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Take a holiday home tour -- and help a cause


Inspirational decorations fill each stop of  El Dorado
Hills'
Homes for the Holidays tours. (Photo courtesy
Assistance League of Sierra Foothills.)

Rain or shine, these tours spark inspiration

A little (or a lot) of rain can’t dampen this holiday spirit.

Two major holiday home tours will be held this weekend, boosting the greater Sacramento area’s seasonal spirit.

Today patrons were already out walking the streets of Sacramento’s Fabulous Forties during the 46th annual Sacred Heart Holiday Home Tour. One of the largest events of its kind in our area, this tour regularly attracts more than 5,000 people, who stroll through the grand neighborhood to see five homes decked out in holiday splendor.

This isn’t the first time there’s been rain on this neighborhood parade. Preparations include contingencies for rain, umbrellas and wet feet. Refreshments (including some warm beverages) will be offered at the Sacred Heart Parish School, which also will host a huge boutique of locally sourced products and a Champagne Bar. (Admission to the boutique is free.)

The Sacred Heart Tour continues 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 7, and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 8. Tickets ($30) are available at
www.sacredhearthometour.com , Sacred Heart School, 856 39th St., and the first home on the tour, 1370 46th St. Proceeds support programs and scholarships to Sacred Heart.

In El Dorado Hills, Homes for the Holidays celebrates its 10th year on Dec. 7 and 8. Hosted by the Assistance League of Sierra Foothills, this popular tour raises funds for disadvantaged and homeless children and families. Spectacular homes are decked out in equally eye-popping style, inspiring many a holiday decorating project. In addition, this tour offers a raffle with outrageous prizes and a boutique of handmade gifts.

Tour hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Tickets ($25 for adults, $10 for children) are available at www.assistanceleague.org/sierra-foothills/ .

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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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