'In the Garden' is theme for annual show and sale
See tall bearded irises like this beauty and other varieties as well at the Sacramento Iris Society Show and Sale.
Kathy Morrison
See a rainbow of colorful irises this weekend when the Sacramento Iris Society hosts its annual show and sale.
Shepard Garden and Arts Center in McKinley Park will be filled with bearded irises and other species at their peak of bloom. With the theme “In the Garden,” the iris show will be open to the public from 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday, April 15, and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, April 16. Admission and parking are free.
This will be a judged show with many different varieties and kinds of irises vying for awards. It’s a great opportunity to learn about the many different color combinations and how to better identify varieties.
And there are a lot of varieties! Bearded irises (also known as flags) now include more than 60,000 named cultivars and come in every color from pure white to black with countless shades in between. The most common colors are blues and purples, closest to the iris family’s native hues. Thousands of varieties feature unusual combinations of hues on standards (the upright petals), falls (the down-pointing petals) and beards (the fuzzy flower parts that give these irises their nickname).
Take some irises home, too! The club will offer potted irises for sale with plants ready to transplant now.
Bearded iris, the most common perennial iris, is a water-wise wonder that thrives in Sacramento. After showy spring blooms, bearded irises need little summer irrigation – just once a week or twice a month. The plant dies back in August before sprouting new growth in late fall or winter.
Shepard Center is located at 3330 McKinley Blvd., Sacramento.
Details and directions: www.sgaac.org or https://sacramentoirissocietydotcom.wordpress.com/.
-- Debbie Arrington
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For week of June 4:
Because of the comfortable weather, it’s not too late to set out tomato and pepper seedlings as well as squash and melon plants. They’ll appreciate this not-too-hot weather. Just remember to water.
* From seed, plant corn, pumpkins, radishes, melons, 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.
* 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.
* 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.
* 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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