Art exhibit, provocative clown show part of week's events open to public
COMPOST 2026 is the big event in town next week, but there will be some side events open to the public. Screenshot from compostconference.com
As capital of the state with the biggest population, Sacramento certainly hosts its share of conferences. One coming up this next week is right up our garden-and-community-focused alley. Some of the more intriguing associated events are open to the public.
COMPOST 2026, the conference and trade show of the U.S. Compost Council, arrives in Sacramento on Sunday, with events through Thursday, Feb. 5. The 9th National Cultivating Community Composting Forum, presented by the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, is held alongside.
But it's not all brown matter and sifters, gardeners.
A curated art exhibition, “Gathering Ground: A Celebration of Compost Art and Culture,” is being presented by California Alliance for Community Composting. It will feature 75 artists, including: textile art, photography, watercolors, paintings, sculptures, graphic prints, ceramics, videography, and several interactive installation displays, all related to composting in some way.
The exhibit is free and will be open to the public Sunday, Feb. 1, from 2 to 5 p.m. (followed by the Opening Reception, 5-9 p.m.) and again Wednesday from noon to 5 p.m. The venue is the Flower Fist Art Market, 1819 E St., Sacramento.
Compost can inspire art -- and humor! Alex Tatarsky's "Dirt Trip: A Composting Clown Show" will be performed twice nightly, on Tuesday, Feb. 3, and Wednesday, Feb. 4, again at the Flower Fist Market. The show times are 6 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. Tickets are available at www.microbes.farm
"This one is for the weirdos and the avant-garde," says Matthew Ambersand of South Oak Park's find out farms, who tipped us off to these events. "I have seen this show and am very excited to watch it again. If you like thought-provoking performance art, this is for you. There are only four performances, so I strongly encourage you to get your ticket in advance."
Does grown-up humor about composting sounds too silly right now? Ambersand includes in his email a pertinent George Orwell quote: "Every joke is a tiny revolution."
Ambersand himself notes: "Taking action can look different to different people, and in stressful situations, joy and humor may seem to dismiss the feelings of fear or angst. Please know that I understand that folks have different ways of addressing discomfort, and I also believe that humor and art are two valuable strategies."
Also, find out farms will be back to its regular hours this Saturday, Jan. 31, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. On Feb. 14, Valentine's Day, the urban farm will host "Start Seeds with Your Sweetie," from 4 to 7 p.m.
"You can purchase a sturdy re-usable 6-cell seed tray filled with high-quality soil, and we will help you to select the right seeds for your growing conditions and tomato desires!" Ambersand says. "Grab a beverage or a special tomato-inspired treat from the Pintworks kitchen. All ages are welcome, and no purchases are necessary to come and hang out and ask questions."
The website for find out farms is findoutfarms.com and the physical address is 4712 Parker Ave., Sacramento.
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Flowers in My Back Yard Series
Aug. 11: Hardy hibiscus adds big tropical impact
Aug. 4: Dianthus a deceptively hardy flower
July 28: Naked Ladies put on summer show
July 21: Thank Luther Burbank for these long-lasting beauties (Shasta daisies)
July 14: How to keep hydrangeas happy
July 7: Grow these bright cosmos for bees and butterflies
June 30: Agapanthus adds blue fireworks to the garden
June 23: Easy-care gazanias fill those hot corners
June 16: Daylilies are perfect for water-wise gardens (and a lot more)
June 9: Grow coneflowers for pollinators -- and yourself
June 2: Sunflowers capture Sacramento's summer attitude
May 29: Are your roses going 'blind'?
