Placer County master gardeners show how they turned unused turf into their new demonstration garden at Loomis Library
Here's the end result of the Placer master gardeners' lawn replacement project: their demonstration garden at the Loomis Library. This photo is from the grand opening in March; the garden has filled in since then. Kathy Morrison
Tired of the same old boring (and thirsty) lawn? Now is the time to envision the possibilities, then do something about it.
Learn how during a free workshop offered by the Placer County master gardeners – at an example of recent lawn conversion.
At 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 10, “Lawn Replacement Loomis Library” will be held (as the name suggests) at Loomis Library, which just experienced an 11,000-square-foot lawn-to-wonderland makeover. The former turf area outside the building is now home to the UC Master Gardeners of Placer County Demonstration Garden, studded with pollinator islands and raised beds. It also serves as a living outdoor classroom for master gardener presentations.
It’s your turn to go “from blah to beautiful,” say the master gardeners. “Learn the best way to get rid of your high maintenance lawn and create a pollinator paradise! Save water, too!”
This one-hour workshop will be held inside the library (with air conditioning) before moving outdoors and seeing examples firsthand.
No advance registration is necessary. This workshop is open to the public (not just Placer County residents).
In addition, Saturday is also Open Garden at the demonstration garden, which will be staffed by master gardeners from 10 a.m. to noon. Stop by with garden questions or just to see how the garden is flourishing in its first year.
Loomis Library is located at 6050 Library Drive, Loomis.
For details and directions: https://pcmg.ucanr.edu/.
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Garden Checklist for week of Jan. 12
Once the winds die down, it’s good winter gardening weather with plenty to do:
* Prune, prune, prune. Now is the time to cut back most deciduous trees and shrubs. The exceptions are spring-flowering shrubs such as lilacs.
* Now is the time to prune fruit trees. (The exceptions are apricot and cherry trees, which are susceptible to a fungus that causes dieback. Save them until summer.) Clean up leaves and debris around the trees to prevent the spread of disease.
* Prune roses, even if they’re still trying to bloom. Strip off any remaining leaves, so the bush will be able to put out new growth in early spring.
* Clean up leaves and debris around your newly pruned roses and shrubs. Put down fresh mulch or bark to keep roots cozy.
* After the wind stops, apply horticultural oil to fruit trees to control scale, mites and aphids. Oils need 24 hours of dry weather after application to be effective.
* This is also the time to spray a copper-based fungicide to peach and nectarine trees to fight leaf curl. (The safest effective fungicides available for backyard trees are copper soap -- aka copper octanoate -- or copper ammonium, a fixed copper fungicide. Apply either of these copper products with 1% horticultural oil to increase effectiveness.)
* When forced bulbs sprout, move them to a cool, bright window. Give them a quarter turn each day so the stems will grow straight.
* Browse through seed catalogs and start making plans for spring and summer.
* Divide daylilies, Shasta daisies and other perennials.
* Cut back and divide chrysanthemums.
* Plant bare-root roses, trees and shrubs.
* Transplant pansies, violas, calendulas, English daisies, snapdragons and fairy primroses.
* In the vegetable garden, plant fava beans, head lettuce, mustard, onion sets, radicchio and radishes.
* Plant bare-root asparagus and root divisions of rhubarb.
* In the bulb department, plant callas, anemones, ranunculus and gladioli for bloom from late spring into summer.
* Plant blooming azaleas, camellias and rhododendrons. If you’re shopping for these beautiful landscape plants, you can now find them in full flower at local nurseries.
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