In Sacramento gardens, I’ve observed that the roots of drought-tolerant plants, such as lavender, salvia and penstemon, will rot if they are kept constantly moist by a layer of woodchips.
I’ve also worried that covering up all bare soil with mulch, which UC Berkeley entomologist Dr. Gordon Frankie calls “mulch madness,” will make it hard for native bees to find places to nest.
When should we mulch? And when does mulching create more problems than it solves?
A friend sent me a photo of a dramatic flowering stem displayed proudly in a vase. It looked a bit like a floral firework, with a single triangular stalk topped by spiky leaves, centered with clusters of little white flowers. “What is this plant?” she asked. She had been told that it was papyrus, which it resembles, but she feared it was something bad. It was.
The rooftop bell may not be the first thing people notice when visiting this two-story Spanish Revival in the heart of Land Park, but it is definitely one of the home’s most unusual features.
When husband and wife Kele Dobrinski and Christina Valencia purchased the mission-style home in 2016, the old bell was encased in a flattop structure that “didn’t do it justice,” Valencia says. To add architectural detail, the couple built a curved tower around the metal ringer “so you could see the bell in all its glory.”
It’s debatable whether absence really does make the heart grow fonder. There’s no question that a gardener’s attentive presence makes a garden better. An observant gardener can identify pests and other problems early and keep up with the rapid changes that happen this time of year. Grab a bucket, have a hose with a powerful spray nozzle handy and take a daily stroll outside. Both you and your garden will benefit.
The bucket is good for collecting weeds and spent flower heads. Remove weeds as soon as you spot them, getting them out, roots and all, before they can set seeds. Deadheading flowers will make your garden look fresher and encourage continued bloom.
Of the 35 largest cities in the United States, only two do not have botanical gardens, Sacramento and Fresno. Bruce Ritter and Linda Ching hope to leave Fresno alone on that list.
It could be years before a Sacramento botanical garden blooms, but the seeds are being planted. In January, Ritter and Ching co-founded the nonprofit Sacramento Botanical Garden and launched a capital campaign to raise $25 million to build the project.
Mai and Jeff Townsend have taken the notion of “open concept” to a whole new level in their recently renovated home on a cul-de-sac in Sierra Oaks. A bright orange entryway door leads to an immense light- and art-filled space that encompasses multiple zones for entertaining, cooking, dining and relaxing.
“My absolute favorite thing is the incredible openness of the room,” Jeff says. “I love how we created these self-contained areas.”
The Townsends purchased the 1965 ranch-style home in 2017 from the estate of the original owner. “This property had great bones,” says Mai, who has a passion for interior design. “It was well built. Just very compartmentalized. The main thing for us was to create an open flow and space.”
The renovation took eight months under the watchful eye of Mai, who created the design plans. The couple gutted most of the 2,222-square-foot house, which they called a “time capsule,” leaving the exterior structure. “It’s a brand-new house in an old shell,” Mai notes.
The Townsends moved to Sacramento from San Jose with their son Blaze and yellow lab Parker. In addition to wanting to be closer to Mai’s parents who live in West Sacramento, the couple saw potential in what the area offered.
“We fell in love with Sierra Oaks,” says Jeff, an attorney specializing in mediation work. “It was a whole new amazing life that was opening up to us.”
