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Coronavirus concerns cancel 36th annual SF Flower Show


Designer gardens are a big attraction at the San Francisco/Northern California Flower and Garden Show. Those displays will have to wait until 2021 after Tuesday's cancellation. (Photo courtesy Cal State Shows)
Set for Cal Expo, huge NorCal event will wait until 2021



Coronavirus fears canceled a top event on Northern California’s gardening calendar.

Less than a month before its scheduled Cal Expo return, the
36th annual San Francisco/Northern California Flower and Garden Show will not go on, said producer Sherry Larsen.

“Look at our demographics; many of our patrons are in the vulnerable group,” she said. “Exhibitors are traveling from as far away as Maine. We’ve got three weeks to go. We don’t know where we’ll be at that time. We had to look at the potential impact.”

Larsen officially made the call Tuesday, informing her vendors and exhibitors of their options. One of Northern California’s largest events of its kind, the show expected to fill four buildings on the State fairgrounds. Set for April 2 through 5, it was making its second appearance at Cal Expo.

After nearly a year of planning for the April show , the cancellation happened rather quickly.

“One major group pulled out and that heavily impacted us,” Larsen said. “They had a 30- by 100-foot (demonstration) garden, an after-hours event and were host of a stage.

“We got calls from gardening groups,” she added. “Many members wouldn’t volunteer; they were afraid to be with the public. It’s true concern. Who knows what will happen?”

Instead of requesting refunds, most participants are choosing to roll over their reservations until next year, Larsen said. “Right now, we’re getting a real good response. Everybody says, ‘We’re there next year!’

“Everything will be OK,” Larsen said. “I’m excited – I’ve got another year to promote.”

More updates and details: www.norcalgardenshow.com .

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Garden Checklist for week of June 15

Make the most of this “average” weather; your garden is growing fast! (So are the weeds!)

* Warm weather brings rapid growth in the vegetable garden, with tomatoes and squash enjoying the heat. Deep-water, then feed with a balanced fertilizer. Bone meal can spur the bloom cycle and help set fruit.

* Generally, tomatoes need deep watering two to three times a week, but don’t let them dry out completely. That can encourage blossom-end rot.

* From seed, plant corn, melons, pumpkins, radishes, squash and sunflowers.

* Plant basil to go with your tomatoes.

* Transplant summer annuals such as petunias, marigolds and zinnias. It’s also a good time to transplant perennial flowers including astilbe, columbine, coneflowers, coreopsis, dahlias, rudbeckia, salvia and verbena.

* Pull weeds before they go to seed.

* Let the grass grow longer. Set the mower blades high to reduce stress on your lawn during summer heat. To cut down on evaporation, water your lawn deeply during the wee hours of the morning, between 2 and 8 a.m.

* Tie up vines and stake tall plants such as gladiolus and lilies. That gives their heavy flowers some support.

* Dig and divide crowded bulbs after the tops have died down.

* Feed summer flowers with a slow-release fertilizer.

* Mulch, mulch, mulch! This “blanket” keeps moisture in the soil longer and helps your plants cope during hot weather. It also helps smother weeds.

* Thin grapes on the vine for bigger, better clusters later this summer.

* Cut back fruit-bearing canes on berries.

* Feed camellias, azaleas and other acid-loving plants. Mulch to conserve moisture and reduce heat stress.

* Cut back Shasta daisies after flowering to encourage a second bloom in the fall.

* Trim off dead flowers from rose bushes to keep them blooming through the summer. Roses also benefit from deep watering and feeding now. A top dressing of aged compost will keep them happy. It feeds as well as keeps roots moist.

* Pinch back chrysanthemums for bushier plants with many more flowers in September.

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