I recently had the good fun of accompanying a visiting native bee specialist to a few of our local gardens. He was looking for one or two area gardens to monitor over time for bee activity and behavior. All of the gardens we visited were lovely, beginning to bloom and green with spring rains, buzzing with bees and other life. The last garden we visited was the largest of them, a peaceful, many-roomed and casually welcoming gardening with dappled light here, and warm sun here. Cascading roses and fireworks of alliums here, a tree heavy with blood oranges there. No perfect lawn, no tidy edges just a profusion of garden blending seamlessly with life around it. When we left this garden, my guest turned to me and said: Isn’t it nice to just BE in a garden like that sometimes? Photo: A heritage single rose in spring bloom.

As your garden – be it a balcony of containers or an acre of market crops - grows along into the fullness of the season – I hope you get some time between planning, planting, pruning, harvesting, feeding and watering to just be there in it during this magical month of may. Photo: An enthusiastic North State public garden in May. (more…)

“A little madness in the spring is wholesome even for the King!”

I like to think that when Emily Dickinson wrote these words, she included some heady joy in the word madness, and she included us all in the wholesome benefits. Spring makes many of us feel a bit kingly – a bit more expansive in our energies.

So much comes to life in the garden in April! Winter crops like bok choy and hardy lettuce are finishing, bolting, blooming and going to seed; spring crops are at their peak; summer crop-seedlings of peppers, tomatoes, eggplants and squashes are busting out of pots in greenhouses across the region - eager to get into the ground. Perennials like peonies, roses and herbal oregano and calamenthe are poking up and leafing out. Early blooming daffodils, witch hazel and red bud are turning over the stage to the next in line. Early seasonal farmers markets are opening: on Thursday April 5th the Chico Thursday Night Farmers Market returns, and on Saturday April 7th, the Redding Saturday Market opens for its season.

And in between rain, snow, wind and cloud cover which move swiftly across the landscape, warm pools of sunlight intermittently illuminate my bright spring blooms. In golden California poppy cups, on acid-yellow bok choy flowers, and Ceanothus the color of lapis lazuli, you can hear and see the positively kingly buzzing of our many pollinators – bees, butterflies, flies and more - at their work of collecting pollen and nectar. Their work is of course at the same time accomplishing work for both the flowers and plants and for us the gardeners who love and cultivate these plants for food and for beauty.

April is a good time in the garden for heading off the now-sprouting weed seeds in our borders, for saving or sowing seeds, for giving your trees and shrubs a feeding with a balanced slow-release fertilizer, for applying iron-supplements to acid loving plants that may look a little chlorotic (my gardenias and camellias like this boost!), and for preparing and amending soil in areas of the garden with compost. For heavy feeding beds, like vegetable beds or rose beds, I add manure-enriched compost. Because many of our native pollinators are ground nesters, I also try to leave areas of bare soil on the outskirts and native plant areas of my garden, these are generally less-watered areas of my garden, with plants that don’t want a lot of cover over their roots and around their crowns anyway.

Good things to direct seed into the garden this month include: beets, beans, leeks, lettuce (unless we get a heat wave), and radish, if you still have seed potatoes, get them in the ground! Once your area gets just past average last frost (mid-April in the Valley), you are fairly safe to sow corn, cucumbers, eggplant, pumpkins and squashes. Some interesting cut-flowers to direct seed outdoors this month include aster, celosia, cleome, cosmos, marigolds, salvia, scabiosa, sunflower and zinnia.

Some months the regional calendar of gardening events seems to have a theme of its own – that seasonal cycle of purpose. This month is buzzing with Pollinators and Pollination Passion!

The On-line Calendar of North State Gardening Events at jewellgarden.com adds events throughout the month. I do my very best to keep the calendar up to date and accurate, please confirm all events with the event host. If you have an event you would like listed or if you are aware of a mistake on the calendar, please send all pertinent information to: Jennifer@jewellgarden.com! Thanks!

March 30 - April 1 - Chico: Mt. Lassen Chapter of the California Native Plant Society Field Trip together with Altacal Audubon: Pinnacles National Monument, San Benito County. Late March is a great time for wildflowers and nesting song birds at Pinnacles NM south of Hollister in San Benito County. Come together with wildflower and avian enthusiasts to soar with California condors after hiking the well groomed, 2 mile trail to the “High Peaks”. Then look west across the Salinas Valley toward the Ventana Range and elsewhere across the green, rolling ridges of the inner Coast Range. Shorter trails access upland habitat and through a jumble of boulders that create cool caves along a water course tumbling from an upper reservoir where water fowl are found. Nesting habitat for easy bird watching is abundant in the stream wash next to the campground on the east side of the Monument. Condors can be seen at dawn roosting in the conifers on the ridge above. The Monument’s large campground for tents and RVs (full hookups available) is a 5 hour drive from Chico down I-5 and via Hwy 152 over Pacheco Pass. Reservations for a group camp site or circle of camp sites will be made. Contact Woody at woodyelliott@gmail.com or 530 342-6053 to sign up. For more information: http://mountlassen.cnps.org/

March 31 - Forest Ranch: Big Chico Creek Ecological Reserves, CSU, Chico Spring Hike Series: Outdoor Survival Skills 1 (moderate) Scott Grist Join Scott Grist for a day of learning ancient wilderness survival techniques as used by the Native Americans of this area. We will focus on the bow drill fire starting technique using natural materials found in the area. There will be a fire-making workshop where everyone can get their hands on the materials and take home their own bow drill kit. The workshop will be followed by a plant walk where we will learn the uses of some of our native edible and medicinal plants in the reserve. Scott received a degree in Geology from CSUC and has since been practicing wilderness survival in several different environments across the country. These hikes range in levels of difficulty from moderate to strenuous. Advanced signup is required via e-mail to bccer@csuchico.edu or by calling Leana at (830) 898-5010. Each hike will accommodate a limited amount of hikers so you are encouraged to sign up early.

March 31 - Chico: Friends of the Chico State Herbarium Workshop Emerging Botanical Field Methods: Using new technologies to identify, map, and explore wild diversity by Dan Gluesenkamp 9:30 am - 4 pm; Rm 129 Holt Hall, CSU, Chico. Learn how to use your iphone, android, tablet or GPS camera to precisely map plants. Find out how to report beautiful or important plant discoveries and explore plants from mountaintop, desktop or laptop. This workshop will introduce the use of all of the latest technology to be ready for your best spring wildflower season ever! This workshop will meet Saturday, March 31, 2012, from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. in Holt Hall room 129 at CSU Chico. The registration fee is $100.00 personal, $125.00 business, $40.00 student (only 2 seats at this price), $90.00 for members of Friends of the Herbarium. Please register in advance; class size is limited to 25 participants (class cancelled without a minimum of 10 participants). For more information about workshop content please con- tact Dan Gluesenkamp at dan@calflora.org or 415-939-6681. For more in- formation about workshop registration please contact the Biology office at (530) 898-5356 or jbraden@csuchico.edu.

March 31 - Oroville: California Dept of Fish & Game WILDFLOWER TOURS OF North Table Mountain Ecological Reserve: 10 am and 1 pm each Saturday in March and April. Each 2 hour/2 mile tour is free, but limited to 25 attendees and attendees MUST pre-register on-line at www.dfg.ca.gov/lands/er/region2/northtable.html. For more information: 916-358-2869.

March 31 - Vina Plains Preserve with the Nature Conservancy - Vernal Pool Tours: 10 am - Noon. Enjoy a 1 mile hike across some of our most beautiful and interesting scenery in Northern California. Tours will be led by California Native Plant Society botanists, knowledgeable in the plants and ecology of these rare treasures. Wear Boots for uneven and muddy terrain, bring binoculars, snack and water - no DOGS, To register or for more information: nature.org.

March 31 - Arcata: Humboldt Permaculture Guild’s 14 Annual Seed And Plant Exchange 11am - 4pm, admission is free. Arcata Community Center. Workshops, speakers, live music, food, raffle, seeds including Redwood Seeds, and starts. 321 Community Park Way, Arcata.

