NEW! Fresh strawberry-orange salsa with green onions
Chilly storm throws another curve into spring weather
Nation's oldest club of its kind continues tradition
Sunday event also features plant and seed swap, vendors and kid-oriented activities
Gallery combines art and garden appreciation in popular event
Five locations open Saturday with wood chips for local gardens
Sacramento Cactus and Succulent Society hosts big event featuring demonstration garden
NEW Upside-down cake features stripes of rhubarb, dots of blueberries
Sunshine follows April showers for a warm end to month
'Gardens of Folsom' spotlights seven private landscapes plus two bonus gardens
Free beekeeping intro in Elk Grove; seed exchange in Folsom
Sacramento Valley CNPS event spotlights wildlife-friendly landscapes
See and smell spring beauties – and take some home, too
Ways to cut down on plastics in your own landscape
NEW Strawberries and cream scones with orange zest
Enjoy the sunshine and get ready for summer crops
Look for new SDG signs with recipe links at all seven nurseries
More native plants means more resources for native insects, pollinators and birds
'Summer Strong' contest seeks beautiful landscapes that can take the heat
Discover six private gardens with lots of personality
Sacramento Digs Gardening to your inbox.
Sites We Like
Garden Checklist for week of June 23
Get to work in the mornings while it’s still cool.
* Irrigate early in the day; your plants will appreciate it.
* Generally, tomatoes need deep watering two to three times a week, but don't let them dry out completely. That can encourage blossom-end rot.
* 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.
* Avoid pot “hot feet.” Place a 1-inch-thick board under container plants sitting on pavement. This little cushion helps insulate them from radiated heat.
* Thin grapes on the vine for bigger, better clusters later this summer.
* 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.
* From seed, plant corn, pumpkins, radishes, melons, 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.