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Volunteers needed for Jan. 9 Prune-a-thon

McKinley Park Rose Garden to host annual event with face masks, social distancing

Volunteers at the prune-a-thon
Volunteers prune roses in McKinley Park during a previous year's Prune-a-thon. This year's event, with
masks and social distancing, will be Jan. 9. (Photos: Debbie Arrington)





The Prune-a-thon will go on!

With social distancing and mandatory face masks, the annual public pruning event at the McKinley Park Memorial Rose Garden will be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 9.

Nisa Hayden, the McKinley Park Rose Garden manager and volunteer coordinator, confirmed that the Prune-a-thon – which usually attracts scores of rose lovers – would welcome volunteers again in 2021.

Traditionally held the first Saturday in January, the Prune-a-thon is scheduled a week later, due to New Year’s Day falling on a Friday and current COVID restrictions.

Home to about 1,200 bushes, the garden is located on H Street west of 33rd Street in East Sacramento.

Persons interested in participating are asked to fill out an online form in advance. To register, please visit
https://app.vomo.org/project/annual-pruning-event .

Rose garden
The pruning pays off in spring, when the rose garden looks
like this.

The largest event of its kind in Sacramento, this massive pruning session annually grooms the garden’s rose bushes, often completing the task in just one day.

In addition, beginners learn the skills to help any rose bush look its best and bloom more.

“Experienced volunteers who have been trained can work on their own,” Hayden said. “Inexperienced but interested volunteers will be trained and work with supervision. ...We are also seeking some experienced volunteers who would be willing to help train.”

And there’s a bonus for sticking around. “Hot soup will be provided after we are finished,” she added.

Participants are asked to bring their own gloves and tools such as bypass pruners and loppers.

For more information, email Hayden at mckinleyrosegarden@gmail.com .

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Garden Checklist for week of Feb. 9

Be careful walking or working in wet soil; it compacts easily.

* Keep the irrigation turned off; the ground is plenty wet with more rain on the way.

* February serves as a wake-up call to gardeners. This month, you can transplant or direct-seed several flowers, including snapdragon, candytuft, lilies, astilbe, larkspur, Shasta and painted daisies, stocks, bleeding heart and coral bells.

* In the vegetable garden, plant Jerusalem artichoke tubers, and strawberry and rhubarb roots.

* Transplant cabbage and its close cousins – broccoli, kale and cauliflower – as well as lettuce (both loose leaf and head).

* Indoors, start peppers, tomatoes and eggplant from seed.

* Plant artichokes, asparagus and horseradish from root divisions.

* Plant potatoes from tubers and onions from sets (small bulbs). The onions will sprout quickly and can be used as green onions in March.

* From seed, plant beets, chard, lettuce, mustard, peas, radishes and turnips.

* Annuals are showing up in nurseries, but wait until the weather warms up a bit before planting. Instead, set out flowering perennials such as columbine and delphinium.

* Plant summer-flowering bulbs including cannas, calla lilies and gladiolus.

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