March 31 - Sacramento: Sacramento: Gardens Gone Native 10 am - 3pm 10am to 3pm Tickets: Free, attendance is limited & registration is required Contact: gardensgonenative@gmail.com, Attn: Tara For more information: (916) 374-8116 or cnpsgarden@gmail.com. Follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/CaliforniaNativePlantGarden.

March 31 – Redding: McConnell Arboretum & Botanical Gardens at Turtle Bay: Walk With Lisa Endicott, Horticultural Manager 11 am. Bring your notebooks and camera! We’ll make our way through the Gardens with frequent stops for discussions about (what else?) plants! Free with Park or Garden admission. Meet at West Garden Entrance. Take N. Market Street, turn on Arboretum Drive. Take the right fork. Parking lot and entrance are on the left. More info: 530-242-3178 or www.turtlebay.org/nursery

March 31 - Paradise: Mendons Nursery hosts Selby Apiaries Beekeeping Classes: 10am and 2 pm. Help save the honeybees! Pick up live beehives perfect for home gardens. For more information call Fred Selby: 530-566-4736.

APRIL

April 1 - Chico: The Plant Barn and Gifts Workshop “Designing with Succulents” 2 - 4 pm. Call for more information. 406 Entler Ave Chico, Ca 95928 530-345-3121/fax 530-345-5354 www.theplantbarn.com

April 1 - Chico: Breaking Bread, Breaking Ground - building a new Community Garden 4:30 - 8 pm. Help Us Build a New Community Garden Doors open at 4:30 — Dinner at 5ish Local gourmet meal, Silent Auction, No-Host Bar Music by Stevie Cook (4:30) and The Railflowers (6:00) Tickets are $25 each Table of eight is $200, and includes two bottles of wine Hosted by the Butte Environmental Council and Cultivating Communities Tickets available soon. ARC Pavilion 2020 Park Avenue Chico. For more info: https://www.facebook.com/events/393182280698183/

April 2 - Chico: 2012 Chico Organic Gardening April Classes: Worm-Farming 101! Compost, Vermacompost, and Worms! 6:30-8:30 $10.00 at the door. Join us for an informational evening with Mark Purser of THE WORM FARM and learn how to transform kitchen food waste into the best compost money can buy through WORMS! Mark will teach us how to house, feed and put worms to use to produce year-round soil enhancing nutrients for your garden and plants. A method so easy and efficient you can even keep your worm bin in the house! In “Worms Eat My Garbage” by Mary Appelhof, 1lb of redworms will eat 1/2lbs of garbage per day easily transforming daily waste into rich fertilizer, saving energy, reducing waste disposal cost and saving you money because you will have your own supply of compost. Mark is a great speaker, passionate about the topic of worms, vermacomposting and compost in general and will help you launch the system that’s right for you in order to enhance the productivity of your garden or farm and save you money and energy as well. If you’ve wanted a compost system but didn’t want to strain your back or give it much thought, Mark will teach you how to start with worms. As one Chico worm enthusiast says, “My worm bin not only eats my garbage daily but I always have worms to fish with, feed my chickens for extra protein and jump-start my clippings and leaves pile. Plus, I don’t have to turn my worm bin and strain my back!” Monday April 2, Matthews Café, 1600 Mangrove.

April 4 - Chico: Gateway Science Museum MWOW presents: “Keeping Company with Flowers: a glimpse into the world of pollinators”, by John Whittlesey, plantsman and owner of Canyon Creek Nursery & Design 7:30 pm CARD Center in Chico. Gateway’s Museum Without Walls Spring 2012 Lecture series is titled: Butterflies, Bees & Bats! Native Pollinators of Northern California. The series runs every Wednesday from April 4th to May 2, 2012. Chico Area Recreation District (CARD) Center, 545 Vallombrosa Ave, Chico. A donation of $3 per adult is requested. Students with ID are free. Question and answer period will follow each program.

April 4 - Chico: Mt. Lassen Chapter of the California Native Plant Society Regular Monthly meeting and Program: Exploring the Outback at Kangaroo Lake, presented by Marjorie McNairn 7:30 pm Butte County Library, Chico. In the Klamath National Forest, Kangaroo Lake Botanical Area is located along the spine of the Scott Mountain Range in the southeastern edge of the Scott River Ranger District. It is the most easily accessible of several adjacent Botanical Areas noted for high elevation ultramafic soils and home to many rare and sensitive plant species. The Fen Trail is representative of this unique environment and the plants that inhabit it. For more information: http://mountlassen.cnps.org/

April 6 - FULL MOON

April 7 - Redding: Roses & Rust Vintage Home and Garden Market 8 am - 5 pm Redding Civic Auditorium from 8 am to 5 pm. The entrance fee is $5.00, with children under 16 free. The Market is presented by 4 creative ladies, which include Bonnie Burhart as the director, Lynni Miller, Zizi Ukestad and Kimberly Snowden. Awarded the honor of being one of the Top 10 Romantic Flea Markets in the Nation by Romantic Homes Magazine in August 2011, we are even more inspired to create an event that showcases businesses and provides beauty and inspiration to all who attend.What you will find is fabulous treasures for your home and garden from French Chic to Rustic Farm Chic, Up-cycled, Salvaged and Re-Purposed goods, plus hand-crafted jewelry, food, music, and more! Visit our blog at www.RosesandRust.blogspot.com and our Facebook page: Roses AndRust http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100002674864446&sk=wallwww.RosesandRustVintageMarket.blogspot.com

April 7 - Oroville: Oroville Wildflower Festival hosts Selby Apiaries Beekeeping Classes: 10am and 2 pm. Help save the honeybees! Pick up live beehives perfect for home gardens. For more information call Fred Selby: 530-566-4736.

April 7 - Oroville: California Dept of Fish & Game WILDFLOWER TOURS OF North Table Mountain Ecological Reserve: 10 am and 1 pm each Saturday in March and April. Each 2 hour/2 mile tour is free, but limited to 25 attendees and attendees MUST pre-register on-line at www.dfg.ca.gov/lands/er/region2/northtable.html. For more information: 916-358-2869.

April 7 - Davis: UC Davis Arboretum Guided Tour: Plant Sale Preview2 p.m., Arboretum Teaching Nursery, Garrod Drive, UC Davis; Gardeners thinking about adding new plants to their home landscapes can visit the demonstration plantings at the UC Davis Arboretum Teaching Nursery during a special tour on Saturday, April 7. The tour will focus on the best plants for our garden climate, including the Arboretum All-Stars, plants selected by the Arboretum’s horticultural staff for their beauty, reliability, heat and drought tolerance, and value in attracting butterflies, hummingbirds and other pollinators. There will be time for questions and answers about participants’ own gardens and any special problems they might have. No plants will be for sale during the guided tour, but visitors will get a special preview of the plants that will be for sale at the Arboretum’s spring plant sales on April 14 and May 19. The tour will meet at 2:00 p.m. at the Arboretum Teaching Nursery, on Garrod Drive across from the School of Veterinary Medicine on the UC Davis campus. Free parking is available along Garrod Drive and in Visitor Lots 50 and 55. For more information, please call (530) 752-4880 or visit arboretum.ucdavis.edu.

April 7 - Redding: Wyntour Gardens Kids Easter Basket Planting 10 am - noon. Kids get to plant a basket of pansies. Free. 8026 Airport Road, Redding CA. More info: 530-365-2256/wyntourgardens.com

April 8 - Forest Ranch: Big Chico Creek Ecological Reserves, CSU, Chico Spring Hike Series: Flower Identification Hike (moderate) Robert Fischer This hike is meant for the wildflower enthusiast of any skill level. Our goal is to learn a few new foothill plants, take photos, share any knowledge we have on the characteristics that separate our local species, and learn their common or Latin names. We will develop a sharper eye for plants, large and small, and a few of the details that separate them from each other. For further details, such as the on-site meeting spot, call Robert Fischer 343-3620 or write to rdfischer@comcast.net. Bring your favorite identification book and a hand lens if you have one. These hikes range in levels of difficulty from moderate to strenuous. Advanced signup is required via e-mail to bccer@csuchico.edu or by calling Leana at (830) 898-5010. Each hike will accommodate a limited amount of hikers so you are encouraged to sign up early.

