Pre-Christmas week looks chilly but dry
Learn rose care while helping at this landmark site
These are practical and useful all year
Tips for selecting healthy holiday plants
Rainfall has been good in December, but it's over for now
Crown rot revealed by wind gust during storm
Fruity winter salad with maple-mustard vinaigrette
Be prepared for lots of rain, wind and frost
Learn how to buy and care for the tropical flowers
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Get to work on trimming bushes and coaxing dormancy
A striking coleus and a mini kabocha among the award winners
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Street pile pick-up through Jan. 23 in Sacramento
Stroll the grounds and residence during the December open house
Sacramento's overdue for a good soaking
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East Sacramento tradition features five designer-decorated homes
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Garden Checklist for week of Nov. 10
Make the most of gaps between raindrops this week and get stuff done:
* Rake and compost leaves, but dispose of any diseased plant material. For example, if peach and nectarine trees showed signs of leaf curl this year, clean up under trees and dispose of those leaves instead of composting.
* Give your azaleas, gardenias and camellias a boost with chelated iron.
* For larger blooms, pinch off some camellia buds.
* 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.
* Pull faded annuals and vegetables.
* Prune dead or broken branches from trees.
* 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 and plant such spring bloomers as sweet pea, 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.