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.

Event: Harvest Day 2023

Date: Saturday, August 5 • 8 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Location: Fair Oaks Horticulture Center
11549 Fair Oaks Boulevard
Fair Oaks, CA 95628

Join the UCCE Master Gardeners of Sacramento County to experience, imagine, learn and have fun at this popular gardening event. See a variety of water-wise plants, listen to knowledgable speakers and engage with the local gardening community. Be sure to visit the Sacramento Perennial Plant Club booth in the educational section.

Event: Members’ June Salad Potluck

Date: Thursday, June 22 • 6:30 p.m.

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

We’ll have a special “end-of-season” salad potluck dinner at 6:30 p.m. Bring a salad to share. Drinks and rolls will be provided.

Event: May General Meeting

Speaker: Tora Rocha

Topic: Fostering Appreciation of Our Local Ecosystems

Date: Thursday May 25, 2023 • 7 p.m.

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

Tora Rocha is one of two co-founders of the “Pollinator Posse” which creates pollinator-friendly landscaping and fosters appreciation of local ecosystems through outreach and education. With eco-friendly landscape techniques at the heart of their work, they teach respect for the creatures which keep Northern California blooming. They envision a day when life-enhancing green spaces will grace every corner of Northern California and the world.

Tora was the parks supervisor at the City of Oakland for many years, responsible for all the landscaping on public facilities in the district. While working at the Gardens of Lake Merritt she realized that her own landscaping was adversely affecting the pollinators in the Gardens and planted 12,000 pollinator-friendly plants. She also installed AirBeeNBee Houses at the Gardens, showing children how to make bee condos or bee hotels for native bees.

This meeting is free and open to the public.