Volunteers needed to help landmark site while learning about rose care
This is the McKinley Park Rose Garden in its full blooming glory. Achieving this in 2023 is the goal of the January Prune-a-thon. Debbie Arrington
It’s back! In January, rose lovers and gardeners of all ages will come together for Prune-a-thon – a community effort to help the McKinley Memorial Rose Garden.
In years past, volunteers pruned the garden’s entire collection of 1,200-plus roses in one day. The upcoming 2023 Prune-a-thon will stretch over two Saturdays – Jan. 7 and 14. Each pruning session will run from 9 a.m. to noon with a light lunch available for participants.
Experienced rosarians from the Sacramento Rose Society and Sacramento parks staff will supervise volunteers.
Registration and parking are free. No experience is necessary, although volunteers under age 18 must have a parent’s or guardian’s signature to participate. Tools and instruction will be provided. Bring gloves and, if possible, bypass pruners.
The Prune-a-thon is a great opportunity to learn about roses or reinvigorate pruning skills. It’s also a wonderful chance to show this historic rose garden some love.
This month, the City of Sacramento Parks and Recreation Department took over management of the rose garden as well as Clunie Community Center and the Shepard Garden and Arts Center from Friends of East Sacramento. In addition to tackling pruning (the biggest chore in any rose garden), the Prune-a-thon will serve as a recruiting event for year-round rose garden volunteers.
Prune-a-thon participants should dress warmly. Closed-toe shoes are required. Water will be provided.
For details and to register in advance via QR code: https://bit.ly/3HQU9JM
Want to learn more about rose care? Here are a few of Debbie's previous posts:
December rose care: Start pruning now
Grow your own vase-worthy roses
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Garden Checklist for week of July 21
Your garden needs you!
* Keep your vegetable garden watered, mulched and weeded. Water before 8 a.m. to reduce the chance of fungal infection and to conserve moisture.
* Feed vegetable plants bone meal, rock phosphate or other fertilizers high in phosphate to stimulate more blooms and fruiting. (But wait until daily high temperatures drop out of the 100s.)
* Don’t let tomatoes wilt or dry out completely. Give tomatoes a deep watering two to three times a week.
* Harvest vegetables promptly to encourage plants to produce more. Squash especially tends to grow rapidly in hot weather. Keep an eye on zucchini.
* Pinch back chrysanthemums for bushy plants and more flowers in September.
* Remove spent flowers from roses, daylilies and other bloomers as they finish flowering.
* Pinch off blooms from basil so the plant will grow more leaves.
* Cut back lavender after flowering to promote a second bloom.
* It's not too late to add a splash of color. Plant petunias, snapdragons, zinnias and marigolds.
* From seed, plant corn, pumpkins, radishes, winter squash and sunflowers.
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