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Tue, Nov 19, 2024

Sacramento, prepare to get soaked!

'Atmospheric river' could drop as much as 4 inches of rain in five days

Mon, Nov 18, 2024

Mountain Mandarin Festival moves to new location

Featuring tons of local citrus, popular event opens Friday in Roseville

Sun, Nov 17, 2024

Persimmons add flavor to fruity fall scones

New! Persimmon-raisin scones with fresh Fuyu persimmon

Sat, Nov 16, 2024

Dig In: Garden checklist for week of Nov. 17

Get ready to chill as cold fronts bring potential frost

Fri, Nov 15, 2024

Davis honors Huei Young for creating tranquil oasis of harmony

Famous feng shui expert opens her private Huei's Garden to the public Saturday

Thu, Nov 14, 2024

This pretty calendar is more than a calendar

Each month offers tips on keeping the garden and the gardeners healthy

Wed, Nov 13, 2024

Get free water; create a 'rain garden'

Thoughtful landscaping can channel more deep irrigation to trees, shrubs

Tue, Nov 12, 2024

Mum’s the word! Sacramento club celebrates 77th annual show

Spectacular chrysanthemums on display plus potted plants for sale

Mon, Nov 11, 2024

UC Davis Arboretum hosts fall clearance sale

One-acre nursery offers thousands of water-wise plants at bargain prices

Sun, Nov 10, 2024

Pumpkin enhances a classic cookie

New! Autumn spices and mix-ins boost the fall vibe

Sat, Nov 09, 2024

Dig In: Garden checklist for week of Nov. 10

Week starts soggy as Sacramento settles into fall weather pattern

Fri, Nov 08, 2024

Learn how to identify Sacramento trees — and see some, too

Sacramento Tree Foundation offers ‘Tree Identification’ workshop, walking tour

Thu, Nov 07, 2024

Oranges, other fruit splitting? Weather's partly to blame

Environmental factors combine to cause the ripening fruit to burst

Wed, Nov 06, 2024

Find unique gifts at Art to Wear show and sale

SCTA hosts huge event at Shepard Center including daily fashion shows

Tue, Nov 05, 2024

Prepare for leaf avalanche; high winds on the way

Sacramento Valley can expect gusts up to 50 mph, says weather service

Mon, Nov 04, 2024

Bonsai 101: Learn basics in new workshop

Find out how to transform houseplants into living art at Green Acres in Elk Grove

Sun, Nov 03, 2024

Pumpkin spice season deserves a hearty breakfast

New! Spiced pumpkin pancakes make use of favorite fall flavors

Sat, Nov 02, 2024

Dig In: Garden checklist for week of Nov. 3

November starts with typical fall weather – mild

Fri, Nov 01, 2024

Autumn weather (and leaf season) finally are here

Garden forecast: November starts with real rain, then more warm days

Thu, Oct 31, 2024

Ramble through a native plant garden this Sunday

Visit CNPS Garden Ambassador's 1-acre site; registration required

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Taste Winter! E-cookbook

Lemon coconut pancakes

Find our winter recipes here!

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Garden Checklist for week of Dec. 29

It's prime pruning weather. After Sunday's rain, get to work!

* Prune, prune, prune. Now is the time to cut back most deciduous trees and shrubs. The exceptions are spring-flowering shrubs such as lilacs.

* Now is a prime time to prune fruit trees. (But not cherry or apricot trees -- they're susceptible to the fungus Eutypa dieback in wet weather; save those for July or August.) Clean up leaves and debris around the trees to prevent the spread of disease.

* Prune roses, even if they’re still trying to bloom. Strip off any remaining leaves, so the bush will be able to put out new growth in early spring.

* Prune Christmas camellias (Camellia sasanqua), the early-flowering varieties, after their bloom. They don’t need much, but selective pruning can promote bushiness, upright growth and more bloom next winter. Feed with an acid-type fertilizer. But don’t feed your Japonica camellias until after they finish blooming next month. Feeding while camellias are in bloom may cause them to drop unopened buds.

* Clean up leaves and debris around your newly pruned roses and shrubs. Put down fresh mulch or bark to keep roots cozy.

* Apply horticultural oil to fruit trees soon after a rain to control scale, mites and aphids. Oils need 24 hours of dry weather after application to be effective.

* This is also the time to spray a copper-based fungicide to peach and nectarine trees to fight leaf curl. (The safest, effective fungicides available for backyard trees are copper soap -- aka copper octanoate -- or copper ammonium, a fixed copper fungicide. Apply either of these copper products with 1% horticultural oil to increase effectiveness.)

* When forced bulbs sprout, move them to a cool, bright window. Give them a quarter turn each day so the stems will grow straight.

* Browse through seed catalogs and start making plans for spring and summer.

* Divide daylilies, Shasta daisies and other perennials.

* Cut back and divide chrysanthemums.

* Plant bare-root roses, trees and shrubs.

* Transplant pansies, violas, calendulas, English daisies, snapdragons and fairy primroses.

* In the vegetable garden, plant fava beans, head lettuce, mustard, onion sets, radicchio and radishes.

* Plant bare-root asparagus and root divisions of rhubarb.

* In the bulb department, plant callas, anemones, ranunculus and gladiolus for bloom from late spring into summer.

* Plant blooming azaleas, camellias and rhododendrons. If you’re shopping for these beautiful landscape plants, you can now find them in full flower at local nurseries.

Taste Spring! E-cookbook

Strawberries

Find our spring recipes here!

Taste Summer! E-cookbook

square-tomatoes-plate.jpg

Find our summer recipes here!

Taste Fall! E-cookbook

Muffins and pumpkin

Find our fall recipes here!