically. Includes tips on lawn removal, drip irrigation, compost and fruit trees. 10 a.m. to noon, or 1 to 3 p.m. $50 includes seeds and materials. To register: (323) 644-3700; www.silverlakefarms.com.

Feb. 6: Landscape designer Mike Brown of Project Greenscaping shows how to reduce or remove your lawn to meet water restrictions, save money and be environmentally conscious. He will also discuss alternatives to the traditional mowing. 9 a.m. to noon. $24 to $30. Descanso Gardens, 1418 Descanso Drive, La Cañada Flintridge. (818) 949-4200.
-- Lisa Boone