UC Master Gardeners of Placer County: Try something new

"Try something new … ever-changing gardens" is the name of this great resource for gardeners. The 2024 Gardening Guide and Calendar lays out what to plant each month, what's in season at the market each month, and what to do – almost every day of the month! Whether you are new to gardening or not, it serves as a reminder as well as a source of inspiring concepts and gardening techniques. The calendar is brought to you by UC Master Gardeners of Placer County and is all about helping gardeners from Roseville to Colfax and Foresthill to learn something new that will spice your way of thinking about how to plan, build and maintain your outside or inside garden. For example, the January article is "Achieving Color throughout the Year." It covers drought-tolerant and California native plants for spring, summertime, fall and winter that will provide colorful gardens and cutting arrangements all year. Use the ideas to choose the colors and plants you want to highlight in your space each season. In other months, you will find concepts to make gardening more fun for children, for example, by using straw bales to grow fruits and vegetables. Straw bales are a height that make it easy for children to watch plants grow, see pollinators and even watch soil being made as the straw breaks down. Another month talks about "food forests," an interesting space for children to garden with other benefits, too. Food forests are made up of permanent plants as the main structure. Imagine a multi-story polyculture with a canopy made up of a walnut tree, a lower story made up of apples and pears, then at the shrub level you might have blueberries, raspberries and rosemary, and finally plants like broccoli, chard and peppers can cover the food forest floor. The concept means our hot California sun is tempered for plants that need a break from the heat. Food forests are great for small yards and starter gardens. Several articles cover new ideas for edible and ornamental gardens that support children, pollinators, wildlife and gardeners themselves. Other articles provide ideas to reduce maintenance or to make these activities safer and less difficult. One covers using Integrated Pest Management (IPM) to prevent and eliminate pests. The calendar also has something for indoor gardens with orchids or succulents. And finally, there's information about new high-tech devices, including smart irrigation devices which are weather-based with sensors that delay watering when it rains or increases watering when it's extra hot and dry. The calendar can be purchased online at https://pcmg.ucanr.edu/2024_Calendar/ for $12 plus a shipping and credit card fee, or by check with no credit card fee. Local vendors also carry the guide. Check this list: https://ucanr.edu/sites/ucmgplacer/files/387910.pdf. You can also buy at various Farmers' Markets in Auburn, Roseville and Lincoln. The calendars have sold out in the past, so make sure to get yours soon for your home or as gifts. Learn something new to help with your gardening.