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Fri, Jan 12, 2024

McKinley Park rose garden needs volunteers

More pruning events set for Saturdays throughout January

Thu, Jan 11, 2024

More rain is coming soon -- how's the garden holding up?

Some trouble spots to look for before Saturday's storm

Wed, Jan 10, 2024

Learn how to tell good bugs from bad pests

Yolo County master gardeners offer free Zoom workshop on insect, disease identification

Tue, Jan 09, 2024

Happy National Houseplant Appreciation Day!

Time to show your indoor garden some love

Mon, Jan 08, 2024

Want roses? Grab your shovel; it’s time to dig in!

Rose society offers advice on transplanting -- and digging up – rose bushes

Fri, Jan 05, 2024

Learn proper pruning at free Green Acres workshops

Class with expert tips offered at all locations

Thu, Jan 04, 2024

Pruning basics covered in quick, informative local videos

Topics include salvias, blueberries, grasses and more

Wed, Jan 03, 2024

Learn about 'Gardening for the Future'

El Dorado master gardeners offer free workshop on biodiversity and sustainable gardening

Tue, Jan 02, 2024

Learn about seed saving and swapping

Placer County master gardeners host free in-person workshop

Sat, Dec 30, 2023

Dig In: Garden checklist for week of Dec. 31

New Year starts like the old year ends — kind of soggy

Fri, Dec 29, 2023

Learn how to prune roses better, faster

Sierra Foothills Rose Society offers free workshop with expert hands-on advice

Thu, Dec 28, 2023

Some great plants you can grow to help birds

Food, flowers and shelter especially needed in winter

Wed, Dec 27, 2023

Why are Sacramento roses still blooming?

It's time to start pruning; how to cue bushes to take a winter nap

Tue, Dec 26, 2023

Grow more fruit with this free workshop

Roseville class covers fruit tree care from planting to harvest

Mon, Dec 25, 2023

After celebration is over, consider recycling your Christmas tree

City of Sacramento, county offer options to turn trees into mulch

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Taste Fall! E-cookbook

Muffins and pumpkin

Find our fall recipes here!

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Garden Checklist for week of Nov. 24

In between rainy episodes this week:

* Keep your gutters and storm drains cleared. Watch out for leaning trees or weakened branches; if you spot trouble, call an arborist.

* Remember to turn off the sprinklers or other irrigation. Be careful walking on or working with wet soil; it can compact easily.

* On rainy days, do some indoor gardening. Tend to houseplants. Sort seed packets. Start seed indoors for cool-season veggies and flowers.

* For holiday blooms indoors, plant paperwhite narcissus bulbs now. Fill a shallow bowl or dish with 2 inches of rocks or pebbles. Place bulbs in the dish with the root end nestled in the rocks. Add water until it just touches the bottom of the bulbs. Place the dish in a sunny window. Add water as needed.

* Rake and compost leaves, but leave at least some healthy leaves in planting beds for nesting insects and foraging birds. But dispose of any diseased plant material. For eample, if peach and nectarine trees showed signs of leaf curl this year, clean up under trees and dispose of those leaves instead of composting.

* If you decide to use a living Christmas tree this year, keep it outside in a sunny location until Christmas week. This reduces stress on the young tree.

* Give your azaleas, gardenias and camellias a boost with chelated iron.

* After they bloom, chrysanthemums should be trimmed to 6 to 8 inches above the ground. If in pots, keep the mums in their containers until next spring. Then they can be planted in the ground, if desired, or repotted.

* Prune non-flowering trees and shrubs while dormant.

* Keep planting bulbs to spread out your spring bloom. Some possible suggestions: daffodils, crocuses, hyacinths, tulips, anemones and scillas.

* This is also a good time to seed wildflowers such as California poppies and plant spring bloomers such as as sweet peas, sweet alyssum and bachelor buttons.

* Now is the best time to plant most trees and shrubs. This gives them plenty of time for root development before spring growth. They also benefit from fall and winter rains.

* Set out cool-weather annuals such as pansies and snapdragons.

* Lettuce, cabbage and broccoli also can be planted now.

* Plant garlic and onions.

Taste Spring! E-cookbook

Strawberries

Find our spring recipes here!

Taste Summer! E-cookbook

square-tomatoes-plate.jpg

Find our summer recipes here!

Taste Winter! E-cookbook

Lemon coconut pancakes

Find our winter recipes here!