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The Secret Garden offers spooky workshop and more

Get in the seasonal spirit with these creative classes

This fanciful pumpkin is an example of the project to be made in the Pressed Botanical Pumpkin workshop on Sunday, Oct. 6, at The Secret Garden.

This fanciful pumpkin is an example of the project to be made in the Pressed Botanical Pumpkin workshop on Sunday, Oct. 6, at The Secret Garden. Courtesy The Secret Garden

How do you get in the mood for fall gardening and entertaining? With some spirited workshops, courtesy of The Secret Garden.

The destination Elk Grove garden store is hosting a full schedule of fall workshops including three this weekend, Oct. 5 and 6:

Succulent bowl with skeleton
A spooky centerpiece is the focus of the "Bury Me
with My Plants" workshop on Saturday.

– “Bury Me with My Plants” workshop,10:30 a.m. Saturday: Make a spooky, fun succulent arrangement as your Halloween centerpiece. Class features “instruction and everything needed to create this hauntingly adorable cemetery scene including 8-inch pot, soil and rock, succulents, dried floral, skeleton, and your choice of two mini accessories,” say the hosts. “More seasonal accessories will be available for purchase. Once spooky season is past, swap out the graveyard scene for something fresh and enjoy your arrangement year round.” Owner Jennifer Kahl will lead the instruction in this 90-minute workshop; $55 including materials.

– Botanical Poster Watercolor workshop, 2 p.m. Saturday: For budding artists, this workshop uses the fall garden as inspiration. “This design is inspired by Fall flowers and foliage from our nursery,” say the hosts. “We will collect examples of seasonal foliage and students will learn to sketch and watercolor their designs. Students will use pencil, ivory parchment paper, and high-grade Japanese watercolor paints to create their poster. Wooden frame is included as are all materials and instruction.” This class lasts more than 2 hours; fee is $55.

– Pressed Botanical Pumpkin workshop, 10:30 a.m. Sunday: Turn a faux pumpkin into a lasting piece of fall decor. Use pressed leaves and flowers to create an original design. Fee is $55 including materials and a discount coupon for other purchases.

Space is limited for these workshops. Register in advance via the nursery’s website at: https://www.secretgarden-online.com/workshops

At the same site, sign up now for these additional workshops in October and November:

– Kokedama workshop, 11 a.m. Oct. 13: Learn how to make these beautiful moss-filled hanging planters with your choice of indoor or outdoor plants; $50.

– Mushroom Forest Wreath workshop, 11 a.m. Oct. 20: Make a lasting woodland-inspired wreath to greet visitors throughout the fall holidays. Includes 12-inch grapevine wreath base, preserved moss, pine cones and other natural elements; $55.

– The Herbal Craft workshop, 11 a.m. Nov. 3: This two-hour experiential class covers the art of herbal tea blending, incense making and herbal salves; $55.

– Pressed Botanical Candle workshop, 10:30 a.m. Nov. 10: Make fall-themed candles decorated with pressed leaves and flowers; $55.

The Secret Garden is located at 8450 W. Stockton Blvd., Elk Grove.

Details and directions: https://www.secretgarden-online.com/

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Garden checklist for week of May 31

Remember to water early. No more rain is in the immediate forecast.

* It’s not too late to transplant tomatoes, peppers, eggplant or other summer favorites. Make sure they stay hydrated.

* From seed, plant corn, melons, pumpkins, radishes, 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.

* 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.

* 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.

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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

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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