American River Ranch hosts Saturday walks, workshop, produce stand and gift shop
Produce grown on site at the American River Ranch is available at Soil Born Farms' stand on Saturday. Soil Born also presents morning nature walks and a workshop this Saturday. Courtesy Soil Born Farms
Take a nature break this holiday weekend – and get some stress-free shopping done, too.
Soil Born Farms’ American River Ranch hosts several nature walks and talks on Saturday, Dec. 9. That same morning, the ranch’s produce stand will be open, as will its gift shop and nursery.
At 8:30 a.m., join naturalist Cliff Hawley during a 90-minute guided “Bird Walk.”
“Start your morning off with a pleasant walk around American River Ranch,” say the organizers. “We will experience a variety of resident and migratory birds. Cliff will point out other critters and plant life along the way. This walk is ideal for beginner to intermediate birdwatchers.”
Fee is $15 with advance registration required online.
At 10 a.m., herbs take the spotlight during a 90-minute walk with Kellan MacKay, owner of Khela Herbs. Not only will he discuss herbs growing at the ranch, but will demonstrate how to use some of his favorites in herbal tea during “Herb Walk, Talk and Tea.”
“Join Kellan for an easy walk around the American River Ranch and Cordova Creek to identify and talk about the medicinal uses of over 20 plants,” say the hosts. “We will discuss the growth habitat, harvest requirements, and how to use each plant. Some may be familiar friends, but the information about them may be new, and others you may have never encountered before.
“This plant-centered walk is sure to be light-hearted and enjoyable as well as educational! Bring your close-toed shoes and hats for protection. A cup of herbal tea and a short discussion about it is included in this walk.”
Fee is $20 with advance registration required online.
Also at 10 a.m., find out how to convert boring lawn to a pollinator-friendly paradise that can feed your family, too, during the workshop “Lawn to Garden.”
“Learn how to turn your lawn into a thriving food forest!” say the organizers. “We will cover how to get rid of the grass, what to plant when, amending soil, ongoing care, irrigation, and more!”
Jenn MacLeod, owner of Sunflower and Sage Gardens, will lead the 2-1/2-hour class. Fee is $30; advance registration is required.
Proceeds from each of these walks and workshops support the American River Ranch Restoration and Development Fund.
In addition, the ranch’s popular produce stand is open from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday. The real treats and potential gifts can be found at Milly’s Mercantile, open from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
“We’ve curated a delicious collection of local farm goods, pantry staples and handcrafted products, Camina bread, Real Pie Company frozen pot pies, homemade soup by the quart from our Farmstand Kitchen and beautiful floral wreaths,” say the hosts. “We are proud to feature the creations of local artisans. Start your holiday shopping early and check out the local, unique and practical gifts we offer in Milly’s Mercantile.”
Looking for a new fruit tree? Soil Born’s Garden Greenhouse and Fruit Tree Nursery also will be open Saturday morning. “Fruit trees are a thoughtful, practical gift that keeps on giving,” Soil Born says.
Among the trees in stock now are: Mission Black and Brown Turkey figs; Comice and Warren pears; Coffeecake persimmons and Dapple Supreme pluots.
Soil Born’s American River Ranch is located at 2140 Chase Drive, Rancho Cordova.
Details, directions and registration: https://soilborn.org/.
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Food in My Back Yard Series
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
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 April 20
Before possible showers at the end of the week, take advantage of all this nice sunshine – and get to work!
* Set out tomato, pepper and eggplant transplants.
* From seed, plant beans, beets, cantaloupes, carrots, corn, cucumbers, melons, pumpkins, 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.
* Plant summer bulbs, such as gladiolus and tuberous begonias.
* Transplant lettuce and cabbage seedlings.
* 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.
* 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.
* Spring brings a flush of rapid growth, and that means your garden is really hungry. Give shrubs and trees a dose of a slow-release fertilizer. Or mulch with a 1-inch layer of compost.
* Start thinning fruit that's formed on apple and stone fruit trees -- you'll get larger fruit at harvest (and avoid limb breakage) if some is thinned now. The UC recommendation is to thin fruit when it is about 3/4 of an inch in diameter. Peaches and nectarines should be thinned to about 6 inches apart; smaller fruit such as plums and pluots can be about 4 inches apart. Apricots can be left at 3 inches apart. Apples and pears should be thinned to one fruit per cluster of flowers, 6 to 8 inches apart.
* Azaleas and camellias looking a little yellow? If leaves are turning yellow between the veins, give them a boost with chelated iron.
* Pinch chrysanthemums back to 12 inches for fall flowers. Cut old stems to the ground.
* Weed, weed, weed! Don’t let unwanted plants go to seed.
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