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Sacramento gardens still need volunteers

Sacramento Digs Gardening
BY Debbie Arrington PUBLISHED MAR 25, 2020

The beloved McKinley Park Rose Garden needs volunteers to weed and mulch it. (Photos: Debbie Arrington)

McKinley Park's beloved rose garden could use some TLC

Gardens keep growing, whether or not someone is there to care for them.

When that garden is a public landmark dependent on volunteer help, that situation can quickly become problematic.

Home to about 1,200 bushes, McKinley Park’s beloved Memorial Rose Garden needs some TLC. Usually, the 1.5-acre garden on H Street near 33rd Street in East Sacramento has no shortage of helping hands – especially this time of year. Early spring weather prompts rapid growth. Thousands of buds have formed and are about to burst into bloom.

But weeds are growing even faster in the rose beds. If those weeds are not tackled now and the beds mulched, the formal rose garden can turn raggedy in a hurry.

This week, McKinley Park rose garden coordinator Lyn Pitts put out a plea for volunteers to help as they can when they can, practicing social distancing and spacing themselves apart from others. (Such garden chores count as necessary outdoor exercise and the city park is still open to the public.)

Pitts emailed past volunteers to enlist their help. “Sure wish I could call together another volunteer event, but just can't bring any of you guys into harm’s way by assembling a group together,” Pitts wrote. “But there are still plenty of things to do at the Rose Garden that you great volunteers can still do to help!”

The rose garden is home to 1,200 bushes.

Pitts has a long list of beds that need weeding or mulch as well as other garden chores. (Recent rain makes pulling out the nutgrass much easier.) And even though no group events are planned, volunteers can still tackle assignments.

To take part, email Pitts directly at lynpitts@comcast.net .

Considered one of the most romantic spots in Sacramento, the McKinley Park rose garden usually hosts weddings almost every weekend during the late spring and summer. Those events will pick back up once large gatherings are allowed again. Pitts wants to assure that the garden will be ready.

Some roses are already in bloom, particularly one large climber.

“(Longtime volunteers) Bill and Mary Kuyper pruned our Lady Banks rose and did such a fantastic job, it looks great right now,” Pitts said. “Come see it!”

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gardening Sacramento McKinley Park Rose Garden coronavirus roses mulch volunteers weeds

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Garden Checklist for week of April 21

This week there’s plenty to keep gardeners busy. With no rain in the immediate forecast, remember to irrigate any new transplants.

* Weed, weed, weed! Get them before they flower and 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.

* 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 is really hungry. Feed 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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