Any of these suggested can be ordered quickly
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The UC Davis Arboretum in winter can be a serene place. The Friends of the
Arboretum get deals on plant sales at the Teaching Nursery, plus other benefits.
(Photo: Kathy Morrison)
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I'm here to tell you that this gift-giving season goes too fast -- faster every year! Fortunately, the online world that drives so much of life also makes it easier to find something meaningful when there are only, uh <checks calendar> nine days until Christmas.
The cool thing, however, is that any of these ideas make great gifts year-round. So if your holiday shopping is done, put these ideas in your back pocket for Valentine's Day, Arbor Day, Mother's Day or any other celebratory event.
1) Memberships have benefits and support important work. The ones here have Sacramento region impact:
-- Friends of the UC Davis Arboretum. The Arboretum is a regional treasure, with its acres of native and other plants, quiet spaces to observe nature, and a top-notch Teaching Nursery. Friends get deals on the fall and spring plant sales in addition to supporting all the good work that goes into maintaining the Arboretum. For gift memberships, check this page . Individual memberships start at $48, and $72 for a family. The main Friends membership page is here .
-- California Native Plant Society. What virgin stands of native plants, large and small, that we still have around California would not exist without the tireless advocate and legal work of CNPS. But the organization also is involved in horticulture, particularly teaching Californians about the benefits and beauties of native plants in their own gardens. The membership page includes a link for gift memberships. Individual memberships start at $50 ($25 for students and fixed-income members). The Sacramento Valley Chapter is particularly active, and runs the Elderberry Farms nursery as a fundraiser.
-- Sacramento Tree Foundation. Sac Tree describes its mission as "stewarding the urban forest from seed to slab." The nonprofit doesn't have memberships as such, but accepts donations in honor of or in memory of someone, and they will notify the honoree of the gift if you wish. Donations can be in any amount; the suggested starting level is $25. https://sactree.givingfuel.com/donate
Of course, gardeners love to shop for plants and garden tools. You can order gift cards online or stop by at these local retailers:
-- Exotic Plants. Gift certificates for the Sacramento store's wide selection of indoor plants or arrangements are available by phone at (916) 922-4769 . The store will mail it to the recipient, or hold it for the purchaser to pick up. The website is here .
-- Green Acres Nursery & Supply. The local chain has seven locations in Sacramento and Placer counties. Gift cards can be ordered online for mail delivery. Five designs, in amounts from $25 to $500 can be chosen; custom amounts are available via in-store purchase.
-- The Plant Foundry. The Oak Park nursery offers plants, garden supplies and all sorts of eclectic gifts. $40 e-gift cards can be ordered here . (Note: The Plant Foundry does not offer mail order for its stock but gifts can be purchased online and picked up curbside.)
-- The Secret Garden. This Elk Grove store is a great place to find succulents and plant containers, especially, but it also has lots of decor and gift items. Secret Garden offers customizable e-gift cards that can be sent to the recipient or to the giver.
-- Ace Hardware. Many of the hardware stores in this network are locally owned and operated. Probably the best-known one of the 19 in the Sacramento region is 113-year-old Emigh Hardware, which has well-chosen nursery stock and knowledgeable nursery staff. Ace offers eCards and mailed gift cards, both up to $250. Emigh also sells its own gift cards in store.
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Flowers in My Back Yard Series
Aug. 25: Crape myrtles, Sacramento's unofficial tree of summer
Aug. 18: Pollinators adore scabiosa, aka pincushion flower
Aug. 11: Hardy hibiscus adds big tropical impact
Aug. 4: Dianthus a deceptively hardy flower
July 28: Naked Ladies put on summer show
July 21: Thank Luther Burbank for these long-lasting beauties (Shasta daisies)
July 14: How to keep hydrangeas happy
July 7: Grow these bright cosmos for bees and butterflies
June 30: Agapanthus adds blue fireworks to the garden
June 23: Easy-care gazanias fill those hot corners
June 16: Daylilies are perfect for water-wise gardens (and a lot more)
June 9: Grow coneflowers for pollinators -- and yourself
June 2: Sunflowers capture Sacramento's summer attitude
May 29: Are your roses going 'blind'?
