Popular fundraisers benefit local programs; Woodland tour sold out
RUFF hosts free planting party near Pistachio Park
Oak Park urban nursery and garden store puts its own twist on tradition
Sacred Heart fundraiser includes cafe, boutique featuring 25 local makers
New! Bakery-style mandarin muffins with raisins
Make the most of dry, clear (and chilly) weather
Succulents, holiday poinsettias among most sensitive plants
A grateful pause on Thanksgiving
El Dorado County growers ready to welcome tree hunters
After atmospheric river, we'll have some chilly nights
Family fun, ornament painting and more at Elk Grove destination nursery/ garden store
New! Premade crust, herbed soft cheese can speed up the prep work
Thanksgiving week is a time to dry out and count blessings
Mandarin festival booth skipped; award-winning gardening guide now available online
Sacramento Perennial Plant Club supports school, nonprofit and community programs
Relles Florist in Sacramento offers popular DIY class
'Atmospheric river' could drop as much as 4 inches of rain in five days
Featuring tons of local citrus, popular event opens Friday in Roseville
New! Persimmon-raisin scones with fresh Fuyu persimmon
Get ready to chill as cold fronts bring potential frost
Famous feng shui expert opens her private Huei's Garden to the public Saturday
Sacramento Digs Gardening to your inbox.
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Garden Checklist for week of Nov. 24
In between rainy episodes this week:
* Keep your gutters and storm drains cleared. Watch out for leaning trees or weakened branches; if you spot trouble, call an arborist.
* Remember to turn off the sprinklers or other irrigation. Be careful walking on or working with wet soil; it can compact easily.
* On rainy days, do some indoor gardening. Tend to houseplants. Sort seed packets. Start seed indoors for cool-season veggies and flowers.
* For holiday blooms indoors, plant paperwhite narcissus bulbs now. Fill a shallow bowl or dish with 2 inches of rocks or pebbles. Place bulbs in the dish with the root end nestled in the rocks. Add water until it just touches the bottom of the bulbs. Place the dish in a sunny window. Add water as needed.
* Rake and compost leaves, but leave at least some healthy leaves in planting beds for nesting insects and foraging birds. But dispose of any diseased plant material. For eample, if peach and nectarine trees showed signs of leaf curl this year, clean up under trees and dispose of those leaves instead of composting.
* If you decide to use a living Christmas tree this year, keep it outside in a sunny location until Christmas week. This reduces stress on the young tree.
* Give your azaleas, gardenias and camellias a boost with chelated iron.
* 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.
* 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 such as California poppies and plant spring bloomers such as as sweet peas, 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.