April 9 - Chico: 2012 Chico Organic Gardening April Classes: Canning, Drying, Freezing & Putting Up. Now that you’ve grown it What To Do With It? with Mary Berglund 6:30-8:30 $10.00 at the door. Mary Berglund will show us how to preserve our garden food. After raising her family on fresh fruits and vegetables from her backyard Chico garden, Mary is the master of “Putting Food By” and will impart her knowledge in this informative, practical workshop. Simplicity, variety and a bit of daily diligence is the key to fitting it all into a busy life and Mary specializes in growing it and getting it to the table all year ‘round. Her genius is in her own technique of blending the elegant and beautiful with presentable home-grown product. Tonight we will hear all about it and be able to pick Mary’s brain! A Not-To-Be-Missed Class, this is the one I get the most requests for and the beginning of the season is the perfect time to plan for what to do with all that bounty….from Asparagus to Zucchini! Mon April 9, Matthews Café, 1600 Mangrove, 6:30-8:30 $10.00 at the door.

April 9 - Paradise: Paradise Garden Club Monthly Member Meeting and Program 1 pm. Terry Ashe Rec Center Paradise. For more info: http://paradisegardenclub.org/

April 11 - Magalia: Magalia Beautification Association Regular Monthly Meeting & program: The MBA meets on the second Wednesday of the month at the POA Racine Center in Magalia (map); 12:30 for lunch, 1:00-3:00 for business. Please join us! The sole qualification is an interest in gardening, horticulture, civic art, and/or beautification in Magalia. For more info: http://magaliagardeners.webs.com/aboutus.htm

April 11 - Davis: UC Davis Arboretum Walk With Warren Noon. 12 p.m., Buehler Alumni & Visitors Center, Old Davis Road, UC Davis; Join Arboretum Superintendent Emeritus Warren Roberts for a lunchtime stroll in the UC Davis Arboretum’s native plant collections on Wednesday, April 11. Enjoy the early spring weather, learn about the Arboretum’s collections, see spring wildflowers in bloom, and get a little exercise. Meet at noon at the Buehler Alumni & Visitors Center, located on Old Davis Road at Mrak Hall Drive, across from the Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts on the UC Davis campus. There is no charge for the tour. Parking is available for $7 in Visitor Lots 1 and 2 and the Mondavi Center parking structure. For more information, please call (530) 752-4880 or visit arboretum.ucdavis.edu.

April 11 - Chico: Gateway Science Museum MWOW presents: “Nectar and Pollen in Northstate Wildflowers: Food for a Diversity of Native Pollinators”, by Dr. Rob Schlising, professor emeritus of Biological Sciences, CSU, Chico 7:30 pm CARD Center in Chico. Gateway’s Museum Without Walls Spring 2012 Lecture series is titled: Butterflies, Bees & Bats! Native Pollinators of Northern California. The series runs every Wednesday from April 4th to May 2, 2012. Chico Area Recreation District (CARD) Center, 545 Vallombrosa Ave, Chico. A donation of $3 per adult is requested. Students with ID are free. Question and answer period will follow each program.

April 12 - Oroville: Lake Oroville Area Garden Club Regular Monthly member meeting Meetings are held September-June on the 2nd Thursday of the month. “Coffee, Cake and Conversation” from 9:30 to 10:00am with the General Meeting beginning at 10:00am. Meetings are generally adjourned around 11:30am although this may vary depending upon that month’s scheduled program. Meeting location is Trinity Presbyterian Fellowship Hall at 2350 Foothill Blvd, Oroville, CA (North of Olive Highway on Foothill Blvd.). We invite guests to attend +++ your first meeting is FREE. For More Info: http://www.loagardenclub.com/

April 13 & 14 - Redding: McConnell Arboretum and Botanical Gardens 20th Annual Spring Plant Sale! Friday, 5:00-8:00pm, Turtle Bay Members Night Event (Memberships available at the gate) Saturday, 9:00am-2:00pm, General Public Sale! Our ever-popular, heirloom vegetables are a main feature of the spring plant sale - and they sell out fast! In addition, we have available an enormous stock of unusual, drought-tolerant, and hard-to-find perennials, shrubs, and trees, as well as California native plants and a wide variety of sought after ornamental grasses, all grown here in our Nursery and acclimated to Redding’s vigorous climatic conditions. Sale includes a discount for the public, and an even greater (than the everyday 20% off) discount for Turtle Bay members. FREE admission into the Gardens. Arboretum & Gardens Nursery 1100 Arboretum Drive (Next to Greenhouse in Nursery) Take N. Market Street, turn on Arboretum Drive. Take the right fork. Nursery on immediate left.

April 14 - Forest Ranch: Big Chico Creek Ecological Reserves, CSU, Chico Spring Hike Series: Wildflowers, Geology, and Natural History (strenuous) Dr. Paul Maslin Dr. Maslin has spent the last twelve years learning, understanding, preserving and restoring the 4,000 acre Reserve and has an intimate familiarity with it’s natural history. Join him for an insightful exploration of the property. This hike is several miles on trails but over some rough terrain. Hikers should be in good physical condition. These hikes range in levels of difficulty from moderate to strenuous. Advanced signup is required via e-mail to bccer@csuchico.edu or by calling Leana at (830) 898-5010. Each hike will accommodate a limited amount of hikers so you are encouraged to sign up early.

April 14 - Redding: Shasta Chapter California Native Plant Society Field Trip: Yana Trail area of the Sacramento River Bend Recreation Join Jay & Terri Thesken for an 8- to 9-mile hike to the Yana Trail area of the Sacramento River Bend Recreation Area north of Red Bluff. The bluffs adjacent to the Sacramento River are typically covered with wildflowers at this time of year. This will be a long, all-day hike that requires good hiking boots, water, and lunch. No dogs, please. Space will be limited, so call Jay & Terri at 221-0906 for time, directions, and further information. For more info: http://www.shastacnps.org/calendar.html

April 14 - Davis: UC Davis Arboretum Plant Sale: 3Bs—Birds, Bees, and Beneficials 9 a.m.–1 p.m., Arboretum Teaching Nursery, Garrod Drive, UC Davis; Central Valley gardeners can enhance their gardens with beautiful spring plants from the Friends of the UC Davis Arboretum plant sale on Saturday, April 14, 9:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m., at the Arboretum Teaching Nursery. The sale will feature hundreds of different kinds of plants, most of which have been grown in Davis and will thrive in Central Valley conditions, including newly-introduced and unusual garden plants that are hard to find or not available in commercial nurseries. This sale has a special focus on plants that attract and support pollinators in the home landscape. Many of the Arboretum All-Stars, the Arboretum’s top recommended plants for Central Valley gardens, will be for sale. Experienced gardeners will be on hand to advise on the best plants for shoppers’ garden conditions. At the Plant Doctor booth, plant pathology graduate students will diagnose plant pests and diseases—shoppers can bring samples of problem plants in a sealed plastic bag for advice. Anyone can join the Friends of the UC Davis Arboretum at the door and receive a 10% discount on purchases. New members get a coupon worth $10 off their purchases in addition to the 10% member discount. The Arboretum Teaching Nursery is located on Garrod Drive across from the School of Veterinary Medicine on the UC Davis campus. Free parking is available along Garrod Drive and in Visitor Lots 50 and 55. For more information, please call (530) 752-4880 or visit arboretum.ucdavis.edu.

April 14 - Oroville: California Dept of Fish & Game WILDFLOWER TOURS OF North Table Mountain Ecological Reserve: 10 am and 1 pm each Saturday in March and April. Each 2 hour/2 mile tour is free, but limited to 25 attendees and attendees MUST pre-register on-line at www.dfg.ca.gov/lands/er/region2/northtable.html. For more information: 916-358-2869.

April 14 - Vina Plains Preserve with the Nature Conservancy - Vernal Pool Tours: 10 am - Noon. Enjoy a 1 mile hike across some of our most beautiful and interesting scenery in Northern California. Tours will be led by California Native Plant Society botanists, knowledgeable in the plants and ecology of these rare treasures. Wear Boots for uneven and muddy terrain, bring snack, binoculars and water - no DOGS, To register or for more information: nature.org.