May 26: Zinnias are the summer flowers every garden needs
May 19: Plant dahlias now for late-summer flower power
May 12: Know your coreopsis from your bidens
May 5: Mums the word on Mother's Day weekend
April 28: Majestic Matilija poppy is worth a look
April 21: Celebrate roses, America's favorite flower
April 14: Small flowers with outsized impact
April 7: Calendulas do double duty
April 3: Make Easter lilies last for years to come
March 31: In praise of a pollinator magnet (small-leaf salvias)
March 24: Azaleas brighten shady spots
March 17: The perfect flower for beginners? Try zonal geraniums
March 10: Keep camellias happy for years to come
March 3: Fruit tree blossoms are a fleeting joy
Feb. 27: Are your roses looking rusty?
Feb. 24: Treasure spring daffodils now and for years to come
Feb. 17: How and why to grow wildflowers
Feb. 10: Let's talk Valentine's Day roses
Feb. 3: Why grow flowers?
Local News
Sites We Like
Garden checklist for week of Aug. 16
During this break in the heat, feed your garden. Make sure to water before and after applying fertilizer.
* In the garden, direct seed beets, carrots, leaf lettuce and turnips.
* Plant potatoes.
* Harvest tomatoes, beans, squash, pepper and eggplants to prompt plants to keep producing. Give your plants a deep watering twice a week, more if planted in containers. Also, give them a boost with phosphate-rich fertilizer to help fruiting.
* Watch out for caterpillars and hornworms in the vegetable garden. They can strip a plant bare in one day. Pick them off plants by hand in early morning or late afternoon.
* Feed citrus trees their last round of fertilizer for the year. This will give a boost to the fruit that’s still small.
* Mulch can be your garden’s best friend – it conserves moisture while blocking out weeds. But don't let mulch mound around stalks, stems or trunks. That can promote rot.
* Camellia leaves looking a little yellow? Give them some chelated iron. That goes for azaleas and gardenias, too.
* Pick up after your fruit trees. Clean up debris and dropped fruit; this cuts down on insects and prevents the spread of brown rot. Then feed fruit trees with slow-release fertilizer for better production for next year.
* To prolong bloom into fall, feed begonias, fuchsias and container plants. Always water before fertilizing.
* Fertilize fall-blooming perennials, too. Chrysanthemums can be fed until the buds start to open.
* Prepare for a fall full of flowers by paying a little extra attention to your garden. Cut off spent blooms from roses, annuals and perennials, then give them a boost of fertilizer. Make sure to water plants before feeding. Roses will rebloom about six to eight weeks after deadheading.
* Indoors, start seedlings for fall vegetable planting, including bunching onion, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, radicchio and lettuce.
* Sow seeds of perennials in pots for fall planting including yarrow, coneflower and salvia.
Contact Us
Send us a gardening question, a post suggestion or information about an upcoming event. sacdigsgardening@gmail.com
Food in My Back Yard (FIMBY) Series
Lessons learned during a year of edible gardening
WINTER
Is edible gardening possible indoors?
Hints for choosing tomato seeds
Why winter is the perfect time to plant fruit trees
When to plant? Consider staggering your transplants
How to squeeze more food into less space
Plant a fruit tree now -- for later
Win the weed war by tackling them in winter
Tips for planting bare-root trees, shrubs and vegetables
Time to give vegetable seedlings some more space
Ways to win the fight against weeds
FALL
Add asparagus to your edible garden
Soggy soil and what to do about it
Plant artichokes now; enjoy for years to come
It's late November, and your peach tree needs spraying
What to do with all those fallen leaves?
Prepare now for colder weather in the edible garden
Plant a pea patch for you and your garden
As citrus season begins, advice for backyard growers
We don't talk (enough) about beets
Seeds or transplants for cool-season veggies?
How to prolong the fall tomato harvest
SUMMER
How to get the most out of your pumpkin patch
Summer-to-fall transition time for evaluation, planning
To pick or not to pick those tomatoes?
Enhance your food with edible flowers
Why won't my tomatoes turn red?
A squash plant has mosaic virus, and it's not pretty
Tear out that sad plant or baby it? Midsummer decisions
How to grow summer salad greens
Weird stuff that's perfectly normal
SPRING
Help pollinators help your garden
Battling early-season tomato pests
Where are the bees when you need them?
How to help tomatoes thrive on hot days
Your plants can tell you more than any calendar can
Maintain soil moisture with mulch for garden success
What's (already) wrong with my tomato plants?
Should you stock up on fertilizer? (Yes!)
Grow culinary herbs in containers
When to plant summer vegetables
Don't be fooled by these garden myths
Fertilizer tips: How to 'feed' your vegetables for healthy growth
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