Find unusual plants, garden wares while supporting local vendors and clubs
Stunning golden bamboo is one of the plants sold by Mad Man Bamboo Nursery of Rocklin, which is one of the specialty plant vendors Saturday at the Gardener's Market on Saturday. Courtesy Mad Man Bamboo
Spring is in the air (if not actually here), which means the gardening bug is biting hard.
One of the best places to scratch that itch: The Shepard Garden and Arts Center.
Three weekends in March, the center – which is home to about two dozen local garden clubs – hosts major plant and garden sales (including one combined show and sale). That’s followed by three more flower shows and/or sales in April. Admission to every one of these events is free.
That spring spree starts in earnest Saturday, March 9, with the Sacramento Perennial Plant Club’s Gardener’s Market. From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., the center will be packed with plants from small specialty nurseries plus unique garden wares from local sellers.
Crazy about bamboo? Mad Man Bamboo Nursery of Rocklin is one of those specialty nurseries that will be selling plants Saturday. Owner Sean Bigley says he usually participates in only two public sales a year, and this is one of them. He grows unusual and colorful bamboos, most of them clumping varieties and well behaved. (They’re a must for Asian-themed gardens.)
Other popular plant vendors at Saturday’s sale include Morningsun Herb Farm (which offers a lot more than herbs), Geraniaceae (the rare geraniums specialist), Golden Pond Water Plants (water lilies, anyone?), Martin Palomar Plants and Art (succulents as living art) and The OG-Cacti & Succulents (like their name says).
Here’s a snapshot of other upcoming Shepard Center events:
* Shepard Spring Sale, March 16-17: All clubs that call Shepard home plus local vendors take part in this two-day sale. Find plants, jewelry, crafts, art, flowers, books and more. Hours: 9 a.m.-4 p.m. March 16, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. March 17.
* Sacramento Valley Cymbidium Show and Sale, March 23: This annual show and sale features gorgeous outdoor orchids in full bloom – plus plenty to take home. Hours: 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
* Capital City African Violet Society sale and display, April 6: See beautiful African violets in a display of members’ plants. Learn about violet care from members. Then, shop for plants for your indoor garden. Hundreds will be available, but they sell out early! Hours: 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
* 64th annual Bonsai Show and Sale, April 13-14: Presented by the American Bonsai Association, Sacramento, this event showcases amazing “little trees in pots” plus everything you need to grow your own. Bonsai master Tyler Sherrod will give demonstrations each day. Beginner workshops also are available. Hours: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. both days.
* 76th annual Sacramento Rose Show, April 27: Hosted by the Sacramento Rose Society, this huge flower show fills Shepard Center with blooms at their height of beauty. See (and smell) the roses and admire the creative rose arrangements. Member-grown cut roses are offered for sale. Hours: 1-4:30 p.m.
Shepard Center is located at 3330 McKinley Blvd., Sacramento, in McKinley Park.
More details: https://www.sgaac.org/.
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Garden Checklist for week of Nov. 3
November still offers good weather for fall planting:
* If you haven't already, it's time to clean up the remains of summer. Pull faded annuals and vegetables. Prune dead or broken branches from trees.
* Now is the best time to plant most trees and shrubs. This gives them plenty of time for root development before spring growth. They also benefit from fall and winter rains.
* Set out cool-weather annuals such as pansies and snapdragons.
* Lettuce, cabbage and broccoli also can be planted now.
* Plant garlic and onions.
* Keep planting bulbs to spread out your spring bloom. Some possible suggestions: daffodils, crocuses, hyacinths, tulips, anemones and scillas.
* This is also a good time to seed wildflowers and plant such spring bloomers as sweet pea, sweet alyssum and bachelor buttons.
* Rake and compost leaves, but dispose of any diseased plant material. For example, if peach and nectarine trees showed signs of leaf curl this year, clean up under trees and dispose of those leaves instead of composting.
* Save dry stalks and seedpods from poppies and coneflowers for fall bouquets and holiday decorating.
* For holiday blooms indoors, plant paperwhite narcissus bulbs now. Fill a shallow bowl or dish with 2 inches of rocks or pebbles. Place bulbs in the dish with the root end nestled in the rocks. Add water until it just touches the bottom of the bulbs. Place the dish in a sunny window. Add water as needed.
* Give your azaleas, gardenias and camellias a boost with chelated iron.
* For larger blooms, pinch off some camellia buds.
* Prune non-flowering trees and shrubs while dormant.
* To help prevent leaf curl, apply a copper fungicide spray to peach and nectarine trees after they lose their leaves this month. Leaf curl, which shows up in the spring, is caused by a fungus that winters as spores on the limbs and around the tree in fallen leaves. Sprays are most effective now.
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