El Dorado County master gardeners offer free workshop
This native California poppy isn't even completely open and already five little pollinators -- tripartite sweat bees -- are working hard inside, gathering pollen. Native plants attract native wildlife. Kathy Morrison
Led by Alice Cantelow, “Successful Gardening with Native Plants” will cover the basics of embracing water-wise natives while also supporting wildlife. Sherwood’s native plant garden is full of examples of easy-care perennials and shrubs that thrive in the Sierra foothills and Sacramento area.
“Do you love wildlife, pollinators, and birds, and would like to enjoy their activities in your landscape?” reads the class description. “Are you ready to lower your water bill, and spend less on fertilizers and pesticides as well? Alice Cantelow will teach you how to choose and add colorful, easy-care native plants to your garden.”
That’s a lot to cover, so it will be a full morning; the workshop runs from 9 a.m. to noon. Bring water and dress appropriately. No advance registration is necessary.
That same Saturday morning, Sherwood will be open for visitors during an Open Garden Day. During a workshop break, take a peek at its 16 themed gardens and get expert advice from master gardeners.
Sherwood Demonstration Garden is located at 6699 Campus Drive, Placerville.
Details and directions: https://mgeldorado.ucanr.edu/.
Comments
0 comments have been posted.Sacramento Digs Gardening to your inbox.
Sites We Like
Garden Checklist for week of July 21
Your garden needs you!
* Keep your vegetable garden watered, mulched and weeded. Water before 8 a.m. to reduce the chance of fungal infection and to conserve moisture.
* Feed vegetable plants bone meal, rock phosphate or other fertilizers high in phosphate to stimulate more blooms and fruiting. (But wait until daily high temperatures drop out of the 100s.)
* Don’t let tomatoes wilt or dry out completely. Give tomatoes a deep watering two to three times a week.
* Harvest vegetables promptly to encourage plants to produce more. Squash especially tends to grow rapidly in hot weather. Keep an eye on zucchini.
* Pinch back chrysanthemums for bushy plants and more flowers in September.
* Remove spent flowers from roses, daylilies and other bloomers as they finish flowering.
* Pinch off blooms from basil so the plant will grow more leaves.
* Cut back lavender after flowering to promote a second bloom.
* It's not too late to add a splash of color. Plant petunias, snapdragons, zinnias and marigolds.
* From seed, plant corn, pumpkins, radishes, winter squash and sunflowers.