Home front: Orchard walks; harvest time at Mountain View community garden
A roundup of local home and garden news and events, including a guided walk of an apricot orchard, volunteer opportunities at a community garden and tips on establishing a low-water garden. Friday, 1:27 PM

Palo Alto couple turns wish list for garden into reality through renovation project
This year's Gamble Garden Spring Tour, on Friday and Saturday, April 26 and 27 -- which features five Palo Alto gardens -- will let visitors see how a vast, grassy space can be turned into a series of garden rooms, with plenty of space for child's play, entertaining or just enjoying the California weather. Friday, 1:25 PM

Home sales
A complete list of home sales on the Midpeninsula, where Portola Valley recorded the highest home sale at $9.2 million for a five-bedroom house that last sold in 2014 for $10 million. Thursday, 1:38 PM

Local farm teaches residents how to live off the land
Hidden Villa farm in Los Altos Hills is hosting its an annual Homesteading Day later this month to give residents an up-close look at everything from beer brewing and sheep-dog herding to food preservation, backyard chicken care and more. Monday, 9:29 AM

Tour showcases 53 Peninsula gardens that require minimal maintenance
Dozens of landscapes throughout San Mateo and Santa Clara counties will be open to the public next month at an annual weekend-long event to encourage residents to be better stewards of the environment. Tuesday, 6:37 PM

Home sales
A complete list of home sales on the Midpeninsula, where Atherton recorded the highest sale at $4.7 million for a newly built five-bedroom house on a 10,654-square-foot lot that last sold for $1.9 million. Monday, 6:24 PM

Home front: High-tech housing discrimination; flower arranging with mom
In this week's Home front column, Facebook faces a housing-discrimination suit from the Department of Housing and Urban Development and a special Mother's Day flower-arranging class. Friday, 8:06 AM

Home front: Housing-market exodus; Eichlers on exhibit
A roundup of local home and garden news and events, including a recent poll on many people moving out of the Bay Area due to high housing costs, an upcoming exhibit on Eichler homes and a special Mother's Day floral-arranging class. Friday, 11:25 AM

Home front: High honors; spring tomato tips
A roundup of local home and garden news and events, including a realtor who has won the California Association of Realtors' top awards, home value predictions, tips on growing spring tomatoes and an upcoming opportunity to volunteer at a garden. Thursday, 4:21 PM

Bay Area's largest real-estate firm? It's a New York startup
Compass, the venture-funded real-estate startup that launched its first office in the local market just over two years ago, became the Bay Area's largest residential brokerage firm this month after acquiring Peninsula powerhouse Alain Pinel Realtors for an undisclosed amount on March 9. Thursday, 4:17 PM

Home sales

Home front: Egg-dyeing at Hidden Villa

• Palo Alto
• Atherton
• Menlo Park
• Portola Valley
• Woodside
• Mountain View
• Los Altos

• Homeowners and Renters Assistance • Midpeninsula Citizens for Fair Housing • Palo Alto Housing Corporation • Project Sentinal • San Mateo County Association of Realtors • Silicon Valley Association of Realtors