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Placer County Garden Faire part of busy Saturday


A butterfly alights on a Phacelia tanacetifolia (tansy-leafed phacelia), a California native. "Pollinators and Native Plants" will be among the topics covered Saturday at the Placer master gardeners' Garden Faire. (Photo: Kathy Morrison)

Master gardeners host big event at Maidu Center


So many events, so little time!

Local garden event organizers will make the most of this sunny Saturday forecast with lots of things to do:
Open Gardens at the Historic City Cemetery, the Sacramento Orchid Show at the Scottish Rite Masonic Center, the ABA Bonsai Show at Shepard Center and the first River Park Garden Tour . (Find details on all of those by following the links.)

Here’s another to consider, especially for folks in Placer County.

The Placer County master gardeners will host their fourth annual Garden Faire, featuring dozens of local vendors and clubs, speakers, workshops, plant sale (with lots of succulents), food trucks, kids’ activities and more. From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, April 13, the Maidu Center will be bustling with garden activity.

Among the featured speakers: Master gardener programs manager Kevin Marini will share “Top 10 Tips on Vegetable Gardening,” 11:15 a.m.; landscape architect Robert Littlepage will discuss “The Future of Water,” 12:30 p.m.; and Pollinator Posse founder Tora Rocha will talk about birds, bees, butterflies and more during “Pollinators and Native Plants,” 2 p.m.

Among the clubs participating is the Sierra Foothills Rose Society, which will offer expert rose advice. (The club will also have a few potted roses for sale.)

Maidu Center is located at 1550 Maidu Drive, Roseville. Admission is free. Details: http://pcmg.ucanr.org/

Some other notable events in the region during this jam-packed spring weekend:

* It’ll be Second Saturday Open Garden Day at the El Dorado County master gardeners’ Sherwood Demonstration Garden. 9 to 11 a.m. Saturday, April 13. Topics will be tips for successful vegetable gardening, growing succulents, and companion planting. Fruit tree pruning demonstration in the orchard. Site features 16 individual themed gardens designed around low-water, low-maintenance plants that do well in El Dorado County. No dogs allowed. $2 parking charged by Folsom Lake College El Dorado Center seven days a week. Exact change required. 6699 Campus Drive, Placerville. mgeldorado.ucanr.edu

* The Stockton Asparagus Festival starts today (April 12) and continues through Sunday. San Joaquin County Fairgrounds, 1650 S. Airport Way, Stockton. Music, sprint car races, activities and lots of asparagus-focused food. 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. today and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday. $15 general admission (1 day), $12 children 6-17, 5 and under admitted free. $6 parking. http://www.sanjoaquinasparagusfestival.net/

and Kathy Morrison

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Garden checklist for week of May 31

Remember to water early. No more rain is in the immediate forecast.

* It’s not too late to transplant tomatoes, peppers, eggplant or other summer favorites. Make sure they stay hydrated.

* 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.

* 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 early 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.

* 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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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