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Sacramento hosts its 99th annual Camellia Show

Despite winter weather, weekend event should feature hundreds of flowers

Blue-ribbon camellia blossoms fill a tabletop at the 2022 Sacramento Camellia Show.

Blue-ribbon camellia blossoms fill a tabletop at the 2022 Sacramento Camellia Show. Debbie Arrington

It’s Camellia Week in Sacramento – and the weather is not cooperating.

A Sacramento tradition for almost a century, the 99th annual Sacramento Camellia Show will be held Saturday and Sunday, March 4 and 5, at  Elks Lodge No. 6 in Sacramento’s Greenhaven/Pocket neighborhood. Admission and parking are free.

Organizers expect hundreds of blooms for Sacramento’s signature flower event – even after all the wind and rain.

Warmed by spring-like temperatures in early February, many camellia bushes started blooming before this current series of storms, noted Julie Vierra, president of the Camellia Society of Sacramento and the show’s co-chairperson. Meanwhile, other bushes have stubbornly kept their buds closed.

“It’s weird,” said Vierra, who has a backyard full of camellias in flower in West Sacramento. “You talk to (gardeners), and everything’s blooming – or not blooming. It’s definitely the weather.”

Judges at this weekend’s show will keep that challenging weather in mind, she said. “Weather impact will be taken into consideration. You can tell if (damage) is weather-related or petal blight.”

Petal blight, a fungal disease that causes brown spots on camellias, is highly contagious and any flower showing signs of petal blight may be eliminated from the show.

As always, the public is encouraged to enter flowers in the camellia show as well as enjoy the bounty of blooms. Public entries are accepted from 7:30 to 10 a.m. Saturday. Society members will be on hand to help with variety identification and placement.

After judging, the show itself will be open from 3 to 6 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.

The Elks Lodge serves an excellent Sunday brunch for $15, Vierra noted. “It’s always fun to go to brunch, then see the show.”

The theme for this year’s show: “California Bloomin.’ ” Members of the Sacramento Floral Design Guild will interpret that theme with camellia arrangements. Sacramento chapter members of Ikebana International will display examples of Japanese flower arranging.

In addition to seeing hundreds of flowers, patrons can take home camellias, too. More than 200 bushes will be offered for sale in many varieties not available in local nurseries. Collectible magnets and buttons also will be available for a donation.

Experts will be on hand to offer advice on growing camellias, Sacramento’s official flower. Learn the craft of “camellia waxing,” preserving blooms by coating with clear wax.

The Elks Lodge is located at 6446 Riverside Blvd., Sacramento, where Florin Road dead-ends into Riverside Boulevard.

Questions? Email Vierra at j4sfgiants@sbcglobal.net.

Details: https://camelliasocietyofsacramento.org/.

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Garden Checklist for week of June 15

Make the most of this “average” weather; your garden is growing fast! (So are the weeds!)

* Warm weather brings rapid growth in the vegetable garden, with tomatoes and squash enjoying the heat. Deep-water, then feed with a balanced fertilizer. Bone meal can spur the bloom cycle and help set fruit.

* Generally, tomatoes need deep watering two to three times a week, but don’t let them dry out completely. That can encourage blossom-end rot.

* 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.

* Pull weeds before they go to seed.

* 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 wee 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. It also helps smother weeds.

* Thin grapes on the vine for bigger, better clusters later this summer.

* 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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