NEW Sunny strawberry-Meyer lemon preserves without added pectin
Make most of mild Memorial Day weekend weather
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Free compost available to residents in pilot recycling program
Huge sale and educational event set for Memorial Day weekend in Elk Grove
Also on tap: Guided tour of Capitol Park trees
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NEW Ricotta and lemon zest give brunch dish some tang
Warm weather brings rapid snow melt – and cold water
Get advice from experts in Sacramento and El Dorado counties
Event near Davis is free but requires registration
Event features hundreds of vendors, exhibits and cute animals
Ikebana club and Friends of East Sacramento present event full of 'useful and interesting stuff'
Carmichael Cactus and Succulent Society hosts 45th annual sale
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Heat arrives and so does vegetable planting time
Find huge discounts on water-wise selections, perfect for our climate
Six Loomis and Granite Bay sites to welcome visitors
Find hundreds of rare plants at Sacramento chrysanthemum cutting sale
Sacramento Rose Society hosts auction; heritage rose expert holds yard sale
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Garden Checklist for week of Nov. 10
Make the most of gaps between raindrops this week and get stuff done:
* Rake and compost leaves, but dispose of any diseased plant material. For example, if peach and nectarine trees showed signs of leaf curl this year, clean up under trees and dispose of those leaves instead of composting.
* Give your azaleas, gardenias and camellias a boost with chelated iron.
* For larger blooms, pinch off some camellia buds.
* After they bloom, chrysanthemums should be trimmed to 6 to 8 inches above the ground. If in pots, keep the mums in their containers until next spring. Then, they can be planted in the ground, if desired, or repotted.
* Prune non-flowering trees and shrubs while dormant.
* Pull faded annuals and vegetables.
* Prune dead or broken branches from trees.
* Keep planting bulbs to spread out your spring bloom. Some possible suggestions: daffodils, crocuses, hyacinths, tulips, anemones and scillas.
* This is also a good time to seed wildflowers and plant such spring bloomers as sweet pea, sweet alyssum and bachelor buttons.
* Now is the best time to plant most trees and shrubs. This gives them plenty of time for root development before spring growth. They also benefit from fall and winter rains.
* Set out cool-weather annuals such as pansies and snapdragons.
* Lettuce, cabbage and broccoli also can be planted now.
* Plant garlic and onions.