April 14 - Redding: Shasta Community Teaching Garden Workshop “Non-Toxic Insect Management”, presented by Jim Collins 1 - 3 pm. Shasta College Main Campus. Insect problems are generally an indicator that the gardener needs to correct something out of balance. Pesticides further degrade this balance leading to more and worse problems and sending the gardener backwards in her efforts to grow nutritious food, like the children’s game chutes and ladders. Garden Manager Jim Collins will be discussing new developments in ecoagriculture and sustainable practices, as well as time-honored methods of managing problem insect populations while simultaneously encouraging pollinators and other beneficials— nearly impossible if you use pesticides. There will be ample time for questions and specific problem-solving. Presenters: Jim Collins Fee: $15.00. For more info or to Register on-line at www.shastacollege.edu/EWD and click on Pathways. Or, call: 530.242.7630

April 14 - Chico: Gateway Science Museum Sustainability Gardens Workshop: Full of Beans: A Legume Extravaganza 2 - 4pm. Gateway Science Museum outdoor amphitheater. Join Kalan Redwood of Redwood Seeds and GRUB for this hands on workshop all about dry beans, including a hands-on bean art activity. Beans offer a valuable source of protein and nutrition in a small homestead or urban garden. Learn the ins and outs of planting, seed saving, harvesting, and cooking. Part of the class will include a “taste testing” event with many varieties of dry beans, including Tiger Eye and Orca, cooked up for eager taste buds. If you grew dry beans this year and want to include your beans in the Taste Test contact Kalan Redood at info@redwoodseeds.net. This workshop is FREE, but does not include admission to the museum. Please note, if you wish to visit the Gateway Science Museum, general admission is $5 for adults, $3 for children over the age of 3, and free for children under the age of 3. For more info: www.gatewayscience.org

April 14 - Redding: Wyntour Gardens 20th Anniversary Celebration 10 am - noon. Fun-filled day of classes, workshops, specials! 8026 Airport Road, Redding CA. More info: 530-365-2256/wyntourgardens.com

April 15 - 22 - California Native Plant Week!

April 15 - Chico: Mt. Lassen Chapter of the California Native Plant Society Field Trip: NOMLAKI TRAIL MENDOCINO NATIONAL FOREST Meet at Chico Park & Ride west parking lot (Hwy 99/32) at 9 am. The hike area is located about 27 miles northwest of Corning, CA. We will walk downhill through the regrowth of an old burn area in chaparral, and expect to see Indian warrior, late fawn lilies, wooly sunflower, Ithurial’s spear, and various shrubs. Bring lunch, water, sun protection, and hiking shoes for a 4-mile round-trip walk. Bring money for ride sharing. Call for secondary meeting place. Leader: Marjorie McNairn 530-343-2397 For more information: http://mountlassen.cnps.org/

April 15 - Redding: Shasta Community Teaching Garden Workshop “Permaculture: Re-Thinking the Way We Use Our Yards”, presented by Stephanie Ladwig-Cooper 1 - 3 pm. Shasta College Main Campus. Permaculture is the practice of working with, rather than working against nature. Stephanie Ladwig-Cooper will introduce you to permaculture philosophy, ethics, principles and goals, and teach you the basics of designing an ecological landscape. Stephanie is a certified Permaculture Landscape Designer, co-owner with her husband of Gaia Creations in Chico, providing landscape design services in Butte County and the Northern California region. Presenters: Stephanie Ladwig-Cooper Fee: $15.00. For more info or to Register on-line at www.shastacollege.edu/EWD and click on Pathways. Or, call: 530.242.7630

April 16 - Chico: Chaffin Family Farms and Weston A. Price Foundation present famed-family-farmer Joel Salatin of Polyface Farms 5:15 pm doors open Neighborhood Church of Chico. Ticket Price: $12 per ticket paid online. Joel’s newest book, “Folks, This Ain’t Normal” speaks to consumers about how far we’ve gotten away from common sense and what really works in the natural world. It talks about the trade-offs we’ve made for the conveniences of our modern society. So while I think Joel will spend a brief amount of time recapping his farm and all the amazing work he does, this year his lecture will be completely different and dive to a whole new level of depth surrounding food, farming, and culture. I saw part of his new lecture recently and I have to admit it’s funnier than ever. If you know Joel, than you know you get lots of humor mixed into his sobering message. I think you’ll leave not only educated but also inspired to create change and support our local community in new ways. Chico Neighborhood Church 2801 Notre Dame Boulevard, Chico, CA For tickets go to http://salatinchico.eventbrite.com/

April 18 - Chico: Gateway Science Museum MWOW presents: “Bees and Flowers, the Love Affair Continues”, by Dr. Gordon Frankie, professor and research entomologist in the Division of Insect Biology, College of Natural Resources, University of California, Berkeley 7:30 pm CARD Center in Chico. Gateway’s Museum Without Walls Spring 2012 Lecture series is titled: Butterflies, Bees & Bats! Native Pollinators of Northern California. The series runs every Wednesday from April 4th to May 2, 2012. Chico Area Recreation District (CARD) Center, 545 Vallombrosa Ave, Chico. A donation of $3 per adult is requested. Students with ID are free. Question and answer period will follow each program.

April 18 - Redding: Shasta Rose Society Regular Member Meeting and Program with Carole Schmitz, Consulting Rosarian, with a program on Propagating Roses from Cuttings. 7 pm. City of Redding Corporation Way, 2055 Viking Way, Building 4, room 401. OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. www.shastarosesociety.org

April 19 - Redding: Shasta Chapter California Native Plant Society Regular Member Meeting and Program 7 PM at the Shasta College Health Science & University Programs building in downtown Redding, 1400 Market Street, Community Room 8220 (clock tower building at the north end of the Market Street Promenade; enter on south side of building). A Board meeting will be held before the regular meeting, at 5:30 PM at Angelo’s Pizza Parlour in the Foundry Square, 1774 California Street, Redding.

April 19 - 21- Redding: Shasta College Spring Plant Sale This 3-day spectacular spring plant sale will be held at the greenhouse/horticulture area of Shasta College. We will be selling our spring-blooming native plants, so call Jay & Terri Thesken at 221-0906 to volunteer for a few hours to help out. Set-up is on Wednesday, April 18, from 4 PM to 6 PM. The plant sale is 8 AM to 5 PM on Thursday and Friday, and 9 AM to 4 PM on Saturday. For more info: http://www.shastacnps.org/calendar.html

April 20 & 21 - Oroville: Butte College Campus Nursery annual spring plant sale Friday Apr 20 from 9am - 5pm and Sat Apr 21 from 9am - 3pm. There is an early bird special from 9 am - 10 am on both days, plus 30% off all plant material and 50% off of selected items. We will have lots of veggies along with plants and trees. Butte College Campus off of the number 4 parking lot (follow the signs). For more info: Allison Burns: msaliburns@yahoo.com

April 21 - Chico: Landforms, Soils, and Vegetation of Upper Bidwell Park, led by Andrew Conlin, NRCS soil scientist stationed at the Chico Cooperative Soil Survey Office 9 am - 1 pm. Meet at parking area B (second parking area on your left) in Upper Bidwell Park at 9 am for this 2 - 4 hour stroll through soil and time. The best way to understand why things live and grow where they do is to understand the soils and landforms beneath them. Andrew Conlin has spent the last 20 years conducting soil surveys of areas including Butte County and Lassen Volcanic National Park and has created the soil map covering Butte County. Join us to gain a ‘deeper’ understanding of how what you see relates to what’s beneath your feet, and the intricate association between soil, vegetation and wildlife and human history. Walking tour - please wear sturdy walking shoes and appropriate clothing. For more information: www.gatewayscience.org

April 21 - Chico: The Plant Barn Nursery & Gifts hosts Selby Apiaries Beekeeping Classes: 10am and 2 pm. Help save the honeybees! Pick up live beehives perfect for home gardens. For more information call Fred Selby: 530-566-4736.

April 21 - Oroville: California Dept of Fish & Game WILDFLOWER TOURS OF North Table Mountain Ecological Reserve: 10 am and 1 pm each Saturday in March and April. Each 2 hour/2 mile tour is free, but limited to 25 attendees and attendees MUST pre-register on-line at www.dfg.ca.gov/lands/er/region2/northtable.html. For more information: 916-358-2869.

