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McKinley Park is for rose lovers



The Court of Honor -- the top winning roses -- from a previous Sacramento Rose Show. (Photos: Debbie Arrington)

Sacramento Rose Show, big volunteer event on Saturday

Love roses? McKinley Park will be the place to be Saturday. Two big events will offer plenty of blooms to admire and some hands-on opportunities.

Hundreds of roses will fill Shepard Garden and Arts Center during the 71st annual Sacramento Rose Show, set for 1 to 4:30 p.m. April 27. Admission and parking are free.

See and smell a wide variety of roses at their best. Arrangements show off the artistry of roses. This year’s theme -- “The Golden Spike” – salutes the 150th anniversary of the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad.

Anyone can enter a rose in this show, as long as its home-grown. Vases are provided. Identification help is available. Entries are open 7 to 10 a.m.; first-time (novice) exhibitors should arrive before 9 a.m.

Shepard Center is located at 3330 McKinley Blvd., Sacramento. Details:
www.sgaac.org .

For folks who want to learn more about roses while also volunteering, the McKinley Park Memorial Rose Garden will host its annual Volunteer Appreciation Day from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday.

Hosted by Friends of East Sacramento, the event will include free refreshments from Freeport Bakery at 8:30 a.m. Training sessions on how to deadhead roses will start promptly at 9 a.m.

About 100 volunteers are expected to be out in force, tidying up the famous garden and its 1,200 rose bushes. Among the most popular wedding venues in Sacramento, the 1.5-acre rose garden was featured in the hit movie “Lady Bird.”

“If you can’t volunteer, at least stop by and enjoy our gorgeous roses in full bloom!” said garden coordinator Lyn Pitts. “The roses will have the biggest blooms for the year as well as the most blooms at one time for the year. You do not want to miss this. The colors will be stunning! It will be a great day to take photographs and selfies, too.”

The rose garden is on H Street near 33rd Street. Details: www.mckinleyparkcenter.org .



The Shepard Garden and Art Center will be filled with roses Saturday during the rose show. Even more roses will be on view outside,  in the McKinley Park Rose Garden.

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Garden checklist for week of April 19

After this midweek storm, start getting serious about spring gardening. Flowers are blooming about three weeks ahead of schedule. That includes weeds!

* Get ready to swing into action in the vegetable garden – if you haven’t already. As nights warm up over 50 degrees, set out tomato, pepper and eggplant transplants.

* From seed, plant beans, beets, cantaloupes, carrots, corn, cucumbers, melons,  radishes and squash; wait on pumpkins until May. 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. Late April is about the last chance to plant summer bulbs, such as gladiolus and tuberous begonias.

* Transplant lettuce and cabbage seedlings.

* 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? Give citrus trees a low dose of balanced fertilizer (such as 10-10-10) during bloom to help set fruit. Keep an eye out for ants. If leaves look yellow, your tree may need an iron boost -- apply some chelated iron fertilizer.

* 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 needs nutrition. Give shrubs and trees a slow-release fertilizer. Mulch with a 1-inch layer of compost, which helps the soil, but keep it a few inches away from trunks and stems.

* 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.

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Food in My Back Yard (FIMBY) Series

Lessons learned during a year of edible gardening

WINTER

Is edible gardening possible indoors?

Hints for choosing tomato seeds

Starting in seed starting

Why winter is the perfect time to plant fruit trees

When to plant? Consider staggering your transplants

How to squeeze more food into less space

Potatoes from the garden

Plant a fruit tree now -- for later

Win the weed war by tackling them in winter

Tips for planting bare-root trees, shrubs and vegetables

Time to give vegetable seedlings some more space

Ways to win the fight against weeds

FALL

Dec. 16: Add asparagus to your edible garden

Dec. 9: Soggy soil and what to do about it

Dec. 2: Plant artichokes now; enjoy for years to come

Nov. 25: It's late November, and your peach tree needs spraying

Nov. 18: What to do with all those fallen leaves?

Nov. 11: Prepare now for colder weather in the edible garden

Nov. 4: Plant a pea patch for you and your garden

Oct. 27: As citrus season begins, advice for backyard growers

Oct. 20: Change is in the autumn air 

Oct. 13: We don't talk (enough) about beets

Oct. 6: Fava beans do double duty

Sept. 30: Seeds or transplants for cool-season veggies?

Sept. 23: How to prolong the fall tomato harvest 

SUMMER

Sept. 16: Time to shut it down? 

Sept. 9: How to get the most out of your pumpkin patch

Sept. 2: Summer-to-fall transition time for evaluation, planning

Aug. 26: To pick or not to pick those tomatoes?

Aug. 19: Put worms to work for you

Aug. 12: Grow food while saving water

Aug. 5: Enhance your food with edible flowers

July 29: Why won't my tomatoes turn red?

July 22: A squash plant has mosaic virus, and it's not pretty

July 15: Does this plant need water?

July 8: Tear out that sad plant or baby it? Midsummer decisions

July 1: How to grow summer salad greens

June 24:  Weird stuff that's perfectly normal

SPRING

June 17: Help pollinators help your garden

June 10: Battling early-season tomato pests

June 3: Make your own compost

May 27: Where are the bees when you need them?

May 20: How to help tomatoes thrive on hot days

May 13: Your plants can tell you more than any calendar can

May 6: Maintain soil moisture with mulch for garden success

April 29: What's (already) wrong with my tomato plants?

April 22: Should you stock up on fertilizer? (Yes!)

April 15: Grow culinary herbs in containers

April 8: When to plant summer vegetables

April 1: Don't be fooled by these garden myths

March 25: Fertilizer tips: How to 'feed' your vegetables for healthy growth