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Attract more wildlife to your garden

Lunchtime series by Sac Valley CNPS shares ideas how to create 'Living Landscapes'

Sacramento Digs Gardening
BY Debbie Arrington PUBLISHED SEP 8, 2020

Plant lacy phacelia, a California native, and butterflies will hang out in your garden. (Photos: Kathy Morrison)

We could all use a nature break right now. And if you plant things that native birds, bees and butterflies like, you’ll see wildlife in action right outside your window.

The Sacramento Valley Chapter of the California Native Plant Society has plenty of advice on how to reach that goal – and still have a beautiful landscape – during a special lunchtime Zoom talk.

“Living Landscapes — Designing Native Plant Gardens that Attract Wildlife and Still Look Good!” is set for noon next Tuesday, Sept. 15. Everyone is welcome and participation is free.

Haven Kiers, associate professor of landscape architecture at UC Davis, will discuss “how to create native plant gardens that are not only great looking, but also great for wildlife,” according to Chris Lewis of Sac Valley CNPS. The talk is part of the chapter’s “Homegrown Habitat: Lunch break with Nature” series.

California poppies are a natural for wildlife landscapes.

These lunch breaks are one-hour, online presentations envisioned “as a way to engage with nature midday,” Lewis said. “Each presentation is a chance to ignite more interest in nature, native plants, native plant habitats, and the thing they all have in common—wildlife.”

To participate, you need to sign up in advance here: https://bit.ly/3m2t4WP

For more details and advice on native plants to help native wildlife: www.sacvalleycnps.org .

- Debbie Arrington

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Keywords:

gardening Sacramento wildlife habitat event native plants California Native Plant Society California natives pollinators wildlife

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Garden Checklist for week of May 5

Survey your garden after the May 4 rainstorm. Heavy rain and gusty winds can break the neck of large flowers such as roses. Also:

* Keep an eye on new transplants or seedlings; they could take a pounding from the rain.

* Watch out for powdery mildew. Warmth following moist conditions can cause this fungal disease to “bloom,” too. If you see a leaf that looks like it’s dusted with powdered sugar, snip it off.

* After the storm, start setting out tomato transplants, but wait on the peppers and eggplants (they want warmer nights). Pinch off any flowers on new transplants to make them concentrate on establishing roots instead of setting premature fruit.

* 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, 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.

* Don’t wait; plant summer bulbs, such as gladiolus and tuberous begonias.

* Harvest cabbage, lettuce, peas and green onions.

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