April 21 - Redding: McConnell Arboretum and Botanical Gardens Vegetable Gardening Class 10 am - 12 noon. Join local organic gardener Cleo Lane for a lively discussion of vegetable gardening in our climate with a focus on: seasonal planting, growing more tomatoes, gardening with children, pollinators, pests and diseases, and organic gardening methods. FREE for Members, $3 for Nonmembers. Meet at the Arboretum & Botanical Gardens Office (1135 Arboretum Drive next to Nursery Greenhouse)

April 21 - Sacramento: Historic City Cemetery OPEN DAY in the Gardens 9:30 am - 2 pm. Come enjoy spring in the California Native Plant Demonstration Garden, The Rose Garden and the Perennial Garden. The Old City Cemetery Committee, Inc. provides unique events for people of all ages. FREE - Donations are always appreciated.Parking within the cemetery is very limited. Please park across the street at the Sacramento Works building and enter the Cemetery at the main gate on 10th Street and Broadway.

April 21 - Chico: Chico Creek Nature Center “Celebrate the Jewel!” Earth Day festivities celebrating all things Bidwell Park. MOUNT LASSEN CHAPTER OF CNPS SPRING PLANT SALE!! 11 am - 3 pm. More details at http://www.bidwellpark.org/page/calendar/events.php?mo=4&yr=2012

April 21 - Chico: Mt. Lassen Chapter of the California Native Plant Society RARE PLANT TREASURE HUNT: PULGA TO MAYARO, FEATHER RIVER Meet at Chico Park & Ride west parking lot (Hwy 99/32) at 9 am, with lunch, water, and walking gear. Thomes Creek Ecological Reserve northeast of Corning: looking for dwarf downinga, Ahart’s nailwort, Boggs Lake hedge-hyssop, and Henderson’s bent grass. For details and to sign up, email: rareplantschair@mountlassen.cnps.org For more information: http://mountlassen.cnps.org/

April 21 & 22 - Chico: Leo T. Clark annual Iris Show and Plant Sale! April 21-22, 2012; Place: Chico Mall, 1950 East 20th Street, Chico, CA Show Chair: Claudia Owen, 837 Miller Ave., Chico, CA 95928; Phone: 530-899-7784

April 22 - EARTH DAY

April 22 - Forest Ranch: Big Chico Creek Ecological Reserves, CSU, Chico Spring Hike Series: Spring Bird I.D. (moderate) Dawn Garcia 8:30 am-12:30 pm. Join master bird banding expert and Altacal Audubon Society’s Conservation Chair Dawn Garcia on a bird identification walk through the Big Chico Creek Ecological Reserve. Expect to see early arriving migrants like black-headed grosbeak, warbling vireo, Bullock’s oriole and yellow warbler. We’ll meet at the Chico Park-n-Ride (east lot) at 8:30 am and have you back to your vehicle at 12:30 (app.) These hikes range in levels of difficulty from moderate to strenuous. Advanced signup is required via e-mail to bccer@csuchico.edu or by calling Leana at (830) 898-5010. Each hike will accommodate a limited amount of hikers so you are encouraged to sign up early.

April 22 - Redding: Shasta Chapter California Native Plant Society Plant Propagation/Clean-up Session Two-hour work session starting at 10 AM at the Shasta College greenhouses. The greenhouses are located at the back of Shasta College, near the livestock barns. We will be sprucing up, weeding, and potting up nursery starts and rooted cuttings. Bring rooted plants, clippers, and any other tools you might need. Please call Susan Libonati at 347-4654 or Jay & Terri Thesken at 221-0906 for further information. For more info: http://www.shastacnps.org/calendar.html

April 23 - Colusa: Garden Club of Colusa County Regular Monthly Meeting & Program 6:30 pm. We meet on the fourth Monday of the month at 6:30 pm at St. Stephen’s Church, 642 Webster St. in Colusa. We have a short social time with refreshments followed by a short business meeting and a program. For more info: http://colusa-garden-club.webs.com/

April 24 - Northstate Public Radio: In a North State Garden One-Hour, Live, Spring-Special Call-In: The North State Food Shed: an Overview Panel Discussion with Earl Bloor of Edible Shasta Butte, Noelle Ferdon of Buy Fresh, Buy Local, Wayne Kessler of Shasta Community Teaching Garden and Chris Kerston of Chaffin Family Farm. Join us! 10 - 11 am on fm 91.7 in Chico, or fm 88.9 in Redding. For additional translators or to stream-live go to www.kcho.org, or www.kfpr.org.

April 24 - Chico: 2012 Chico Organic Gardening April Classes: TUESDAY All Things Tomatoes Class & SALE! Growing Heirlooms, Best Varieties for Our Area, and Secrets to Growing Mouth Watering Tomatoes AND Plant Sale! with Nancy and Brian of Sawmill Creek Farms 6:30-8:30 $10.00 at the door. Nancy and Brian of Sawmill Creek Farms sell some of the most diverse tomato plants obtainable and they are Passionate about growing tomatoes. Want to know what heirlooms are, which ones do well here and how to grow them? Want to know determinant vs. indeterminant and which is best for you? Get ready to not only hear all the tricks of the tomato-growing-trade but also bring home beautiful, robust, hardy, ready-to-plant tomato starts and know exactly what you’re getting and how to grow them. Even a novice or seasoned tomato grower will love the Passion and knowledge these farmers have for their tomatoes! Save the Date-Plan to Get Your Tomato Starts Here-It’s Worth the Wait! Tues. April 24, Matthews Café, 1600 Mangrove, 6:30-8:30 $10.00 at the door.

April 24 - Chico: Butte Rose Society Regular Monthly Meeting and Program 7 pm. General meetings of the Butte Rose Society are held on the last Tuesday of the month January-May and August-November. Meetings begin at 7 pm and are held at the Chico Veterans Memorial Hall at 554 Rio Lindo Ave. Membership is open to all interested in roses, but anyone may attend the General Meetings. Membership is $20.00 per year and provides you with the monthly award winning newsletter and special invitations to members-only events held throughout the year. CONTACT US AT: Butte Rose Society, PO Box 8888, Chico, CA 95927. http://www.butte-rosesociety.org/

April 25 - Chico: Chico Horticultural Society regular member meeting and Program on Gardening for Pollinators with Statewide Coordinator of the Master Gardener Program, Pam Geisel 9:30 am gather, 10 am program. Butte County Library, Chico. PUBLIC WELCOME. For more info email jennifer@jewellgarden.com

April 25 - Chico: Gateway Science Museum MWOW presents: “Bats of Northern California”, by Mary Jean “Corky” Quirk, founder of NorCal Bats 7:30 pm CARD Center in Chico. Gateway’s Museum Without Walls Spring 2012 Lecture series is titled: Butterflies, Bees & Bats! Native Pollinators of Northern California. The series runs every Wednesday from April 4th to May 2, 2012. Chico Area Recreation District (CARD) Center, 545 Vallombrosa Ave, Chico. A donation of $3 per adult is requested. Students with ID are free. Question and answer period will follow each program.

April 27 - Oroville: Friends of the Chico State Herbarium Workshop “Reproductive Biology of Table Mountain Wildflowers” with Dr. Rob Schlising and Dr. Adrienne Edwards 9:30 am to 4 pm. This workshop will meet in the field, on Friday, 27 April 2012, from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Table Mountain, approximately 5 miles north of Oroville. Gain intimate knowledge of the plant- and pollinator-strategies for survival on the Lovejoy basalt! Enjoy a day really getting to know the wildflowers on world-famous North Table Mountain, near Oroville, California. This workshop will include a long walking tour to examine and determine distinguishing features of Table Mountain flowers and fruits in this wildflower meadow. Attention will focus on at least four aspects of plant biology: 1) pollination, 2) life form and phenology, 3) propagule dispersal, and 4) seed and seedling biology. The registration fee is $100.00 personal, $125.00 business ($90.00 for members of Friends of the Herbarium), $40.00 student (only 2 participants allowed at this price). Registration must be completed by Wednesday 25 April; class size is limited to 16 partic- ipants (class cancelled without a minimum of 10 participants). For more information about workshop content please contact either instructor at aledwards@csuchico.edu or rschlising@csuchico.edu. For more information about workshop registration contact the Biology office at jbraden@csuchico.edu or (530) 898-5356. Registered participants will be emailed a map of the meeting site on 25 April.

