Gardening

Sacramento Bee readers share their gardening adventures.

My friend Bob would shudder if he knew that I planted plantain today.

Love hurts. Ask any cactus collector.

This is one part in a weekly series featuring the UC Davis Arboretum Durable Delights, 30 can't-fail, easy-care plants well-adapted to our region.

Looking for the perfect patch for his hobby, Baldo Villegas bought a little 2-acre ranchette in Orangevale and got to work.

This is one part in a weekly series featuring the UC Davis Arboretum Durable Delights, 30 can't-fail, easy-care plants well-adapted to our region.

15th ANNUAL EAST SACRAMENTO GARDEN TOUR

We have an apricot tree that gets lots of flowers and the fruit grows to about half an inch, then all fall off. This has happened every year for seven years.

Special events- Continuing through May 19 The Folsom History Museum presents an exhibit on textile construction from the 18th century to the present.

I have two problems. First, I built three box gardens, each 4 by 8 feet and 18 inches deep. For the past two years, I've been digging grub worms by the hundreds out of my boxes. I don't know how to get rid of them.

• ASSISTANCE LEAGUE GARDENS OF THE HILLS TOUR - Start at Pottery World, 1006 White Rock Road, El Dorado Hills

Sacramento Bee readers share their gardening adventures.

This is one part in a weekly series featuring the UC Davis Arboretum Durable Delights, 30 can't-fail, easy-care plants well-adapted to our region.

Looking for some help in the garden? Many of nature's most useful critters lie literally at our feet, underappreciated and ignored despite their ability to eliminate insects, condition soils and pollinate plants.

The Sacramento Bee hosts a network of high-quality news providers and bloggers in the Sacramento region. Here is a sampling of the best of the current Home & Garden blogs. Check out the full postings: sacramentoconnect.sacbee.com

65th Annual Sacramento Rose Society Show

Today-The Secret Garden in Elk Grove is hosting a spring garden fair and plant sale featuring work of small plant growers and local crafters

Sacramento Bee readers share their gardening adventures.

Don't give pests a lift. April is Invasive Plant Pest and Disease Awareness Month, timed to coincide with when agriculture is most vulnerable.

Over the years, I have planted many azaleas in my yard. I have some areas that take direct sunlight, but I have found that the Encore variety does very well in the sun and seems to grow very well, especially during the hot summer months.

My apples are ruined every year by wormlike bugs. What are they and how can I stop them?

Are you feeling greener? Monday is Earth Day, an annual celebration of conservation and a reminder that, with a little effort, we all can be Mother Nature's best friend.

At their El Dorado Hills home, Steve and Shelly Lange created a backyard paradise under the shade of massive oaks. Made for entertaining, it was their own "Gilligan's Island" getaway with palm-covered bar and a tropical motif.

This is one part in a weekly series featuring the UC Davis Arboretum Durable Delights, 30 can't-fail, easy-care plants well-adapted to our region.

Today and Sunday • 54th Annual American Bonsai Association Show

I've lived in Sacramento for a few springs now and am still not that familiar with the horticulture. But I do have a burning question.

This is one in a weekly series featuring the UC Davis Arboretum Durable Delights, 30 can't-fail, easy-care plants well-adapted to our region.

Special events - The Folsom History Museum presents an exhibit on textile construction, 18th century to present. Displays show the history of yarn production, weaving and knitting.

Last summer, I noticed the telltale signs of mites on my eggplant and squash. Can mites be eradicated using non-pesticidal means? If not, what are the best anti-mite products available?

This is one part in a weekly series featuring the UC Davis Arboretum Durable Delights, 30 can't-fail, easy-care plants well-adapted to our region.

Sacramento Bee readers share their gardening adventures.

Gardening can be an intoxicating hobby, especially if the botany is booze-related.

Special events continuing through May 19 - The Folsom History Museum presents an exhibit on textile- making from the 18th century to present

Drought drives up water prices – and thousands of Sacramento homeowners only recently converted to metered water. With that in mind, many gardeners are making the switch to more unthirsty plants.

Looking for water-efficient plants? Start with the UC Davis Arboretum All-Stars, 100 easy-care, low-water plants recommended for use in the Sacramento Valley. In addition, the arboretum's 75 Community Favorites are just that – great easy-care plants recommended by area volunteers. Low water use is a priority among these Favorites, too.

They taste better and often are better for you. Gardeners and cooks agree: There's nothing like homegrown vegetables.

MASTER GARDENER WORKSHOP - Citrus, building good soil, vermicomposting and worm bins will be in the spotlight during this workshop with dozens of master gardeners. They'll help solve other garden dilemmas, too.

Several recent books offer a wealth of information for both beginners and more experienced food gardeners

Gardening brings us together both physically and virtually. Like cooking, it's a universal topic and easy to get started. But no matter how much you know, there's more to learn.

Special events - Help Sunburst Projects send a child affected by HIV/AIDS to summer camp at this perennials sale

FIFTH ANNUAL SACRAMENTO VALLEY CYMBIDIUM SOCIETY SHOW AND SALE - This colorful show features scores of cymbidiums at their best. These easy-care orchids thrive outdoors in Sacramento.

Master gardeners host a talk about pruning ornamental grasses, dormant fruit trees and summer vegetable seeds. 9 a.m.-noon. Fair Oaks Horticulture Center, 11549 Fair Oaks Blvd., Fair Oaks. Free. (916) 875-6913.

This is one part in a weekly series featuring the UC Davis Community Favorites, 75 can't-fail, easy-care plants well-adapted to our region and recommended by local gardeners.

You already have the newspaper, so when you're finished reading it, why not recycle it for your garden? And The Bee uses mostly nontoxic, soy-based inks, so you can transplant the whole pot into the garden if you choose. (Avoid using the full-color advertising inserts.)

Want to take the plunge into starting seeds? Here are tips from experts Gail Pothour, Bill Bird and Jenn Hammer:

George Washington would approve. These cherry trees already have been "chopped" down to size.

They're tiny things, some no bigger than the period at the end of this sentence. Yet they contain all the promise of a summer's day: a tasty tomato, a fragrant basil leaf, a crunchy sweet red bell pepper, a melon dripping with honey-scented nectar.

This is one part in a weekly series featuring the UC Davis Community Favorites, 75 can't-fail, easy-care plants well-adapted to our region and recommended by local gardeners.

Today - Sunday The Sacramento Weavers' and Spinners' Guild presents "Weavers Gone Wild," an open house with spinning and weaving demonstrations, item exhibits and sales. The Folsom Quilt and Fiber Guild's 28th annual show will feature more than 200 quilts, fiber and wearable art, a vendor mall and a daily fashion show