Sacramento Bromeliad and Carnivorous Plant Society hosts 53rd annual show and sale at Shepard Center
North American pitcher plants make themselves at home in a backyard pond in Sacramento. Unlike most plants, they feed themselves – by catching insects. Debbie Arrington
In most gardens, bugs eat plants. But these plants eat bugs.
Discover the fascinating world of carnivorous plants during the 53rd annual Sacramento Bromeliad and Carnivorous Plant Society Show and Sale, set for this Saturday and Sunday, June 17 and 18, at Shepard Garden and Arts Center.
Club members will be on hand to answer questions and offer advice. An excellent selection of plants will be offered for sale. Find pitcher plants, sundews, butterworts and other bug eaters as well as tillandsia (air plants) and bromeliads in a rainbow of hues. Don’t miss the Venus flytraps!
See hundreds of intriguing bug-devouring specimens, with several carnivorous species that are right at home in Sacramento. North American pitcher plants, for example, can be grown outdoors in our area. Also known as Sarracenia, they do particularly well as part of a backyard water feature such as a half wine barrel or small pond; their roots get the boggy conditions they prefer while the plants have access to insects that may fly by.
California also has its own native pitcher plant: The cobra lily or California pitcher plant (Darlingtonia californica). A member of the Sarracenia family, the cobra lily is native to sunny wet areas such as stream banks or bogs throughout Northern California. Cobra lilies need cold to thrive, but also require summer heat protection.
“Growing Darlingtonia californica in your own bog garden requires patience and diligence,” says the U.S. Forest Service. “Cool nights are required and as the temperatures warm up in the summer months keeping the roots cool during the day is a must.”
Because they evolved to grow in such poor soil, carnivorous plants get most of their nourishment from insects that can become trapped in their specialized (often sticky) foliage. Likewise, bromeliads trap moisture and nutrients in the center of their swirl of colorful foliage.
Show and sale hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday. Admission and parking are free.
Shepard Center is located at 3330 McKinley Blvd., Sacramento, in McKinley Park.
Details and directions: www.sgaac.org.
-- Debbie Arrington
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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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