April 28 - Davis:UC Davis ArboretumYour Sustainable Backyard: Pollinator Gardening 8:30 a.m.–4 p.m., room 1001 Giedt Hall, UC Davis; Fee: $45, includes coffee/scones and boxed lunch. Learn how to support pollinators and enhance the environmental potential of your home landscape during a special workshop on Your Sustainable Backyard: Pollinator Gardening. Sponsored by the California Center for Urban Horticulture at UC Davis, the workshop is designed to inspire gardeners and show them how simple gardening practices can support healthy populations of pollinating insects. Following talks by entomologists, horticulturalists, and garden design experts, participants will have the opportunity to tour the Haagen-Dazs Honey Bee Haven Garden and talk to bee habitat experts. Then visit the UC Davis Arboretum Teaching Nursery to tour the pollinator plantings and enjoy a special pollinator plant sale. The workshop will take place on Saturday, April 28, 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m., in room 1001 Giedt Hall at UC Davis. The fee is $45 and includes parking, morning coffee, tea and scones, and a gourmet boxed lunch. For more information or to register, visit ccuh.ucdavis.edu or contact Missy Gable at 530-752-6642 or mjborel@ucdavis.edu.

April 28 - Forest Ranch: Big Chico Creek Ecological Reserves, CSU, Chico Spring Hike Series: Identifying Spring Bird Song (moderate) Scott Huber 7:00 am – 12:30 pm. Learning to identify bird song will increase your ability to detect the presence of many bird species and greatly enhance your enjoyment of time spent in the outdoors. Scott Huber has led numerous workshops and field trips on western bird song identification, and in addition to pointing out songs, calls and the species they belong to, he will share tips and clues to audio identification. Bring your binoculars – you’ll want to match the visual field marks of the birds you see to their songs! Meet at the Chico Park-n-Ride (east lot) at 7:00 am and be back to your vehicle at around 12:30. These hikes range in levels of difficulty from moderate to strenuous. Advanced signup is required via e-mail to bccer@csuchico.edu or by calling Leana at (830) 898-5010. Each hike will accommodate a limited amount of hikers so you are encouraged to sign up early.

April 28 - Oroville: California Dept of Fish & Game WILDFLOWER TOURS OF North Table Mountain Ecological Reserve: 10 am and 1 pm each Saturday in March and April. Each 2 hour/2 mile tour is free, but limited to 25 attendees and attendees MUST pre-register on-line at www.dfg.ca.gov/lands/er/region2/northtable.html. For more information: 916-358-2869.

April 28 – Redding: McConnell Arboretum & Botanical Gardens at Turtle Bay: Whole Earth Day and Watershed Festival 2012 Whole Earth Day and Watershed Festival Saturday, April 28, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Celebrate Earth Day at Redding City Hall Visit Turtle Bay’s Forestry Learning Center to learn about the important role forests play in our world. The purpose of this event is to increase the awareness of the fragile state of our planet and share information about how individuals and our communities can work together to help the Earth thrive. By bringing together numerous organizations, businesses, and individuals in celebration of Earth Day, we hope to inspire commitment to live more sustainably, build community, and have fun! Visit www.wholeearthandwatershedfestival.org for more information. Free community event! Redding City Hall Community Room and Sculpture Park

April 29 - Chico: Mt. Lassen Chapter of the California Native Plant Society Field Trip: PULGA TO MAYARO, FEATHER RIVERMeet at Chico Park & Ride west parking lot (Hwy 99/32) at 9 am, with lunch, water, and walking gear for a drive along the PG&E power line road above the Feather River with several stops to look at Fritillaria, snowdrop bush, bleeding heart, and many others. The road is rough and mostly 1-lane. At Pulga we start in the serpentine and higher up we run into granite and quite a different plant community. The road is gated above Mayaro but we will hike along it for a short distance. A gorgeous waterfall at Camp Creek is near the lunch stop. Call for directions to alternate meeting place. Leaders: Wes Dempsey, 530-342-2293 and Gerry Ingco, 530-893-5123. For more information: http://mountlassen.cnps.org/

April 29 - Davis:UC Davis ArboretumArboretum Nature Discovery Drop-in 1–3 p.m., Wyatt Deck, Old Davis Road, UC Davis; Got nature? Naturalists of all ages are invited to visit the UC Davis Arboretum for a special chance to explore, observe, investigate, and enjoy hands-on activities. Who knows what plant and animal treasures you’ll discover when you drop by! All ages welcome. The Nature Discovery Drop-in will take place on Sunday, April 29, 1–3 p.m., at the Wyatt Deck, located on Old Davis Road next to the redwood grove in the UC Davis Arboretum. Free parking is available in Visitor Lot 5, at Old Davis Road and A Street. For more information, please call (530) 752-4880 or visit arboretum.ucdavis.edu.

April 29 - Redding: Shasta Chapter California Native Plant Society Field Trip: Davis Gulch Trail The Davis Gulch Trail is a fairly easy 3.5-mile walk at Whiskeytown National Recreation Area, but does have some rough terrain, so some agility is required. The trail starts out under a canopy of canyon live oak and black oak with an understory of snowdrop bush; transitions to bigleaf maple and white alder in a canyon with sword fern, chain fern, bracken fern, and maidenhair fern; climbs through chaparral and a thick grove of Brewer’s oak; and ends in a grove of ponderosa pine. Participants will receive a copy of our ever-increasing plant list for this trail. Meet at Redding City Hall’s south parking lot on Parkview Avenue at 9:30 AM, or at the trailhead at 10 AM. Parking permits are required at the recreation area. No dogs, please. For more information, call David Ledger at 355-8542. For more info: http://www.shastacnps.org/calendar.html

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To submit plant/gardening related events/classes to the Jewellgarden.com on-line Calendar of Regional Gardening Events, send the pertinent information to me at: Jennifer@jewellgarden.com

Did you know I send out a weekly email with information about upcoming topics and gardening related events in the North State region? If you would like to be added to the mailing list, send an email to Jennifer@jewellgarden.com.

In a North State Garden is a weekly Northstate Public Radio and web-based program celebrating the art, craft and science of home gardening in Northern California. It is made possible in part by the Gateway Science Museum - Exploring the Natural History of the North State and on the campus of CSU, Chico. In a North State Garden is conceived, written, photographed and hosted by Jennifer Jewell - all rights reserved jewellgarden.com. In a North State Garden airs on Northstate Public Radio Saturday mornings at 7:34 AM Pacific time and Sunday morning at 8:34 AM Pacific time. Podcasts of past shows are available here. Weekly essays can also be found at ANewsCafe.com.

In my experience, gardening is a motivating and compelling force to bring people together. Even with our time and attention constantly split and fractured, we still find ways to come together over gardening - perhaps particularly so over food gardening. While there are pros and cons to the ever increasing presence of technology in our lives, many gardeners have found that technology can be an incredible boon to our gardening knowledge and resources and connections. Photo: Members of Chico Garden Share Project at a project-hosted permaculture workshop “Making Bokashi and Creating a Winter Garden with Sheet Mulch”. Members shown include Agb biotics, Rosie, Wendy and Joseph Wiklund, Leslie Wilson Corsbie, Laurie Niles and Monica Bell. (more…)

March in the garden is both maddening and full of spring’s mirth. Even with our terribly low winter precipitation thus far, the garden and countryside are moving along – unfolding in flower, fruit and seed.

