Sacramento group hosts huge show and sale at Shepard Center
Cactus and succulent gardening has never been more popular. Expect to see many types of these plants during the three-day show this weekend. Photo courtesy Sacramento Cactus and Succulent Society
This show is so big, it takes three days.
Starting Friday, May 5, the Sacramento Cactus and Succulent Society presents its 63rd annual show and sale at Shepard Garden and Arts Center. All weekend, the center will be packed with unusual succulents and cacti with hundreds of plants available to take home.
“The show will not be judged; instead, we encourage club members at all levels to enter their plants to showcase the amazing variety of succulents,” say the organizers.
Succulents have never been more popular, especially with younger or newbie gardeners. These naturally water-wise plants make an excellent addition to any drought-tolerant garden. They’re also perfect for container gardens and sought after as living collectibles.
But where to find new or unusual varieties? This sale is the place!
Organizers expect 21 vendors at their show and sale, including some who have not made it to Sacramento since before the pandemic. Not only will plants be available but all sorts of plant-friendly ceramics and pottery.
“Jim Smith, with his great Haworthia hybrids, will be back with many more plants than when he was last here in 2021,” say the organizers. “Austin and Mel, from the Public Land store on 21st street in Sacramento, will be here for the first time. They will have much more for sale than they carry in their small store. Stan Verkler will be back after missing last year. Nick Wilkinson, owner of Grow Nursery in Cambria, will be back after several years away. We will also have a carnivorous plant vendor.
“That’s just scratching the surface,” they add. “Also selling will be Annie Wolf of Desert Wonders, Bill Munkacsy of Planta Seca, Cassidy Roberts-Yee of Radiant Cactus, David Calibo of Gardener’s Home, J.D. Wikert, John Bloss of JC Succulents, Naomi Bloss of California Succulents, Keith Taylor of Kitoi Pottery, Kal Kaminer, Lesley Shores & Jerry Slater of L & J Plants, Mike Cone with his pottery, Mark Muradian with his pottery, Martin Gil with his pottery, Oahn Vu of Green Gemini Cactus, Peter Beiersdorfer & Jaan Lepson of P. B. & J. Cacti and Succulents, Peter Walkowiak of PW Plants, and Richard & Emily Withers of Dry Creek Cactus and Pottery and Ekishi Pottery.”
Show hours are 1 to 4 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday. Admission and parking are free.
Shepard Center is located at 3330 McKinley Blvd., Sacramento, at the north end of McKinley Park.
Details: http://www.sacramentocss.com.
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Food in My Back Yard Series
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
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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
March 18: Time to give vegetable seedlings some more space
March 11: Ways to win the fight against weeds
March 4: Potatoes from the garden
Feb. 25: Plant a fruit tree now -- for later
Feb. 18: How to squeeze more food into less space
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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.