May 26: Zinnias are the summer flowers every garden needs
May 19: Plant dahlias now for late-summer flower power
May 12: Know your coreopsis from your bidens
May 5: Mums the word on Mother's Day weekend
April 28: Majestic Matilija poppy is worth a look
April 21: Celebrate roses, America's favorite flower
April 14: Small flowers with outsized impact
April 7: Calendulas do double duty
April 3: Make Easter lilies last for years to come
March 31: In praise of a pollinator magnet (small-leaf salvias)
March 24: Azaleas brighten shady spots
March 17: The perfect flower for beginners? Try zonal geraniums
March 10: Keep camellias happy for years to come
March 3: Fruit tree blossoms are a fleeting joy
Feb. 27: Are your roses looking rusty?
Feb. 24: Treasure spring daffodils now and for years to come
Feb. 17: How and why to grow wildflowers
Feb. 10: Let's talk Valentine's Day roses
Feb. 3: Why grow flowers?
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Garden checklist for week of Aug. 9
During this break in the heat, fertilize your garden. Make sure to water before and after applying fertilizer.
*Feed citrus trees their last round of fertilizer for the year. This will give a boost to the fruit that’s now forming.
* Harvest tomatoes, beans, squash, pepper and eggplants to prompt plants to keep producing. Give your plants a deep watering twice a week, more if planted in containers. Also, give them a boost with phosphate-rich fertilizer to help fruiting.
* Watch out for caterpillars and hornworms in the vegetable garden. They can strip a plant bare in one day. Pick them off plants by hand in early morning or late afternoon.
* Mulch can be your garden’s best friend – it conserves moisture while blocking out weeds. But don't let mulch mound around stalks, stems or trunks. That can promote rot.
* Camellia leaves looking a little yellow? Feed them some chelated iron. That goes for azaleas and gardenias, too.
* Pinch off dead flowers from perennials and annuals to lengthen their summer bloom.
* Pick up after your fruit trees. Clean up debris and dropped fruit; this cuts down on insects and prevents the spread of brown rot. Then feed fruit trees with slow-release fertilizer for better production for next year.
* To prolong bloom into fall, feed begonias, fuchsias, annuals and container plants. Always water before fertilizing.
* Fertilize fall-blooming perennials, too. Chrysanthemums can be fed until the buds start to open.
* Prepare for a fall full of flowers by paying a little extra attention to your garden. Cut off spent blooms from roses, annuals and perennials, then give them a boost of fertilizer. Make sure to water plants before feeding. Roses will rebloom about six to eight weeks after deadheading.
* Indoors, start seedlings for fall vegetable planting, including bunching onion, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, radicchio and lettuce.
* Sow seeds of perennials in pots for fall planting including yarrow, coneflower and salvia.
* In the garden, direct seed beets, carrots, leaf lettuce and turnips.
* Plant potatoes.
Contact Us
Send us a gardening question, a post suggestion or information about an upcoming event. sacdigsgardening@gmail.com
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
Add asparagus to your edible garden
Soggy soil and what to do about it
Plant artichokes now; enjoy for years to come
It's late November, and your peach tree needs spraying
What to do with all those fallen leaves?
Prepare now for colder weather in the edible garden
Plant a pea patch for you and your garden
As citrus season begins, advice for backyard growers
We don't talk (enough) about beets
Seeds or transplants for cool-season veggies?
How to prolong the fall tomato harvest
SUMMER
How to get the most out of your pumpkin patch
Summer-to-fall transition time for evaluation, planning
To pick or not to pick those tomatoes?
Enhance your food with edible flowers
Why won't my tomatoes turn red?
A squash plant has mosaic virus, and it's not pretty
Tear out that sad plant or baby it? Midsummer decisions
How to grow summer salad greens
Weird stuff that's perfectly normal
SPRING
Help pollinators help your garden
Battling early-season tomato pests
Where are the bees when you need them?
How to help tomatoes thrive on hot days
Your plants can tell you more than any calendar can
Maintain soil moisture with mulch for garden success
What's (already) wrong with my tomato plants?
Should you stock up on fertilizer? (Yes!)
Grow culinary herbs in containers
When to plant summer vegetables
Don't be fooled by these garden myths
Fertilizer tips: How to 'feed' your vegetables for healthy growth
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