El Dorado master gardeners offer free workshop on biodiversity and sustainable gardening
Flannel bush (Fremontodendron californicum) is a very-low-water California native shrub that attracts bees and butterflies. Kathy Morrison
The choices we make in our gardens have greater impact than we may realize, say the UCCE master gardeners of El Dorado County. Find out how during a free in-person workshop, “Gardening for the Future.”
Set for 9 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 10, the three-hour class led by master gardener Deborah Nicolls will be held at Cameron Park Community Center. No advance registration is required.
“Learn about sustainable gardening, permaculture, food forests, rewilding, and contributing to the Homegrown National Park,” say the master gardeners.
Made up of gardeners and backyards nationwide, the Homegrown National Park is a grass-roots effort to regenerate biodiversity by planting more native plants.
According to the organizers, this workshop will tackle some big problems with small acts. “Do you read the headlines about climate and the environment and worry about the future? Yours, your children’s, or grandchildren’s?” ask the master gardeners. “There are things you can do to help in your own corner of the world, even if all you have is a balcony, because every little bit does help.”
For example, growing plants that feed pollinators such as bees, butterflies and birds can help sustain wildlife amid an urban landscape.
Cameron Park Community Center is located at 2502 Country Club Drive, Cameron Park.
Details and directions: https://mgeldorado.ucanr.edu/.
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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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