We’re lucky that our relatively mild climate allows us to plant flowers, fruits and vegetables from seed almost every month of the year – but even so March may take high honors as the big seasonal Seeding – indoors and out. (more…)

Winter seemed to finally arrive toward the end of January this year, bringing needed rain and snow to the North State. While the driving was a bit tedious, to watch the view change right in front of me was powerful. The rains came filling the plains and grasslands, the snow recovered our surrounding Mountains overnight illustrating the natural world’s ever-shifting demeanor– and the fact that no matter what actions we may take to control it, the natural world shapes our lives. It and we are always in flux. (more…)

We as gardeners face many dilemmas, some more difficult than others. For many gardeners, pruning falls under the heading of garden dilemma. Every year, I get questions regarding how and when to prune various things in our North State gardens. Recently I’ve had questions regarding hydrangeas and shrub-type salvias. Both of these I would describe as summer and late summer bloomers, but in the milder portions of our region these beauties often keep blooming all the way through December and beyond. Photo: A combination planting of old-fashioned mop-head and oak-leaf hydrangea in summer bloom. (more…)

I like to think that winter’s long, dark nights, its snow and driving rains (when we get them - boy, I hope we get them), and its killing frosts, provide me with absolution from the mistakes, lapses, failures and inadequacies of the previous year in the garden. The dark and cold and leaching work together to offer me a clean slate and a fresh start. I am resolved this year to keep my garden journal up to date just a little more regularly, to catalogue my photographs a little more consistently so that they can help to complement my journal. I am resolved to get my succession plantings timed a little more accurately, and to not allow my summer vegetable garden to run such riot. (more…)

Seasonal precipitation has returned with relative gentleness on the Valley portions of the North State along with some frosts and early enticing snow in the foothills and high country. Our scenic California oak grasslands and wetlands are greening and filling; deciduous blue oaks, sycamores, maples and alders drop their summer biomass and rich, colorful fall changes to winter’s simplicity.

We are in the season of thankfulness.

I am thankful for the dried oak leaves and grass clippings both readily available now. A cozy layer of this mix insulates soil and root systems from the coming temperature and humidity fluctuations, and allows the winter rains to slow-release their nutrients down. If you have been able to get a feeding of 0-10-10 fertilizer onto the soil before topdressing with this mulch - all the better for edibles or ornamentals.

If you can work the soil, December and January are still ideal for the planting of new perennials, shrubs and trees – and bare root season for ornamental and fruit trees as well as perennial berry canes and veg will be getting fully underway by January.

In the seasonal edible garden, now is a good time to direct seed bok choy, broccoli, kale/collards, lettuce, onion sets, peas, radish and spinach. It’s also a good time to direct some annual flowers for next spring and summer’s color, these include: California poppy, larkspur, cornflower and scabiosa.

As you continue to cut back perennials and edibles that have run their course, remember that diligent attention to plant and soil hygiene now will pay-off well in the long run – winter precipitation can also inadvertently spread bacterial and fungal diseases from diseased plants. Carefully clean up the dead and fallen leaves from roses, peonies, iris, cane fruits and any other plants on which you have ever notices black spot, mildew or other issues. Do not compost diseased leaves or woody materials, discard it with your household trash.

Watch the weather forecast closely now and be prepared with frost cloth to cover tender plants.

When pruning, try to leave seed heads, healthy foliage, and winter blooms for the birds and insects to snack on and nest with - weather permitting. You will be as thankful as them. The frolicking of birds, bees and butterflies in the winter garden are some of the many gifts of the season.

Gifts of the season overflow the calendar of gardening events this month. The On-line Calendar of Regional Gardening Events at jewellgarden.com adds events throughout the month. I do my very best to keep the calendar up to date and accurate, please confirm all events with the event host. If you have an event you would like listed or if you are aware of a mistake on the calendar, please send all pertinent information to: Jennifer@jewellgarden.com! Thanks!

NOVEMBER

November 27 - Chico: Mt Lassen Chapter Cal Native Plant Society - Field Trip: Ten Mile House Trail to Big Chico Creek 9:15 am Meet at Chico Park & Ride west parking lot (Hwy 99/32) in time to leave by 9:30 am. Wear hiking shoes and bring lunch, water, sunscreen/insect protection and money for ride sharing. We’ll drive east 9 miles on Hwy 32 to the Green Gate Trail Head. From there we’ll follow an historic wagon road down to Big Chico Creek, our lunch site. On our return we’ll see buckeye and black oak in fruit and stop at a spring where a homestead once stood. Be prepared for a 700′ elevation gain back to the trail head. Four miles round trip. Call leader for alternate meeting location. Gerry 530-893-5123. For more information: http://mountlassen.cnps.org/

November 29 - Red Bluff Garden Club: Monthly Meeting and Program: 1:00 p.m. at the Union Hall, 12889 Baker Road in Red Bluff, California. Public Welcome! For more info: http://redbluffgardenclub.com/Home_Page.html; 530.824-5661 or email dianecleland@att.net.

November 29 - Chico: Butte Rose Society General Member Meeting & Little Rose Show 6 pm gather, 7 pm meeting and program on Seasonal Pruning of Roses. Chico Veterans Memorial Hall at 554 Rio Lindo Ave. For more information: http://www.butte-rosesociety.org/

November 26 – Redding: McConnell Arboretum & Botanical Gardens at Turtle Bay: Walk With Lisa Endicott, Horticultural Manager 11 am. Bring your notebooks and camera! We’ll make our way through the Gardens with frequent stops for discussions about (what else?) plants! Free with Park or Garden admission. Meet at West Garden Entrance. Take N. Market Street, turn on Arboretum Drive. Take the right fork. Parking lot and entrance are on the left. More info: 530-242-3178 or www.turtlebay.org/nursery

DECEMBER

December 1 – Paradise: Saturen Studio Botanical Illustration Classes - Fall Session VI begins 3:30 pm to 5:30 pm every Thursday for 4 weeks: Dec 1 - Dec 22, 2011. 10 yrs to Adult. Create scientific illustrations of exotic flowers, leafy foliage, tantalizing fruit, and seeds – even carnivorous species. Draw flora to scale, add texture, shadows, and balance as you transfer visual references to paper. Sharpen your drawing skills and pencils as you learn techniques that create 3-dimensional drawings that appear to pop out of the paper! Terry Ashe Recreation Center in Paradise, California Paradise Recreation and Park District (PRPD) Supplies list available at PRPD office. FEE: $30.00 INSTRUCTOR: Ben Saturen. More info please email: b.saturen@yahoo.com

December 2 - 4 - Red Bluff: SLOW FOOD SHASTA CASCADE and Holbrook Studios present 2nd Annual Kilnside Christmas Featuring local artisans, cheeses, wines, olive oils and more. Friday 5 - 8 pm, Sat. & Sun. 9 am - 4 pm. 575 Wiltsey Avenue, Red Bluff. For more info: http://www.themuddyhands.com/Christmas2011

December 2 & 3 - Red Bluff Garden Center: Holiday Wreath Class 10am both days. Create a beautiful holiday wreath to take home. Cost is $10. Please call to reserve space. 530-527-0886. http://www.redbluffgardencenter.com/home?GardenCenter=Events

December 3 – Redding: Shasta Chapter California Native Plant Society : Mule Mountain Hike 9 am meet at Redding City Library. This Mule Mountain hike is a repeat of last year’s hike, except that the trail has been completed to the south base of the mountain, with only a steep 300’ off-trail elevation climb to the top. This is a 5-mile, moderately difficult hike. Expect to see typical mixed conifer and chaparral plants including silk tassel, redberry, deer brush, service berry, snowberry and snowdrop bush. Meet at 9 AM at Redding City Hall south parking lot on Parkview Avenue. No dogs, please. For more information, call David Ledger at 355-8542. http://www.shastacnps.org/calendar.html

December 3 – Redding: McConnell Arboretum & Botanical Gardens at Turtle Bay: Holiday Wreath Making Workshop 9 am - noon. Floral designer and instructor Darlene Montgomery leads this creative and fun holiday workshop. Each participant will create their own fresh, full-size holiday wreath for the front door or family room. All materials provided. Space is limited to 15 participants, adults and youth ages 16+. Call 242-3108 to pre-register (required). Members $35, nonmembers $40 Visitor Center - JSS Classroom More info: 530-242-3178 or www.turtlebay.org/nursery

December 3 – Redding: McConnell Arboretum & Botanical Gardens at Turtle Bay: Charlie Rabbit and Friends 10:30 am. Presented by John & Betty Fitzpatrick. An interactive program in the Children’s Garden (or Greenhouse in rain) for children, their siblings, parents and grandparents. Join Charlie, our adorable jack rabbit puppet, in various gardening activities. Wear your favorite gardening clothes! Free with Park or Garden admission. Meet at West Garden Entrance. Take N. Market Street, turn on Arboretum Drive. Take the right fork. Parking lot and entrance are on the left. More info: 530-242-3178 or www.turtlebay.org/nursery

December 3 - Redding: Wyntour Gardens: Holiday Open House and Kids Planting Party Open House All Day. Planting Party 10am - Noon. Join us in celebrating the holiday season with delicious goodies and hot apple cider. One Day Gift Shop Sale. For more info: inform@wyntourgardens.com, 365-2256. 8026 Airport Road Redding.

