City of Sacramento plans several Saturday pruning sessions in January and February
Volunteers in January 2023 work to prune the dormant roses at McKinley Park's Memorial Rose Garden. Signups are now open through the City of Sacramento for the 2024 rose-pruning days. Debbie Arrington
McKinley Park’s famous Memorial Rose Garden needs its annual pruning – and volunteers to do it. But instead of tackling all 1,200 roses in just one day, the City of Sacramento’s Parks and Recreation Department is spreading the task over several Saturdays in January and February (plus one Wednesday).
Registration is now open for “Rose Garden Pruning Event,” free and open to any one “less than 100 years,” says the city’s website.
The city’s Park Maintenance Department (PMD) will oversee the volunteers on the first two Saturdays, Jan. 6 and 13. After that, the volunteers will be supervised by parks personnel or other volunteers.
“Volunteers should plan to meet at the Rose Garden,” say the organizers. “Tools, gloves and instruction will be provided. Please dress appropriately for working outdoors, including closed-toe shoes.”
And maybe a rain slicker, too; the pruning sessions will take place, rain or shine.
On the south edge off McKinley Park, the Frederick N. Evans Memorial Rose Garden – named for Sacramento’s first parks superintendent – is located on H Street between Alhambra Boulevard and 33rd Street in East Sacramento. Originally planted in 1929, the rose garden replaced what was a running track (hence its oblong shape). In 2012, the bushes were almost entirely replaced with newer, disease-resistant varieties.
For the pruning events, volunteers are asked to assemble at 8:30 a.m. at the park’s Rose Garden Room, the small structure located on the north side of the garden. The sessions are expected to last 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. each day.
Besides Jan. 6 and 13, pruning sessions are also planned for Jan. 20 and 27 plus Feb. 10 and 17 – all Saturdays. In addition, the pruning crew will be out at 8:30 Wednesday, Jan. 17.
Volunteers under age 18 need a parent’s consent form in order to participate.
To register in advance: https://rb.gy/bs4aj3
Questions? Email sacrecreation@cityofsacramento.org or rosegardenvolunteer@cityofsacramento.org.
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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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