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Historic, rare roses offered at special sale

Preservation group propagates rose varieties found, in some cases, nowhere else

Barbara's Pasture Rose is named for the late Barbara Oliva, who discovered it.

Barbara's Pasture Rose is named for the late Barbara Oliva, who discovered it. Photo courtesy Anita Clevenger

These old roses need new homes.

The former volunteers of the Sacramento Historic Rose Garden (formerly at Sacramento's Old City Cemetery) are still trying to preserve rare and historic roses, including varieties found nowhere else. Now, they have dozens of bushes, grown on their own roots and ready for transplanting.

Saturday, June 8, the group is hosting a rose sale at the home of Anita Clevenger, 877 53rd St., Sacramento. From 9 a.m to 2 p.m., shop for roses that you’ll likely not find anywhere else.

“Some varieties are small, such as ‘Serna House,’ a miniature China rose that blooms continuously,” Clevenger says. “Plants are $15 each, first come first served, cash only. We don’t ship.”

Funds raised will go towards rose preservation and … more roses.

“Proceeds cover our expenses and will also be passed along to other heritage rose gardens/groups,” Clevenger says.

Some varieties are in very limited quantities. For the best selection, shop early.

“Most of these (varieties) are listed in Helpmefind.com/roses if you’d like more details,” Clevenger notes.

Each of these roses has a compelling back story to go along with their beauty and fragrance. Among the roses expected to be available:

‘Abbott & Burns’: A miniature China rose brought to California by wagon train in 1857.

‘Adorable Pink Polly’: A cemetery seedling, this grows into a 4-foot arching bush; pink, fragrant and adorable!

‘Arnold’: A rare Rugosa hybrid; large, single, scarlet red.

‘Barbara's Pasture Rose’: Named for heritage rose expert Barbara Oliva, this renowned pink Hybrid Perpetual looks similar to ‘La Reine.’

‘Belle Story’: A newcomer compared to other varieties, this English-style shrub rose was developed by David Austin; its heavy 4-inch blooms are peachy pink.

‘Celsiana’: An old Damask rose dating from 1750, it bears intensely fragrant clusters of light pink blooms in spring.

‘Dora’s Farmhouse Rose’: Discovered in the garden of a Modesto farmhouse, this is a dark pink Hybrid Perpetual, similar to ‘Health Food.’

‘Fiddletown Cherry’: A ‘found’ Tea rose discovered in Amador County, this light pink gem is very fragrant.

‘G. Nabonnand’: With a strong, sweet fragrance, this light apricot Tea rose was named for the 19th century French rose breeder Gilbert Nabonnand who created it.

‘Health Food’: A dark pink Hybrid Perpetual, this charming and carefree rose got its name because it was found “Across From the Health Food Store” in a Sierra foothills town.

‘Oneto Home Saffron’: Discovered by Fred Boutin, this small Tea or China rose stays small – under 3 feet tall – with golden yellow, fragrant blooms fading to creamy white.

‘Over the Fence’: A pink large-flowered climber of unknown parentage, this vigorous rose lives up to its name.

‘Perle d’Or’: Introduced in France in 1883, this fragrant Polyantha bears clusters of little apricot and yellow blooms.

‘Serna House’: A miniature China rose, this dark pink beauty looks very similar to ‘Rouletti’ or a miniature ‘Old Blush.’

For more details and photos: https://www.facebook.com/historicrosegarden.

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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