Event: Introduction of the 2024 Saul Wiseman Grants Awardees

Coordinator: Anita Clevenger, Grants Chairperson

Date: February 22, 2024 • 7 p.m.

Location: Shepard Garden & Arts Center, 3330 McKinley Blvd, Sacramento

Since 2015, the Saul Wiseman Grants Program brings us in contact with a host of remarkable people actively engaged in providing greater access to healthy soil and open spaces, increasing the supply of food for the hungry in our community, or creating places of beauty in our neighborhoods.

Many are talented educators dedicated to making all manner of gardening experiences available in our school and public places.

Our February meeting will focus on celebrating the 2024 Saul Wiseman Grants awardees.

Event: January General Meeting

Speaker: Amy Chance

Topic: Native Bees in Your Garden

Date: Thursday, January 25, 2024 • 7 p.m.

Location: Shepard Garden & Arts Center, 3330 McKinley Blvd, Sacramento

Join us on Thursday, January 25 to hear from California naturalist Amy Chance as she describes her exploration of native bees in her Sacramento garden. Even if you don’t have a single native plant, you have some native bees, too! Learn some fun facts and how you can do more to welcome them. 

Event: Members’ Holiday Potluck

Date: Friday, December 15, 2023 • 11:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m.

Location: Shepard Garden & Arts Center, 3330 McKinley Blvd, Sacramento

Our holiday potluck will be a daytime event this year. More details to come.

Event: October General Meeting

Speaker: Kevin Marini

Topic: Nurturing Healthy Soil

Date: Thursday, October 26, 2023 • 7 p.m.

Location: Shepard Garden & Arts Center, 3330 McKinley Blvd, Sacramento

In this day and age, the most important thing for home gardeners to grasp is what media (“soil” type) they are using to grow plants and how cultural practices in the garden relate to each type. Container mix, potting soil, soil conditioner, garden soil, raised bed mix, soilless mix, organic compost, and bulk soil are just some of the confusing names of materials that gardeners use. 

More and more home gardeners are turning away from planting in their native soils and buying soil type products instead. Let’s discuss what soil really is, how to enhance it for what you’re growing and define the content and uses for all these other types of bagged and bulk products.  

Event: Fall Plant Sale

Date: Saturday, October 7, 2023 • 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Sunday, October 8, 2023 • 10 a.m.–3 p.m.

Location: Shepard Garden & Arts Center, 3330 McKinley Blvd, Sacramento

Mark your calendars and invite a friend to come along to our SPPC Fall Plant Sale!

Whether you are looking to add a special new plant in your garden, replace a failing plant, or just start over in an area of your garden, the plant sales come just in time for your new fall plantings—the best time of year to plant!

Event: September General Meeting

Speaker: Patricia B. Smith

Topic: Islamic Gardens on Two Continents

Date: Thursday, September 28 • 7 p.m.

Location: Shepard Garden & Arts Center, 3330 McKinley Blvd, Sacramento

The history of classic Islamic gardens is long, interesting and well documented. At our Sept. 28 meeting, Patricia B. Smith will explore their unique styles and origins in India, China and Spain. Pat is a writer (who was a reporter and editor at the Sacramento Bee for 22 years) and inveterate traveler.

She has been observing these ancient and seemingly impossible gardens for decades. She saw her first one inside the mosque complex in Xi’an, China, the terminus of the Silk Road.

Surprisingly, water is one of the main subtle and refined – and of course, necessary – element of Islamic gardens. Considering that their origins are in mostly arid regions of Asia and the Mideast, one appreciates all the more their refreshing and tranquil demeanor.

Think oasis, geometry and contemplation interacting in context with elaborate buildings. Islamic gardens contrast dramatically with typical European gardens. Pat will show us how.