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Sacramento hosts annual fuchsia sale Saturday

Hardy club offers showy plants at Shepard Center

Fuchsias
Fuchsias can thrive in Sacramento. This plant is the Ambassador variety. (Photos: Debbie Arrington)



A staple of Sacramento gardening (and gardening clubs), fuchsias will take the spotlight Saturday, June 5, when the Sacramento branch of the American Fuchsia Society hosts its annual plant sale.

From 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. (or until all plants are sold), the sale will be held at Shepard Garden and Arts Center, 3330 McKinley Blvd., Sacramento, in McKinley Park. Admission and parking are free.

COVID restrictions are still in effect at Shepard Center. Patrons will be required to wear a face mask. Social distancing will be encouraged. Bring cash or check.

Sacramento’s fuchsia club is a hardy group and the sale is a testament to its determination. Most local clubs suspended activities or moved meetings to Zoom, but the fuchsia folks never missed an in-person scheduled meeting. While almost all other garden events were canceled, the members also hosted a small show and sale in June 2020.

“The Sacramento Branch of the AFS I think is the only fuchsia club – and one of the few meeting at the (Shepard Center) – that has not missed a single meeting or sale,” said Scott Humphrey, a longtime club member and leader.

Fuchsia blossoms on a plate
Fuchsia blossoms take many forms. These are some of the
varieties that will be on sale.


Like many events this spring, the 2021 fuchsia sale is scaled back from past years. There will be some modest displays of blooms, but no formal show. The plant inventory will be smaller, too.

“The impact of COVID continues,” Humphrey said.

The club also was affected by the sale of Eisley’s Nursery, which had custom-grown a large number of plants for Sacramento’s annual sale.

Nevertheless, the club was able to obtain cuttings of very desirable varieties. Humphrey estimates the sale will have about 100 4-inch plants.

Details and directions:
www.sgaac.org .

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Garden Checklist for week of April 14

It's still not warm enough to transplant tomatoes directly in the ground, but we’re getting there.

* 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.

* Smell orange blossoms? 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.

* Spring brings a flush of rapid growth, and that means your garden needs nutrients. Fertilize shrubs and trees with a slow-release fertilizer. Or mulch with a 1-inch layer of compost.

* 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.

* From seed, plant beans, beets, cantaloupes, carrots, corn, cucumbers, melons, 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.

* Mid to late April is about the last chance to plant summer bulbs, such as gladiolus and tuberous begonias.

* Transplant lettuce seedlings. Choose varieties that mature quickly such as loose leaf.

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