Calendars, clothes pins and memberships are top suggestions
Either of these master gardener-created gardening guides/calendars make a great gift. The seeds? Perfect for stocking gifts. Kathy Morrison
With less than a week until Christmas, crunch time is here for anyone choosing gifts. Still need a few small stocking goodies? Want to find a gift for that kind neighbor with the colorful garden? If you have a gardener among friends or family members, I have these can't-miss suggestions:
A gift you can walk in and buy right now:
-- Either Gardening Guide and Calendar produced by two area UC master gardener groups is, right off, my top choice for any area gardener. The Sacramento County version is best for those in the Sacramento area or flatlands of the Central Valley. The 2025 theme covers things gardeners are "Passionate About," such as succulents, fragrant plants or gardening with kids.
The Placer County master gardeners also have an excellent guide/calendar, aimed more at gardening in the foothills. "Healthy Garden, Healthy You" is the theme, and the price is $12. Find it at more than two dozen retailers in Placer and El Dorado counties; the link to the full list is here. Online and mail orders also are accepted.
Sacramento's also is $12 and can be found at several nurseries: The Plant Foundry, Emigh Hardware, Talini's and the four Green Acres in the county, plus the Wild Birds and Gardens store. (Call first to make sure a particular store still has it in stock.) It also can be ordered online here; postage is extra.
Great little stocking gifts:
-- Seeds, but not just any seeds. Look for seeds from Hedgerow Farms, now carried at Green Acres stores. These seeds are grown in Winters, at a farm that provides California native plant seed for large-scale conservation and habitat restoration projects around the state. The retail seeds are a side business. My choice: The Central Valley wildflower mix, but they also have native milkweed seeds (showy and narrow-leaf), tidy tips, blue-eyed grass, lacy phacelia and more. Prices are 99 cents to $4.95.
-- Wooden clothes pins. Check the local hardware store or some big-box stores for these. Usually in a pack of 36. Endlessly useful in the garden, as fertilizer or soil bag clips, trellis assistance, shade cloth clips and even plant markers. The wooden ones last much longer than plastic ones.
A gift for the whole year, easily purchased online:
-- Membership in the Friends of the UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden. The Arboretum is a regional treasure, with its acres of native and other plants, quiet spaces to observe nature, and a top-notch Teaching Nursery. Members get deals on the fall and spring plant sales in addition to supporting all the good work that goes into maintaining the Arboretum. Plus, members get discounts and free admissions to gardens throughout North America, and discounts on purchases at select nurseries and online retailers.
For gift memberships, check this page. Individual memberships start at $48, and $72 for a family. The main Friends membership page is here.
(Psst: The spring plant sale dates have been announced! Mark your calendar for March 8, April 6, April 26 and May 10.)
Happy holidays!
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Flowers in My Back Yard Series
March 3: Fruit tree blossoms are a fleeting joy
Feb. 27: Are your roses looking rusty?
Feb. 24: Treasure spring daffodils now and for years to come
Feb. 17: How and why to grow wildflowers
Feb. 10: Let's talk Valentine's Day roses
Feb. 3: Why grow flowers?
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Garden checklist for week of March 8
During this sunny week, get your garden set up for a beautiful spring:
* Fertilize roses, annual flowers and berries as spring growth begins to appear.
* 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. 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 broccoli, collards and kale.
* Seed chard and beets directly into the ground. (Soak beet seeds first for better germination.)
* 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.
* Seed and renovate the lawn (if you still have one). Feed cool-season grasses such as bent, blue, rye and fescue with a slow-release fertilizer. Check the irrigation system and perform maintenance. Make sure sprinkler heads are turned toward the lawn, not the sidewalk.
Contact Us
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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
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
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
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