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Is your garden throwing shade?


Tuberous begonias are beautiful additions to shade gardens. (Photos: Debbie Arrington)

Workshop focuses on the brighter side of planting shady yards
We love our trees, but sometimes fret that their leafy branches work too well in blocking the sun. What can be grown in all that shade?

To the rescue come the UCCE Master Gardeners of El Dorado County. On Saturday, Aug. 25, their free workshop, "Shade Gardening," will enlighten gardeners on the joys of plants that thrive in the shade.

As Master Gardener Susan Corey-McAlpine writes in the group's newsletter, "There is possibly no more perfect gardening activity for these hot summer afternoons than planning a shade garden, a haven of private coolness."

She notes that the amount of sun exposure a site receives determines what plants can grow there. Full shade is determined as getting less than 1 hour of sun daily, while part shade is 1 to 2 hours of sun exposure daily. Part sun is 4 to 5 hours daily, and full sun is more than 6 hours daily.

Hydrangeas such as this Incrediball variety
are great for shady areas.
In addition to Corey-McAlpine, the workshop will be conducted by Master Gardeners Merry Campbell, who chairs the Shade Garden at the Sherwood Demonstration Garden, and EJ Kipping.

They will cover topics such as soil content, shade plants with color, and the special attention needed for planting under oaks.

The workshop runs from 9 a.m. to noon at the Government Center, Building C Hearing Room,  2850 Fairlane Ct., Placerville. No advance registration is required.

For more information on the El Dorado Master Gardeners' programs: 530-621-5512 or
mgeldorado.ucanr.edu

-- Kathy Morrison

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Garden Checklist for week of May 19

Temperatures will be a bit higher than normal in the afternoons this week. Take care of chores early in the day – then enjoy the afternoon. It’s time to smell the roses.

* Plant, plant, plant! It’s prime planting season in the Sacramento area. If you haven’t already, it’s time to set out those tomato transplants along with peppers and eggplants. Pinch off any flowers on new transplants to make them concentrate on establishing roots instead of setting premature fruit.

* Direct-seed melons, cucumbers, summer squash, corn, radishes, pumpkins and annual herbs such as basil.

* Harvest cabbage, lettuce, peas and green onions.

* In the flower garden, direct-seed sunflowers, cosmos, salvia, zinnias, marigolds, celosia and asters.

* Plant dahlia tubers. Other perennials to set out include verbena, coreopsis, coneflower and astilbe.

* Transplant petunias, marigolds and perennial flowers such as astilbe, columbine, coneflowers, coreopsis, dahlias, rudbeckia and verbena.

* Keep an eye out for slugs, snails, earwigs and aphids that want to dine on tender new growth.

* Feed summer bloomers with a balanced fertilizer.

* For continued bloom, cut off spent flowers on roses as well as other flowering plants.

* Don’t forget to water. Seedlings need moisture. Deep watering will help build strong roots and healthy plants.

* Add mulch to the garden to help keep that precious water from evaporating. Mulch also cuts down on weeds. But don’t let it mound around the stems or trunks of trees or shrubs. Leave about a 6-inch to 1-foot circle to avoid crown rot or other problems.

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