Mother's Day weekend offers family-friendly events
The Horton Iris Garden in Loomis will present "Art in the Garden" this weekend, one of several special Mother's Day weekend events in Placer County. Courtesy Horton Iris Garden
Mother's Day weekend always is such a busy time for families -- and gardens! Many home gardens are their spring peak, which is why the Placer County master gardeners always schedule their fundraising garden tour for Mother's Day.
The 38th annual tour focuses on gardens in Auburn, the county seat, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.
Here's what the master gardeners say: "Enjoy six gardens in a range of sizes overflowing with creativity, vibrant colors, charm and personality." Each site was chosen for its inspiring ideas.
Tickets are $20, available at the three closest Green Acres locations: Rocklin, Roseville and Auburn. Children under 12 are admitted free. Information: https://ucanr.edu/site/uc-master-gardeners-placer-county
Other happenings in Placer County this weekend:
-- The Horton Iris Garden in Loomis presents "Art in the Garden," 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The garden is open in April and May only, so this is a great opportunity to browse the blooms and the pop-up art. U-pick blooms available, as well as iris arrangements. 7440 King Road, Loomis. https://www.facebook.com/hortonirisgarden
-- "Firescaping: Get Ahead and Slow the Spread." This workshop from the Placer master gardeners will be held 10 to 11:30 a.m. Saturday, May 10, at Loomis Veterans Memorial Hall, 5945 Horseshoe Bar Road, Loomis. The presenter is Kevin Marini, both a UCANR Community Education Specialist in landscape defensible space and a Placer County master gardener. Information here.
-- Mother's Day Weekend U-Pick Strawberries at Granny May's Strawberry Farm. Reservations required; tickets go live at 5 p.m. today (Thursday, May 8) here for both Saturday and Sunday, May 10-11. 7246 Auburn Folsom Road, Granite Bay.
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Garden checklist for week of Feb. 8
Dodge those raindrops and get things done! Your garden needs you.
* Start your spring (and summer) garden. Transplant or direct-seed several flowers, including snapdragon, candytuft, lilies, astilbe, larkspur, Shasta and painted daisies, stocks, bleeding heart and coral bells.
* In the vegetable garden, plant Jerusalem artichoke tubers, and strawberry and rhubarb roots. Transplant cabbage and its close cousins – broccoli, kale and Brussels sprouts – as well as lettuce (both loose leaf and head).
* Indoors, start peppers, tomatoes and eggplant from seed.
* Plant artichokes, asparagus and horseradish from root divisions. Plant potatoes from tubers and onions from sets (small bulbs). The onions will sprout quickly and can be used as green onions in March.
* From seed, plant beets, chard, lettuce, mustard, peas, radishes and turnips.
* Annuals are showing up in nurseries, but wait until the weather warms up a bit before planting. Instead, set out flowering perennials such as columbine and delphinium.
* Plant summer-flowering bulbs including cannas, calla lilies and gladiolus.
* This is the last chance to spray fruit trees before they bloom. Treat peach and nectarine trees with copper-based fungicide. Spray apricot trees at bud swell to prevent brown rot. Apply horticultural oil to control scale, mites and aphids on fruit trees soon after a rain. But remember: Oils need at least 24 hours to dry to be effective. Don’t spray during foggy weather or when rain is forecast.
* Feed spring-blooming shrubs and fall-planted perennials with slow-release fertilizer. Feed mature trees and shrubs after spring growth starts.
* Remove aphids from blooming bulbs with a strong spray of water or insecticidal soap.
* Fertilize strawberries and asparagus.
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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