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Wanted: Little things for kids in need

The Secret Garden hosts Holiday Joy Drive

Christmas stockings in red and white
Stockings and small gifts to put in them for children will be collected during The Secret Garden's Holiday Joy Drive now through Dec. 17. (Photo: Kathy Morrison)

It’s the little things that make the holidays special. The Secret Garden is gathering lots of those little things as part of its annual “Holiday Joy Drive.”

Now through Dec. 17, the Elk Grove garden store will collect donations for the Wellspring Women’s Center. Located in Sacramento’s Oak Park neighborhood, the center serves nearly 200 women and children every week.

Owned by the Kahl family, The Secret Garden has made its Holiday Joy Drive an annual tradition.

“This year, we are collecting donations to benefit Wellspring Women’s Center in Sacramento,” the Kahl family posted on The Secret Garden’s website. “They provide meals and essential services for vulnerable women and children in our community.”

In particular, the Joy Drive seeks little things.

“They are in need of stocking stuffers for children staying at the shelter as well as essential items for their Safety Net Program,” says the post. “Let's spread some holiday joy to those in need!”

Patrons can view the center’s wish list for suggested donation items at https://www.wellspringwomen.org/holiday-giving .

Open 10 a.m. to 5 pm. daily, The Secret Garden is located at 8450 W. Stockton Blvd., Sacramento. Phone: 916-682-6839.

Details and directions: https://www.secretgarden-online.com/ .

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Garden Checklist for week of April 27

Once the clouds clear, get to work. Spring growth is in high gear.

* Set out tomato, pepper and eggplant transplants.

* From seed, plant beans, beets, cantaloupes, carrots, corn, cucumbers, melons, pumpkins, radishes and squash. Plant onion sets.

* In the flower garden, plant seeds for asters, cosmos, celosia, marigolds, salvia, sunflowers and zinnias. Transplant petunias, zinnias, geraniums and other summer bloomers.

* Plant perennials and dahlia tubers for summer bloom. Late April is about the last chance to plant summer bulbs, such as gladiolus and tuberous begonias.

* Transplant lettuce and cabbage seedlings.

* Weed, weed, weed! Don’t let unwanted plants go to seed.

* April is the last chance to plant citrus trees such as dwarf orange, lemon and kumquat. These trees also look good in landscaping and provide fresh fruit in winter.

* Feed citrus trees with a low dose of balanced fertilizer (such as 10-10-10) during bloom to help set fruit. Keep an eye out for ants.

* Apply slow-release fertilizer to the lawn.

* Thoroughly clean debris from the bottom of outdoor ponds or fountains.

* Start thinning fruit that's formed on apple and stone fruit trees -- you'll get larger fruit at harvest (and avoid limb breakage) if some is thinned now. The UC recommendation is to thin fruit when it is about 3/4 of an inch in diameter. Peaches and nectarines should be thinned to about 6 inches apart; smaller fruit such as plums and pluots can be about 4 inches apart. Apricots can be left at 3 inches apart. Apples and pears should be thinned to one fruit per cluster of flowers, 6 to 8 inches apart.

* Azaleas and camellias looking a little yellow? If leaves are turning yellow between the veins, give them a boost with chelated iron.

* Trim dead flowers but not leaves from spring-flowering bulbs such as daffodils and tulips. Those leaves gather energy to create next year's flowers. Also, give the bulbs a fertilizer boost after bloom.

* Pinch chrysanthemums back to 12 inches for fall flowers. Cut old stems to the ground.

* Mulch around plants to conserve moisture and control weeds.

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