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Give Dad a mosquito eater for Father's Day

Sacramento Digs Gardening
BY Debbie Arrington PUBLISHED JUN 13, 2019

Pitcher plants produce fascinating flowers. See many unusual species at the show this weekend. (Photos: Debbie Arrington)

Sacramento Bromeliad and Carnivorous Plant Show and Sale this weekend

Would Dad like a bug eater?

One of Sacramento’s most popular and family-friendly garden events has moved from its traditional dates in late July to this weekend – just in time for Father’s Day.

From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, the Sacramento Bromeliad and Carnivorous Plant Society will present its 49th annual show and sale at Shepard Garden and Arts Center, 3330 McKinley Blvd., Sacramento. Find hundreds of unusual and rare exotic plants on display and for sale. Admission and parking are free.

“(Our show) was always the last weekend in July – and hotter than hell,” said Eric Trygg, past president. “That’s wildfire season and, the last couple of years, there was so much smoke in the air, people were told to stay inside. That’s also the last weekend of the State Fair, so we had that conflict, too.”

Not that June is much cooler than July – as we’ve seen this past week with triple-digit heat. But society members hope to get a break in the weather (weekend temperatures are forecast in the low 90s) as well as a bump from Father’s Day.

“We have spectacular plants for our sale,” Trygg said. “They make great gifts.”

Carnivorous plants are especially popular with kids, he added.

Pitcher plants can be grown outdoors in Sacramento.

“There’s a mystique about these plants,” Trygg said. “They’re beautiful; they’re weird. People think of Venus flytraps, but there are actually more than 650 varieties of carnivorous plants including some native to California.”

And yes, pitcher plants and cobra lilies will eat mosquitoes (and any other insects that come their way).

“They’ll eat anything they can catch,” Trygg said. “They’re pigs. You never have to feed them; they feed themselves.”

Besides a huge selection of bug eaters, the society’s sale also features an amazing assortment of bromeliads. These tropical plants are known for their striking foliage in rainbow hues.

“People come in for the carnivorous plants, but they get hooked on the bromeliads,” Trygg said. “They keep coming back for more.”

Details: www.sgaac.org or https://bit.ly/2Iemj2i

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gardening Sacramento family events bromeliads Shepard Garden & Arts Center events garden clubs plant sale carnivorous plants plant show

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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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