Botany plants lately? 🌱

Winter gardening tips for Sacramento, CA

This little guy is nuts for our gardening tips. | Photo by Caroline Dale

Be-leaf it or not, January is a good time to get gardening. Now is the time to shop seeds, do some routine maintenance, and even sow certain plants.

🌱 Spring for seeds

Peruse seed catalogs and grab those springtime favorites that are so popular they tend to sell out come the thaw. We’re talking seeds like snap peas, radishes, specialty lettuces, and heirloom tomatoes. You can also get your wishlist going for the spring planting of fall bulbs like hostas, gladiolas, and dahlias.

Check out these Sacramento spots to nab your favorites:

The Plant Foundry, 3500 Broadway
Talini’s Nursery, 5601 Folsom Blvd.
Matsuda’s, 10600 Florin Rd.
Green Acres, 8501 Jackson Rd.

🌱 Get growing

While you’re at the nursery, grab some seeds that you can plant right now (or, at least, very soon). Use this tool to calculate when to sow some of these early-season crops:

Beans
Beets
Broccoli
Cabbage
Kale
Lettuce

Can’t wait for that final frost date? Now is a good time to prep your seed trays. Clean and organize your trays, then sow these plants indoors with a growing light to be moved outdoors when the time is right.

🌱 Routine maintenance

Every green thumb knows that a garden is more than just its plants. Here’s your winter checklist:

Trim and tidy | Toss out any plants that didn’t survive last year and start fresh.
Take care of your tools | Sharpen your pruners and clean your trowels or treat yourself to a new tool set.
Test your soil | Apply your compost, but don’t forget to test your soil to make sure you aren’t missing any nutrients. A soil test kit can help you out here.
Prepare for frost | Be prepared for any cold fronts by making sure your watering system is ready for any deep freezes and stocking up on row covers.
Plan your beds | Get out your graph paper and dream up your ideal garden.

What was your most successful plant last year? Lettuce know and you might be featured in an upcoming newsletter.

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Wednesday, Jan. 18

California Perspectives | Wednesday, Jan. 18-Monday, Feb. 6 | Times vary | Art House on R, 1021 R St., Sacramento | Free | Discover the work of watercolorist Elaine Bowers, who paints both aerial and traditional landscape views of the Delta and North Valley.

Thursday, Jan. 19

Honk Jr. | Thursday, Jan. 19-Sunday, Jan. 22 | Sacramento Theatre, 1419 H St., Sacramento | $23-$28 | Students put on this production based on Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Ugly Duckling.”

Friday, Jan. 20

Sacramento Kings vs. Oklahoma City Thunder | Friday, Jan. 20 | 7 p.m. | Golden 1 Center, 500 David J Stern Walk, Sacramento | $10-$185 | The Kings continue their hunt for a playoff berth.
HypotheChicks | Friday, Jan. 20 | 8 p.m. | Sacramento Comedy Spot, 1050 20th St., Ste. 130, Sacramento | $10 | These ladies blend science and comedy into an explosive concoction.

We have a calendar filled with events and activities you can plan for in advance. Click the button below to bookmark ideas for upcoming date nights, family outings, and time with friends.

100+ MORE EVENTS

Weather

53º | Showers | 63% chance of rain 🌧️

Civic

Federal help from FEMA is now available to flood-impacted residents and businesses following a disaster declaration from President Joe Biden. Sacramentans can apply now for assistance which includes home repairs, grants for temporary housing, and more. (FOX40)

Feel Good

The Davis Food Co-op has donated more than $60,000 worth of food to local food banks following the recent inclement weather. The grocery store said the food may otherwise have been wasted since its power was out for five days. 🥬 (ABC10)

Environment

Residents of Yolo County can soon get rid of their unwanted trash during Caltrans’ next “Dump Day.” Within set limits, community members can take items like garbage, furniture, appliances, and more to the Woodland Maintenance Station at 624 N. East St. on Saturday, Jan. 28, 8 a.m.-2 p.m. 🚮 (FOX40)

Legacy

A new sign was unveiled on Highway 99 this week honoring the life of fallen Elk Grove Police Officer Tyler “Ty” Lenehan. The sign will cover the stretch of highway between Sheldon and Grant Line roads dedicated to Lenehan, who was killed in the line of duty last January by a suspected drunk driver. (ABC10)

Sports

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Travel

Scott’s Cheap Flights is going, going... Going. The travel membership that saves you hundreds on flights has a new name, and in honor of the rebrand, you can get 30% off a Premium membership with code 6AMCITY30. What you’ll get: last minute weekend trips, mistake fares, and early deal alerts. ✈️*

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Hey now, you’re an All-Star

Vote for your favorite King to be an All-Star

We all know The Beam is an All-Star. | Photo by Jocelyn Tham

Voting is still open for the 2023 NBA All-Star Game, which pits the league’s best players against each other. This year, the usually fun and high-scoring exhibition contest is in Salt Lake City on Sunday, Feb. 19, and will be broadcast live at 5 p.m. on TNT.

Kings fans can help boost point guard De’Aaron Fox from his tenth-place position (which we consider a travesty) to a higher spot on the leaderboards until Saturday, Jan. 21. Even though it’s unlikely he takes the top spot from the Warriors’ Steph Curry — who currently has 3.9 million votes to Fox’s 221,000 — but he doesn’t have to be No. 1 to make the team. Fan voting only makes up 50% of the total votes counted, with 25% coming from players and the final 25% stemming from media votes.

Hopefully we aren’t the only ones who have taken notice of Fox’s 23.8 points per game this season and feel that it’s All-Star worthy, but only time will tell.

THE WRAP

Today’s issue was written by Jordan.

Editor’s pick: Guess who is an idiot and recently swallowed a crown while eating dinner? This guy. Guess who got me an appointment and a new crown within three hours of giving them a call? The fine folks at Arden Dentistry.

Missed Monday’s newsletter? We shared ways to get involved and honor MLK’s legacy.

Connect with us.

Editorial: Jordan Radach, Britt Thorson, Emily Shea, Jessalin Heins-Nagamoto, Dayten Rose, Sarah Leonhardt, Katie Smith | Send us a scoop, question, or feedback.

Sales: Julie Brown | Advertise with us.

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