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Sat, Apr 13, 2024

Dig In: Garden checklist for week of April 14

April showers will give way to plenty of sunshine

Fri, Apr 12, 2024

Threat of thunderstorms delays huge sale a day

Perennial Plant Club shifts second day of event to Sunday; other Saturday events still planned

Thu, Apr 11, 2024

Celebrate spring gardening at Placer's Garden Faire

Saturday event designed for gardeners of all ages

Wed, Apr 10, 2024

Perennial Plant Club hosts huge spring sale and celebration

Find member-grown perennials, natives and more; event also includes tours, food, tool sharpening, garden art

Tue, Apr 09, 2024

'Walk with Warren' and see UC Davis Arboretum in bloom

Popular tour led by Warren Roberts highlights spring flowers in the public gardens

Mon, Apr 08, 2024

Huge bonsai show devoted to 'little trees'

Sacramento club's annual event includes beginner workshop, guest artist demonstrations

Fri, Apr 05, 2024

Huei's Garden open for Sunday tours in April

Events at famous feng shui oasis raise funds to help children at Shriners Hospital.

Wed, Apr 03, 2024

Shop for California native plants; recycle plastic pots

SacValley CNPS Nursery & Gardens hosts sale, needs used containers for future sales

Tue, Apr 02, 2024

UC Davis Arboretum Nursery hosts plant sale Sunday

Event features succulents, natives and water-wise perennials; members get in early

Mon, Apr 01, 2024

Shop for unusual African violets at big sale

Capital City African Violet Society hosts annual event

Sun, Mar 31, 2024

This springtime carrot cake has a difference

NEW Chocolate glaze especially appropriate for a holiday dessert

Sat, Mar 30, 2024

Dig In: Garden checklist for week of March 31

April starts with a sunny break before more showers

Fri, Mar 29, 2024

Best time to take rose cuttings? How to make a new bush

Master rosarian shares tips with Farmer Fred on spring rose care basics, propagation

Thu, Mar 28, 2024

Spring offers a packed calendar of area garden tours

Gardens' best finery on display in fundraisers and free events

Wed, Mar 27, 2024

Private 3-acre English-style garden open May 4 for tour, tea

Stories on Stage Davis hosts special event with literary, gardening flair

Tue, Mar 26, 2024

Learn how to start vegetables, flowers from seed

El Dorado County master gardeners offer free workshop

Mon, Mar 25, 2024

New Placer demonstration garden opening soon

Master gardeners to unveil water-wise showcase at Loomis Library

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Taste Winter! E-cookbook

Lemon coconut pancakes

Find our winter recipes here!

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Garden Checklist for week of Jan. 19

Dress warmly in layers – and get to work:

* Apply horticultural oil to fruit trees to control scale, mites and aphids. Oils need 24 hours of dry weather after application to be effective.

* This is also the time to spray a copper-based oil to peach and nectarine trees to fight leaf curl. The safest effective fungicides available for backyard trees are copper soap -- aka copper octanoate -- or copper ammonium, a fixed copper fungicide. Apply either of these copper products with 1% horticultural oil to increase effectiveness.

* Prune, prune, prune. Now is the time to cut back most deciduous trees and shrubs. The exceptions are spring-flowering shrubs such as lilacs.

* Now is the time to prune fruit trees. Clean up leaves and debris around the trees to prevent the spread of disease. (The exceptions are apricot and cherry trees, which are susceptible to a fungus that causes dieback if pruned now. Save those until summer.)

* Prune roses, even if they’re still trying to bloom. Strip off any remaining leaves, so the bush will be able to put out new growth in early spring.

* Clean up leaves and debris around your newly pruned roses and shrubs. Put down fresh mulch or bark to keep roots cozy.

* When forced bulbs sprout, move them to a cool, bright window. Give them a quarter turn each day so the stems will grow straight.

* Browse through seed catalogs and start making plans for spring and summer.

* Divide daylilies, Shasta daisies and other perennials.

* Cut back and divide chrysanthemums.

* Plant bare-root roses, trees and shrubs.

* Transplant pansies, violas, calendulas, English daisies, snapdragons and fairy primroses.

* In the vegetable garden, plant fava beans, head lettuce, mustard, onion sets, radicchio and radishes.

* Plant bare-root asparagus and root divisions of rhubarb.

* In the bulb department, plant callas, anemones, ranunculus and gladioli for bloom from late spring into summer.

* Plant blooming azaleas, camellias and rhododendrons. If you’re shopping for these beautiful landscape plants, you can now find them in full flower at local nurseries.

Taste Spring! E-cookbook

Strawberries

Find our spring recipes here!

Taste Summer! E-cookbook

square-tomatoes-plate.jpg

Find our summer recipes here!

Taste Fall! E-cookbook

Muffins and pumpkin

Find our fall recipes here!