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McKinley Park hosts annual 'Prunathon'

Sacramento Digs Gardening
BY Debbie Arrington PUBLISHED JAN 2, 2019

Volunteers prune McKinley Park roses during a previous Prunathon. (Photos: Debbie Arrington)

Volunteers needed to finish pruning 1,200 roses

It's time to pull out the shears and get to work! The prunathon is back!

Starting at 9 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 5, volunteers will finish pruning the historic McKinley Park Memorial Rose Garden. This is no small job. The world-famous garden features more than 1,200 full-size roses.

Many hands make quick work; the garden is usually finished before noon.

Volunteers tackle pruning the McKinley Park Memorial Rose Garden, which
includes about 1,200 bushes.

Hosted by Friends of East Sacramento, this free event annually attracts scores of volunteers, who swarm over the rose beds in groups. Each informal team is led by a gardener with rose-pruning experience, including several members of the Sacramento Rose Society.

Dave Coop, the society's president, will lead a hands-on rose care and pruning workshop at the start of the prunathon. No prior pruning experience necessary.

According to rose garden volunteer coordinator Lyn Pitts, volunteers took advantage of recent clear weather to get a jump on the McKinley roses. About half are already pruned. That still leaves hundreds that need attention Saturday.

Refreshments (including hot beverages) will be served. Bring thick gloves and pruners (preferably bypass pruners). Other tools will be available. Dress in layers; the morning will start cold.

Located on H Street near 33rd Street, the McKinley Park Memorial Rose Garden is regarded among the prettiest and most romantic gardens in Sacramento. A favorite site for weddings, it was featured in the 2017 hit movie "Lady Bird."

For more details: https://bit.ly/2AnXpZK or www.friendsofeastsac.org .

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Keywords:

gardening Sacramento McKinley Park Rose Garden pruning Sacramento Rose Society roses winter gardening Lyn Pitts Friends of East Sacramento Dave Coop rose care

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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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