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Where to find blooms in Yolo County
Summer is right around the corner, and many of us are looking for ways to immerse ourselves in all its glory. For some, summer means sipping wine at a local [...]
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Find hundreds of indoor plants in rare varieties at Shepard Center event
This beautiful specimen is an example of the African violets that will be on display this weekend. Photo courtesy Delta Gesneriad and African Violet Society
They rank among Sacramento’s favorite indoor flowering plants, beloved by collectors for generations.
And this weekend, they’re in the local gardening spotlight.
On Saturday and Sunday (Sept. 16 and 17), the Delta Gesneriad and African Violet Society will host its annual show and sale at Shepard Garden and Arts Center in McKinley Park. It’s a wonderful opportunity to see these blooming plants at their peak of beauty – and take some home, too.
African violets are the best-known gesneriads, which includes more than 1,500 species. Also popular are gloxinias, cape primroses, kohlerias, episcias and achimenes. All these tropical plants make themselves at home indoors and produce striking flowers in a rainbow of hues.
Besides their attractive flowers, gesneriads also are known for their interesting foliage. Specimen plants can live for decades. This show will have several examples of how gorgeous these plants can be.
In addition at this event, the club offers hundreds of young plants for sale including dozens of rare varieties unavailable from local nurseries. It’s a fantastic opportunity to add to your own indoor jungle. Come early for best selection.
Get advice, too. Several club members will be on hand to offer advice on repotting older plants and violet care.
Show and sale hours are 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday. Admission and parking are free. Shepard Center is located at 3330 McKinley Blvd., Sacramento.
Details and directions: www.sgaac.org.
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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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