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Murer House in Folsom hosts ninth annual Camellia Day

Feb. 24 event includes blossom show, tours and speaker Greg Gayton

This Kramer's Supreme camellia already is blooming ahead of the Sacramento-area camellia festivities in the next few weeks.

This Kramer's Supreme camellia already is blooming ahead of the Sacramento-area camellia festivities in the next few weeks. Debbie Arrington

Camellias are coming out early this month in Sacramento – which means it’s time to celebrate the city’s official flower.

The first big camellia party actually happens in Folsom: Camellia Day at the Murer House and Gardens.

On Saturday, Feb. 24, the Murer House will host its ninth annual Camellia Day with a blossom show, self-guided tours and special speaker – Green Acres garden guru Greg Gayton.

“The public is invited to share and show single blossoms and arrangements,” say the organizers. “Ribbons will be awarded for People’s Choice and other categories.”

From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., see dozens of beautiful camellias and get expert advice on how to grow your own. Members of the Camellia Society of Sacramento will be on hand to identify camellia varieties and offer tips on camellia care.

There is no charge to attend, tour Murer House or enter the camellia contest. Entries for the blossom show will be received from 9:30 to 10 a.m. Feb. 24. For information, contact Rhonda DesVoignes, bdesvoignes@comcast.net, or call the Murer House at 916-413-9231.

The Murer House and Gardens are located at 1125 Joe Murer Court, in historic Folsom, across Folsom Boulevard near historic Sutter Street. The home was built by Guiseppe Murer, an Italian immigrant who purchased the site in 1921 and constructed the home in 1925.

Details and directions: https://murerhousefoundation.org/.

And don’t forget: The Camellia Society will host its 100th annual Sacramento Camellia Show and sale March 2 and 3 at a new location – the Scottish Rite Center, 6151 H St., Sacramento. (More to come soon on that milestone event.)

Editor's note to newsletter subscribers: The dates listed in Thursday's post for the Sacramento Perennial Plant Club's two-day sale were slightly off: The sale will be Friday and Saturday, April 12 and 13, not April 13-14. The post has been corrected. 

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Garden checklist for week of April 19

After this midweek storm, start getting serious about spring gardening. Flowers are blooming about three weeks ahead of schedule. That includes weeds!

* Get ready to swing into action in the vegetable garden – if you haven’t already. As nights warm up over 50 degrees, set out tomato, pepper and eggplant transplants.

* From seed, plant beans, beets, cantaloupes, carrots, corn, cucumbers, melons,  radishes and squash; wait on pumpkins until May. 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. Late April is about the last chance to plant summer bulbs, such as gladiolus and tuberous begonias.

* Transplant lettuce and cabbage seedlings.

* 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? Give citrus trees a low dose of balanced fertilizer (such as 10-10-10) during bloom to help set fruit. Keep an eye out for ants. If leaves look yellow, your tree may need an iron boost -- apply some chelated iron fertilizer.

* 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 needs nutrition. Give shrubs and trees a slow-release fertilizer. Mulch with a 1-inch layer of compost, which helps the soil, but keep it a few inches away from trunks and stems.

* 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.

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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

Starting in seed starting

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

Potatoes from the garden

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

Dec. 16: Add asparagus to your edible garden

Dec. 9: Soggy soil and what to do about it

Dec. 2: Plant artichokes now; enjoy for years to come

Nov. 25: It's late November, and your peach tree needs spraying

Nov. 18: What to do with all those fallen leaves?

Nov. 11: Prepare now for colder weather in the edible garden

Nov. 4: Plant a pea patch for you and your garden

Oct. 27: As citrus season begins, advice for backyard growers

Oct. 20: Change is in the autumn air 

Oct. 13: We don't talk (enough) about beets

Oct. 6: Fava beans do double duty

Sept. 30: Seeds or transplants for cool-season veggies?

Sept. 23: How to prolong the fall tomato harvest 

SUMMER

Sept. 16: Time to shut it down? 

Sept. 9: How to get the most out of your pumpkin patch

Sept. 2: Summer-to-fall transition time for evaluation, planning

Aug. 26: To pick or not to pick those tomatoes?

Aug. 19: Put worms to work for you

Aug. 12: Grow food while saving water

Aug. 5: Enhance your food with edible flowers

July 29: Why won't my tomatoes turn red?

July 22: A squash plant has mosaic virus, and it's not pretty

July 15: Does this plant need water?

July 8: Tear out that sad plant or baby it? Midsummer decisions

July 1: How to grow summer salad greens

June 24:  Weird stuff that's perfectly normal

SPRING

June 17: Help pollinators help your garden

June 10: Battling early-season tomato pests

June 3: Make your own compost

May 27: Where are the bees when you need them?

May 20: How to help tomatoes thrive on hot days

May 13: Your plants can tell you more than any calendar can

May 6: Maintain soil moisture with mulch for garden success

April 29: What's (already) wrong with my tomato plants?

April 22: Should you stock up on fertilizer? (Yes!)

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