Learn about floral arranging during ‘Flower Day’; visit the master gardeners
The Farm at Cal Expo showcases California agriculture and aquaculture, and is the site of the UC master gardeners' booth. Kathy Morrison
Ready for a corn dog or giant cinnamon roll? How about a visit down to The Farm?
It’s (almost) time for the California State Fair, which opens its annual run Friday, July 17, at Cal Expo in Sacramento. (And you’re right; that is a week later than last summer.)
A tradition that dates back to 1854, the State Fair will continue through Aug. 2 with its usual assortment of food, fun, games and exhibits.
This fair also will have new hours and focus more on nighttime activities. Monday through Thursday, the fair will be open from 4 to 11 p.m. Longer hours are planned for Friday through Sunday, when the fair will be open 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Exhibit buildings close at 10 p.m. each night.
Get your tickets before you go and save $2 per ticket. Advance tickets are now on sale online: General, $16; seniors (62 and up), $12; and youth (ages 5-12), $10; children age 4 and younger admitted free.
In addition, Tuesday admission is free for kids age 12 and younger, and carnival rides are $2 for all ages. Every Friday is Senior Day with $10 admission at the gate.
Love flowers? Make plans to attend the fair’s “Flower Day” on Sunday, July 26. Demonstrations and floral arrangement competitions will be held inside Building B in the Taste of California Classroom at the Save-Mart California’s Kitchen.
“Experience a burst of color at Flower Day in the Kitchen!” say the organizers. “Celebrate California’s vibrant floral industry with live design competitions, creative demonstrations, and hands-on workshops featuring beautiful California-grown flowers. Watch professional florists and student designers compete to create breathtaking arrangements, then discover tips and techniques you can take home from some of the state’s most talented floral artists.”
Floral design classes will be held at 1, 2, 3, 5, 6 and 7 p.m. Class size is limited; sign up for an advance ticket online before noon July 25. Tickets may also be available on the day of the event; stop by the Taste of California Classroom to check availability. Student and professional floral designers also are invited to compete; advance registration is required on that day. For details: https://castatefair.com/floral-competition/
Also at the Save-Mart California’s Kitchen, in-person tasting classes will offer insights into olive oil, wine, beer, cider, cheese and more (in the Taste of California Classroom, of course). Chefs will show off their skills in the SMUD Energy Efficient Kitchen Theatre. Tasters’ Row will showcase products and eateries.
Know a lot about food? Got some foodie friends? Test your food trivia chops during four kitchen trivia contests. Teams of up to four people will compete at 11 a.m. July 17 and 31 and Aug. 1 and 2. Contestants can get free fair admission if they sign up by Wednesday, July 15. To sign up: https://castatefair.com/californias-kitchen-trivia/
Remember to stop by The Farm, the fair’s 3.5-acre living exhibit of California crops. Learn about how to help pollinators and taste samples from the demonstration kitchen.
Looking for expert gardening advice? The UC master gardeners of Sacramento County will be stationed in their traditional booth at The Farm, from July 17 to July 29 only. (No booth shifts are scheduled July 30-Aug. 2 due to master gardeners' preparations for their Harvest Day event in Fair Oaks on Aug. 1.)
Cal Expo is located at 1600 Exposition Blvd., Sacramento.
Details and links including tickets: https://castatefair.com/
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Flowers in My Back Yard Series
Aug. 18: Pollinators adore scabiosa, aka pincushion flower
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. 16
During this break in the heat, feed your garden. Make sure to water before and after applying fertilizer.
* In the garden, direct seed beets, carrots, leaf lettuce and turnips.
* Plant potatoes.
* 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.
* Feed citrus trees their last round of fertilizer for the year. This will give a boost to the fruit that’s still small.
* 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? Give them some chelated iron. That goes for azaleas and gardenias, too.
* 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 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.
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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