Procrastinators can still get in the spirit at these favorite haunts
The corn maze at Cool Patch Pumpkins in Dixon covers 60 acres. Halloween is the last day to try it out this year. Courtesy Cool Patch Pumpkins
Happy (almost) Halloween! If you haven’t already, there’s still time to get in the Halloween spirit – and enjoy some time outdoors, too.
While pumpkin pickings may be slim at neighborhood supermarkets, there are still plenty of distinctive and good-looking gourds at local pumpkin patches. All seven Green Acres Nursery & Supply locations will keep their pumpkin patches open through (at least) Tuesday with more than a dozen varieties. (Uncarved pumpkins make good decorations for Thanksgiving, too.) Green Acres nurseries are located in Sacramento, Auburn, Citrus Heights, Elk Grove, Folsom, Rocklin and Roseville. For directions and details: www.idiggreenacres.com.
The biggest pumpkin patch in the Sacramento area is Dave’s Pumpkin Patch at Vierra Farms in West Sacramento. Open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday and Halloween Tuesday, Dave’s does a lot more than sell pumpkins. Located at 3010 Burrows Ave., the farm hosts its annual “Cornival” with hay ride, “jumping pillow,” corn maze, hay pyramid, hay maze and farm animals. Don’t miss Dave’s famous hot apple cider cinnamon donuts.
Admission is $12 per person, age 3 or older. Tots age 2 and younger admitted free. Because of its rural location, Dave’s accepts only cash or check on site. Tickets maybe purchased by debit or credit card in advance online: https://www.vierrafarms.com/.
Feel like taking a drive? Amador Flower Farm, known for its millions of daylilies, has its pumpkin patch and kid-friendly corn maze open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Monday and Tuesday. Admission and parking are free. In the heart of Amador wine country, the flower farm is located near Plymouth less than an hour from downtown Sacramento. Details and directions: https://www.amadorflowerfarm.com/.
Our area’s biggest and most famous Halloween attraction: Cool Patch Pumpkins’ world’s largest corn maze. Listed in the Guinness Book of World Records, this Dixon attraction draws crowds from throughout Northern California. During the final countdown to Halloween, it’s a little less packed and only 20 miles from Sacramento.
With the help of GPS, the maze – which covers more than 60 acres – is cut differently every September. Allow at least an hour to get through the maze. Five bridges allow visitors to get above the corn and see the pattern – which is actually a tribute to farmers.
“Every year, the maze is completely unique,” says the owners. “This year, we honor the hard work and dedication it takes to be a modern day farmer! In the 1800s, 90 percent of the U.S. population lived on farms; today it is around 1 percent. So no matter who you are or where you're from, chances are you have farming in your heritage.”
More than 20 years ago, Cool Patch started as a pumpkin patch, and the Cooley family farm still boasts an amazing selection in its U-Pick fields (as well as pre-harvested pumpkins). Cool Patch grows more than 50 varieties of decorative pumpkins and gourds. Choose the one you want and pick it right off the vine.
Located at 6150 Dixon Ave. West, Cool Patch is open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday and Halloween Tuesday. Admission is $22 for ages 6 and up; children age 5 and younger admitted free. Details and directions: https://www.coolpatchpumpkins.com/.
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Garden Checklist for week of April 21
This week there’s plenty to keep gardeners busy. With no rain in the immediate forecast, remember to irrigate any new transplants.
* Weed, weed, weed! Get them before they flower and go to seed.
* April is the last chance to plant citrus trees such as dwarf orange, lemon and kumquat. These trees also look good in landscaping and provide fresh fruit in winter.
* Smell orange blossoms? Feed citrus trees with a low dose of balanced fertilizer (such as 10-10-10) during bloom to help set fruit. Keep an eye out for ants.
* Apply slow-release fertilizer to the lawn.
* Thoroughly clean debris from the bottom of outdoor ponds or fountains.
* Spring brings a flush of rapid growth, and that means your garden is really hungry. Feed shrubs and trees with a slow-release fertilizer. Or mulch with a 1-inch layer of compost.
* Azaleas and camellias looking a little yellow? If leaves are turning yellow between the veins, give them a boost with chelated iron.
* Trim dead flowers but not leaves from spring-flowering bulbs such as daffodils and tulips. Those leaves gather energy to create next year's flowers. Also, give the bulbs a fertilizer boost after bloom.
* Pinch chrysanthemums back to 12 inches for fall flowers. Cut old stems to the ground.
* Mulch around plants to conserve moisture and control weeds.
* From seed, plant beans, beets, cantaloupes, carrots, corn, cucumbers, melons, radishes and squash.
* Plant onion sets.
* In the flower garden, plant seeds for asters, cosmos, celosia, marigolds, salvia, sunflowers and zinnias.
* Transplant petunias, zinnias, geraniums and other summer bloomers.
* Plant perennials and dahlia tubers for summer bloom.
* Mid to late April is about the last chance to plant summer bulbs, such as gladiolus and tuberous begonias.
* Transplant lettuce seedlings. Choose varieties that mature quickly such as loose leaf.
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