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Sat, Aug 17, 2024

Dig In: Garden checklist for week of Aug. 18

Below-average temperatures could prolong season for tomatoes, other summer vegetables

Fri, Aug 16, 2024

UC Davis Arboretum's 'beloved green warrior' leaves garden legacy

Nursery manager Taylor Lewis, who died Aug. 8, made a lasting impact on landscapes and people

Thu, Aug 15, 2024

2025 Gardening Guide celebrates the passion for gardening

This info-packed calendar is like having a master gardener in your back pocket

Wed, Aug 14, 2024

Green Acres hosts 'Extraordinary Houseplant Event'

Elk Grove store hosts three workshops plus huge sale

Tue, Aug 13, 2024

Master gardeners offer advice every Saturday in Dixon

Solano County experts also will host two propagation workshops

Mon, Aug 12, 2024

Tri-County show puts emphasis on gardening

Home & garden event returns to Roseville's Roebbelen Center

Sun, Aug 11, 2024

Fresh figs, almonds and lemon combine in easy jam

New! Fresh fig-almond jam with no added pectin

Sat, Aug 10, 2024

Dig In: Garden checklist for week of Aug. 11

Settle in for some normal August warmth after temperature drop

Fri, Aug 09, 2024

Local farm-to-fork celebration has a French twist

Tickets on sale now for 2024 Village Feast, supporting food and farm education

Thu, Aug 08, 2024

Got zukes? Really big ones? Put 'em in a race

Rio Linda Grange presents Zucchini Festival on Saturday

Wed, Aug 07, 2024

Master gardener grows food, flowers instead of lawn

'Summer Strong Yard’ winner featured on local billboards in new awareness campaign

Tue, Aug 06, 2024

Zoom into ‘A Short History of Flowers’

In a national webinar, BBC’s Advolly Richmond shares backstories of our favorite plants

Mon, Aug 05, 2024

Lawn replacement workshop uses great example

Placer County master gardeners show how they turned unused turf into their new demonstration garden at Loomis Library

Sun, Aug 04, 2024

Marinate smaller zucchini for a cool summer salad

New! Lemon, garlic and herbs flavor this no-cook side dish

Sat, Aug 03, 2024

Dig In: Garden checklist for week of Aug. 4

After a record hot July, expect more triple digits (and hot August nights)

Fri, Aug 02, 2024

Gardeners can learn a lot at Harvest Day

From grape pruning to worm composting, hands-on 'mini-talks' provide wealth of information -- all free!

Wed, Jul 31, 2024

‘Ribbit’ is a hit (and sticking around a little longer)

Family-friendly exhibit extended at Sonoma Botanical Garden

Tue, Jul 30, 2024

Got a garden? Shop local at Harvest Day

Sacramento-area vendors offer their unique creations, plants at Saturday event

Mon, Jul 29, 2024

Harvest Day = Gardener’s Dream Day

Sacramento County master gardeners host area’s biggest free garden event of its kind

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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. 5

Take advantage of this break between storm systems to give your garden some much-needed TLC.

* 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. (The exceptions are apricot and cherry trees, which are susceptible to a fungus that causes dieback. Save them until summer.) Clean up leaves and debris around the trees to prevent the spread of disease.

* 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.

* Apply horticultural oil to fruit trees soon after a rain 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 fungicide 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.)

* 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, ranuculous and gladiolus 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!