Delta society hosts annual show and sale of African violets, gesneriads and rare bloomers
This gorgeous African violet is a sample of what visitors will see at the Delta Gesneriad and African Violet Society show and sale this weekend. Courtesy Delta Gesneriad and African Violet Society
When it’s too hot to garden outdoors, it’s time to turn our attention to our indoor (air-conditioned) jungle. If you’d like to add more flowering plants to your inside collection, you’re in luck!
On Saturday and Sunday (Sept. 14 and 15), the Delta Gesneriad and African Violet Society will host its annual show and sale at Shepard Garden and Arts Center in McKinley Park. It’s a wonderful opportunity to see these blooming plants at their peak of beauty – and take some home, too.
African violets are the best-known gesneriads, which includes more than 1,500 species. Also popular are gloxinias, cape primroses, kohlerias, episcias and achimenes. All these tropical plants make themselves at home indoors and produce striking flowers in a rainbow of hues.
Besides their attractive flowers, gesneriads also are known for their interesting foliage. Specimen plants can live for decades. This show will have several examples of how gorgeous these plants can be.
In addition at this event, the club offers hundreds of young plants for sale including dozens of rare varieties unavailable from local nurseries. It’s a fantastic opportunity to add to your collection. Come early for the best selection.
Get advice, too. Several club members will be on hand to offer advice on repotting older plants and violet care.
Show and sale hours are 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday. Admission and parking are free. Shepard Center is located at 3330 McKinley Blvd., Sacramento.
Details and directions: www.sgaac.org.
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Garden Checklist for week of March 16
Make the most of dry breaks between showers. Your garden is in high-growth mode.
* Pull weeds now! Don’t let them get started. Take a hoe and whack them as soon as they sprout.
* Prepare vegetable beds. Spade in compost and other amendments.
* Prune and fertilize spring-flowering shrubs after bloom.
* Feed camellias at the end of their bloom cycle. Pick up browned and fallen flowers to help corral blossom blight.
* Feed citrus trees, which are now in bloom and setting fruit. To prevent sunburn and borer problems on young trees, paint the exposed portion of the trunk with diluted white latex (water-based) interior paint. Dilute the paint with an equal amount of cold water before application.
* Feed roses with a balanced fertilizer (such as 10-10-10, the ratio of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium available in that product).
* Prune and fertilize spring-flowering shrubs and trees after they bloom. Try using well-composted manure, spread 1-inch-thick under the tree (but avoid piling it up around the trunk). This serves as both fertilizer and mulch, retaining moisture while cutting down on weeds.
* Cut back and fertilize perennial herbs to encourage new growth.
* In the vegetable garden, transplant lettuce and cole family plants, such as cauliflower, broccoli, collards and kale.
* Seed chard and beets directly into the ground. (To speed germination, soak beet seeds overnight in room-temperature water before planting.)
* Before the mercury starts inching upward, this is your last chance to plant such annuals as pansies, violas and primroses.
* Plant summer bulbs, including gladiolus, tuberous begonias and callas. Also plant dahlia tubers.
* Shop for perennials. Many varieties are available in local nurseries and at plant events. They can be transplanted now while the weather remains relatively cool.
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