Bearded irises are a perfect addition to water-wise Sacramento gardens
'Tennessee Gentleman' is one of the many colorful and unusual bearded iris varieties that the Sacramento Iris Society has offered at past rhizome sales. Find some stunning additions for your water-wise garden. Debbie Arrington
Here’s a wonderful opportunity to add a rainbow of color to your water-wise garden: The annual iris rhizome sale.
Saturday and Sunday, July 15 and 16, the Sacramento Iris Society will host its annual rhizome sale at Shepard Garden and Arts Center. These are newly dug rhizomes – fresh from the ground, divided, trimmed and ready to replant.
Mid to late summer is perfect for planting bearded iris rhizomes, so this sale’s timing could not be better – even with triple-digit temperatures forecast for this weekend. (Shepard Center is air-conditioned.) Shop early for best selection; sale hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday. Admission and parking are free.
Hundreds of varieties will be available. According to the society, each specimen will be labeled with the cultivar name and a description of the flower appearance.
Besides the traditional spring bloomers, find a large selection of “rebloomers” that extend iris season into summer and fall. Get advice on how to plant rhizomes and year-round iris care.
Why plant irises? Besides the beautiful flowers, they’re an ideal choice for Sacramento and foothill gardens. Bearded irises are both deer and drought resistant; they can coexist with wildlife and need little summer irrigation.
Shepard Center is located at 3330 McKinley Blvd., Sacramento, in McKinley Park.
Details and directions: www.sgaac.org.
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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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