Placer master gardeners present Fall Open House in sync with community event
Loomis, long known as a fruit-packing center, celebrates that tradition this Saturday with the Fruit Shed Fest. This mural in town depicts one of the many fruit crate labels used back in the day. Kathy Morrison
Loomis, a town with a rich agriculture tradition, will pull out all the stops Saturday, Oct. 5, to celebrate the harvest and the history in Placer County.
The Fruit Shed Fest takes over from the former Eggplant Festival as Loomis' big community event. Music, contests, food, vendors and more will be part of the fest.
Here's how the Loomis Chamber of Commerce explains the change:
"Formally known as the Loomis Eggplant festival, this event has always been about celebrating our community’s agricultural roots and promote a community focused on health and wellness, and the Fruit Shed Fest allows us to broaden that celebration.
"This rebranding not only honors our Town’s history but also embraces the future, welcoming a more inclusive and diverse representation of our local produce, our beloved fruit sheds, and downtown district. It will allow for a unique opportunity to revitalize interest and attract a larger, regional audience."
Built in 1926, the Historic High-Hand Fruit Shed is at the center of town, now the site of shops selling jewelry, olive oil, flowers and garden decor, artwork and the like. In the High-Hand complex there also are a brewery, a cafe and a nursery.
The festival runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., centered at Loomis' historic Train Depot, 5775 Horseshoe Bar Road. In between those hours, the festival will include a chalk art contest, an apple pie baking contest, music by bands including the Sierra College Jazz Band, a kids activity zone and plenty of food trucks and vendors. Admission and parking are free.
Just up the street, on the Loomis Library grounds, the Placer County master gardeners will hold their Fall Open House in their Demonstration Garden from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Admission is free.
The Fall Open House will feature two live presentations by master gardeners: at 10:30 a.m., a look at container gardening with California native plants; and at 11:30 a.m., a discussion of California native seed saving and sowing.
There will be activities for children, plus the Miridae Mobile Nursery will be on site for sales of California native plants. The California Native Plant Society's local chapter will have a booth, as will Delta Blue Grass, with information on no-mow native grasses. (The master gardeners have a planting of no-mow grasses in their garden.)
The Loomis Library is at 6050 Library Drive, just off Horseshoe Bar Road in Loomis. For information on the Fall Open House or other Placer master gardener events, go to https://ucanr.edu/sites/ucmgplacer/?calitem=597883&g=131834
The Fruit Shed Fest Facebook page is here.
And by the way, eggplant fans, eggplant IS a fruit, so it will still be in evidence, just sharing the spotlight now.
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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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