Find great deals on water-wise shrubs, perennials and trees including Arboretum All-Stars
Get in the spirit early with Saturday party and sale
Procrastinators can still get in the spirit at these favorite haunts
Recipe: Fresh corn cakes use whole kernels
October blows out with windy weekend and high fire danger before pleasant planting weather to start November.
Oriental fruit fly affects local gardeners, Soil Born Farms
Conversation with blog's Kathy Morrison delves into persimmons, baked goods and season-bridging salads
Build a bioactive terrarium at Friday Happy Hour workshop
Yolo County master gardeners share advice on how to create a 'Wildlife Friendly Garden'
Huge event features handmade pottery, ceramics, glass and metalwork
Recipe: Maple glaze is subtly spiced; lime juice adds balance
Pleasant planting weather returns after Sunday's expected (light) rain
Saturday workshops offered at five Green Acres locations
Free classes cover key areas of fall gardening
Saturday events also include a native plant sale in Roseville
Sierra Foothills Rose Show will feature hundreds of blooms on Saturday, Oct. 21
Two per person -- one to keep, one to give -- as part of Petal It Forward
Recipe: Cincinnati chili is served over spaghetti; beans optional
Warm days return; make the most of planting weather
Unique event at Shepard Center features hand-painted items, tea service
Sacramento Digs Gardening to your inbox.
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Garden Checklist for week of Dec. 22
* Between showers this week, check on your garden’s welfare. Clean up fallen branches and other debris. Don’t let water pool near foundations.
* When working (or just walking) in the garden, be careful of soggy ground; it can compact easily. Soggy soil also will rot newly planted bulbs. Wait until the soil is moist but not dripping wet.
* Rake leaves away from storm drains and gutters. Recycle those leaves as mulch or add to compost.
* Brighten the holidays with winter bloomers such as poinsettias, amaryllis and cyclamen indoors, and Iceland poppies, calendulas, pansies and primroses outdoors.
* Keep poinsettias in a sunny, warm location; bring them inside at night or if there’s rain. (They don’t like cold, wet weather.)
* Prune non-flowering trees and shrubs while they’re dormant.
* Clean and sharpen garden tools before storing for the winter.
* Rake and remove dead leaves and stems from dormant perennials.
* Seed wildflowers and plant such spring bloomers as sweet pea, sweet alyssum and bachelor buttons.
* Once soil dries out a little, trees and shrubs can be planted now, especially bare-root varieties such as fruit trees or rose bushes. This gives them plenty of time for root development before spring growth. They also benefit from winter rains.
* Plant bare-root berries, kiwifruit, grapes, artichokes, horseradish and rhubarb.
* Set out cool-weather annuals such as pansies and snapdragons.
* Lettuce, cabbage and broccoli also can be planted now.