Family-friendly event also includes sale of annual gardening guide and calendar
Apples and all the wonderful things to make them into are the focus of the Placer County mastere gardeners' "Apple Extravaganza" on Saturday. Debbie Arrington
It’s all about apples Saturday, Nov. 8, when the Placer County master gardeners host an “Apple Extravaganza” at their Loomis Library demonstration garden.
From 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, the master gardeners will spotlight a favorite local fruit with speakers, tastings, demonstrations and family fun. Admission and parking are free, and children are welcome to attend.
Placer County is famous for its apple orchards. Learn – and taste – which varieties grow best in foothill gardens (and valley gardens, too). Mark Fowler will discuss “Choosing Apples in Placer County” at 11:45 a.m. In addition, Hathaway Hills Orchards will have a booth offering apple-based products.
“Come on out and celebrate the season with us,” say the master gardeners. “Enjoy some good old-fashioned fun with apple tasting, stamping and fresh cider from our cider mill.”
Besides all the apple fun Saturday, the master gardeners will be selling their 2026 gardening guide and calendar. This year, the group is skipping the Mountain Mandarin Festival (its usual venue for selling this popular publication), so the Apple Extravaganza will be one of the best opportunities to pick up the new gardening guide and calendar in person.
The 2026 theme is “Meet Me in the Garden” and spotlights the personal connection gardeners have with what they grow – and other gardeners. It’s an information-packed bargain at $12 – just a dollar a month.
“Looking for something to keep you and your garden on track? Look no further than the 2026 Gardening Guide and Calendar!” says master gardener Pauline Sakai, among those spearheading this annual fundraiser. “Included are tips on what to do, what to look for, and how-to tips for each week throughout the year. Things like plant care, pest control info, when to prune, when to fertilize ... the information to help you do the right thing at the right time.
“There are monthly articles on gardening, what to plant each month, and what’s in season at markets,” she adds. “The calendar is suitable for climate zones from California's Central Valley to the foothills.”
Co-chair of the calendar committee Angie Dixon adds, “Gardening has seen a surge of interest in recent years and this calendar taps into that enthusiasm and highlights how gardening is more than planting; it’s about connection to nature, community and tradition.”
Can’t make Apple Extravaganza? The gardening guide and calendar can be purchased online at https://ucanr.edu/site/uc-master-gardeners-placer-county/2026-gardening-guide-and-calendar
Loomis Library and Learning Center is located at 6050 Library Drive, Loomis.
For details and directions: pcmg.ucanr.edu.
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Food in My Back Yard (FIMBY) Series
FALL
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
WINTER
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
Feb. 11: When to plant? Consider staggering your transplants
Feb. 4: Starting in seed starting
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Garden checklist for week of Dec. 14
Rain is due midweek, but there should be some partly sunny breaks between rain clouds, especially Thursday. Make the most of those opportunities and show your garden some TLC.
* Brighten the holidays with winter bloomers such as poinsettias, amaryllis, calendulas, Iceland poppies, pansies and primroses.
* Keep poinsettias in a sunny, warm location. Water thoroughly. After the holidays, feed your plants monthly so they’ll bloom again next December.
* Rake and remove dead leaves and stems from dormant perennials.
* Rake and compost leaves from trees, but dispose of any diseased plant material. For example, if peach and nectarine trees showed signs of leaf curl this year, clean up under trees and dispose of those leaves instead of composting.
* Clear gutters and storm drains.
* Prune dead or broken branches from trees.
* Plant bulbs at two-week intervals to spread out your spring bloom. Some possible suggestions: daffodils, crocuses, hyacinths, tulips, anemones and scillas.
* Seed wildflowers and plant such spring bloomers as sweet pea, sweet alyssum and bachelor buttons.
* Set out cool-weather annuals such as pansies, violas and snapdragons.
* Lettuce, cabbage and broccoli also can be planted now.
* Plant garlic and onions.
* Give your azaleas, gardenias and camellias a boost with chelated iron.
* For larger blooms, pinch off some camellia buds.
* Prune non-flowering trees and shrubs while they’re dormant.
* Clean and sharpen garden tools before storing for the winter.
* Bare-root season begins. Plant bare-root berries, kiwifruit, grapes, artichokes, horseradish and rhubarb.
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