Despite winter weather, weekend event should feature hundreds of flowers
Blue-ribbon camellia blossoms fill a tabletop at the 2022 Sacramento Camellia Show. Debbie Arrington
It’s Camellia Week in Sacramento – and the weather is not cooperating.
A Sacramento tradition for almost a century, the 99th annual Sacramento Camellia Show will be held Saturday and Sunday, March 4 and 5, at Elks Lodge No. 6 in Sacramento’s Greenhaven/Pocket neighborhood. Admission and parking are free.
Organizers expect hundreds of blooms for Sacramento’s signature flower event – even after all the wind and rain.
Warmed by spring-like temperatures in early February, many camellia bushes started blooming before this current series of storms, noted Julie Vierra, president of the Camellia Society of Sacramento and the show’s co-chairperson. Meanwhile, other bushes have stubbornly kept their buds closed.
“It’s weird,” said Vierra, who has a backyard full of camellias in flower in West Sacramento. “You talk to (gardeners), and everything’s blooming – or not blooming. It’s definitely the weather.”
Judges at this weekend’s show will keep that challenging weather in mind, she said. “Weather impact will be taken into consideration. You can tell if (damage) is weather-related or petal blight.”
Petal blight, a fungal disease that causes brown spots on camellias, is highly contagious and any flower showing signs of petal blight may be eliminated from the show.
As always, the public is encouraged to enter flowers in the camellia show as well as enjoy the bounty of blooms. Public entries are accepted from 7:30 to 10 a.m. Saturday. Society members will be on hand to help with variety identification and placement.
After judging, the show itself will be open from 3 to 6 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.
The Elks Lodge serves an excellent Sunday brunch for $15, Vierra noted. “It’s always fun to go to brunch, then see the show.”
The theme for this year’s show: “California Bloomin.’ ” Members of the Sacramento Floral Design Guild will interpret that theme with camellia arrangements. Sacramento chapter members of Ikebana International will display examples of Japanese flower arranging.
In addition to seeing hundreds of flowers, patrons can take home camellias, too. More than 200 bushes will be offered for sale in many varieties not available in local nurseries. Collectible magnets and buttons also will be available for a donation.
Experts will be on hand to offer advice on growing camellias, Sacramento’s official flower. Learn the craft of “camellia waxing,” preserving blooms by coating with clear wax.
The Elks Lodge is located at 6446 Riverside Blvd., Sacramento, where Florin Road dead-ends into Riverside Boulevard.
Questions? Email Vierra at j4sfgiants@sbcglobal.net.
Details: https://camelliasocietyofsacramento.org/.
Comments
0 comments have been posted.Sacramento Digs Gardening to your inbox.
Thanks to Our Sponsor!
Local News
Sites We Like
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.
Powered by California Local