December 3 - Los Molinos: SLOW FOOD SHASTA CASCADE and Kitchel Family Organic Farm present 2nd Annual Holiday Local and Fair Trade Gift Faire 1:00pm - 4:00pm BUY/SELL/TRADE Kitchel Family Organic Farm 25255 3rd Ave. Los Milinos Please call if you are interested in booth space! 384-1966

December 3 – Davis: UC Davis Arboretum: Guided Tour: Planting for Pollinators and Other Beneficial Insects 2 p.m., Arboretum Teaching Nursery, Garrod Drive, UC Davis. People thinking about adding to their home landscapes can tour the new demonstration plantings at the UC Davis Arboretum Teaching Nursery on Saturday, December 3. The guided tour will focus on the best plants for our garden climate that attract and provide habitat for butterflies, hummingbirds and other native pollinators. The tour will meet at 2:00 p.m. at the Arboretum Teaching Nursery, on Garrod Drive across from the School of Veterinary Medicine on the UC Davis campus. There is no charge for the tour, and free parking is available in Visitor Lot 55, on Garrod Drive across from the nursery. For more information, please call (530) 752-4880 or visit arboretum.ucdavis.edu.

December 3 & 4 - Durham/Chico: Patrick Ranch Winter Holiday Fair and Sale: Opening Reception 4 - 8 pm Friday December 2nd with wine, live music and appetizers; Saturday 10 - 5pm, Sunday 10 - 4pm. Seasonal holiday arts and crafts and fun. Glennwood Historic Farmhouse tours will be offered Saturday and Sunday. 10381 Midway, Chico. For more information: 530-570-7343.

December 4 - Redding: Growing Local Shasta Alternative Christmas Fair First United Methodist Church, 1825 East Street, Redding. For more info email growinglocalshasta@gmail.com

December 4 - Chico: The Plant Barn: Annual Wreath Classes Two classes being held, you must call to reserve space in this annual, festive tradition of friends, fun and the fashioning of holiday wreaths. 530-345-3121. 406 Entler Avenue, Chico.

December 4 - Chico: Mt Lassen Chapter Cal Native Plant Society - Field Trip: Lower Bidwell Park Old Forestry Station 10:00 am Meet at the Cedar Grove parking area (just west of the Chico Creek Nature Center at 1968 E. 8th St) for a 2-hour stroll through the old (1888) California Board of Forestry plant introduction and nursery station. Many fine old specimens of American persimmon, Japanese zelkova, cork oak, black ash, and 65 others from around the world still survive. The Bidwells gave these 29 acres to the state for testing woody plants for their use in horticulture, medicine, forestry, and landscaping. Over at noon. Leaders: Wes 530-342-2293 and Gerry 530-893-5123. For more information: http://mountlassen.cnps.org/

December 4 - Chico: Magnolia Gift & Garden: Holiday Open House Benefit for the Butte Humane Society and Featuring the Yule Logs! 2 - 4 pm. Join us for holiday cheer and music, a garden of gifts and delights at the same time helping to support our four-footed friends at the Butte Humane Society this holiday season! Simon (the divine canine representative at Magnolia) Says Santa (who’s a dedicated winter gardener) will be pleased. Magnolia Gift & Garden 1367 East Avenue 530-894-5410. http://magnoliagardening.com/

December 4 - Los Molinos: SLOW FOOD SHASTA CASCADE and Blush Catering present A Moveable Feast: 3 - 9 pm. Arc Pavilion. 2040 Park Avenue, Chico, California.Open Boutique, 3-5 p.m. (free admission). Dinner, 5-9 p.m. Tickets $40 at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/211986 Appetizers and No Host Bar with Local Wine and Beer Makers, 5-6:30 p.m. Blush Catering and Slow Food Shasta Cascade cordially invite you to join us for an interactive dining experience this holiday season. The meal will highlight products from Chaffin Family Orchards, GRUB, Morse Farms, North Valley Farms Chèvre, and Turri Family farms. Come meet the farmers as we dine together to celebrate community and the North State’s seasonal bounty. Prior to the dinner there will be an open boutique showcasing several of the participating farmers and Slow Food USA’s “Ark of Taste” program. Other eco-friendly local products will also be available for sale. Boutique admission is free. Ticket sales will be available only until Saturday, December 3rd at 5:00 p.m. Get your tickets early, these events sell out! Check out Blush’s website! http://www.blushcatering.com/

December 7 - Chico: Mt. Lassen Chapter of the California Native Plant Society Regular Monthly meeting and Program “Evolutionary Development, Classification, & Name Changes in the California Flora” by Dan Potter 7:30 pm Butte County Library, Chico. Dan Potter is a professor in the Department of Plant Sciences at UC Davis and Director of the UC Davis Center for Plant Diversity, including the University’s herbarium. The names of plants have been in flux for centuries. They have occurred at an accelerated pace in recent years, due to advances in our understanding of evolutionary relationships based on analyses of DNA. The results are sometimes striking. Dan’s presentation will be a great chance to learn the ins and outs of plant naming, to become more confident with sometimes daunting terms.For more information: http://mountlassen.cnps.org/

December 10 - Full Moon and Terre Madre Day

December 10 - Corning: SLOW FOOD SHASTA CASCADE and Lucero Olive Oil celebrate Terre Madre Day with First Annual Winter Crush 10 am - 4 pm 1st Annual Winter Crush at Lucero Olive Oil Saturday Dec. 10 - 10:00am to 4:00pm 2120 Loleta Avenue, Corning Fresh Citrus Olive Oil, Cooking Demo’s by Farwood Bar & Grill (Orland) & GR Gibbs (Redding), Food Tastings, Live Music… For more information go to lucerooliveoil.com andslowfood.com/terramadreday.

December 10 - Sacramento: Sacramento Master Gardeners: All Dried Up - Master Food Preserver Demonstration 10 am - Noon. Basic introduction to safe dehydration techniques. This is a free class. Location: 4145 Branch Center Road Sacramento, Ca 95827 http://ucanr.org/sites/sacmg/?calitem=132072&g=21788

December 10 - Chico: The Plant Barn: Holiday SALEABRATION 10 am - 5pm Holiday-style flower floozie fun! Appetizers, local artists, Wine and Olive Tastings and Random Sales all Day. 530-345-3121. 406 Entler Avenue, Chico.

December 10 - Chico: Chico Horticultural Society: Annual Holiday Greens Workshop 2 - 4 pm. Bring Family, bring friends and share the holiday spirit. Annual Chico Hort Holiday Greens Workshop: Saturday December 10th from 2 - 4 pm, at the Chico Library General Meeting Room. We will have demonstrations on hand-making your own holiday wreath, swag or centerpiece using seasonal greens, berries and cones. The cost of the workshop is $12 and includes all the materials (forms, greens, wire, ribbon) and help needed to a make one 12″ round wreath, one hearty door swag, or one stunning holiday centerpiece. Registration Required. To register to participate, please contact Jennifer Jewell at 588-6369 or jennifer @jewellgarden.com, in your message please indicate how many are in your party, which item each person would like to make, and a good contact for you for confirmation. Money will be collected at the door on the day of the event.

December 14 – Davis: UC Davis Arboretum: Walk With Warren 12 noon, Gazebo, Garrod Drive, UC Davis. Join Arboretum Superintendent Emeritus Warren Roberts for a lunchtime stroll in the UC Davis Arboretum on Wednesday, November 9. Enjoy the crisp fall weather, explore the pleasures of the autumn garden, and get a little exercise. Meet at noon at the Gazebo, on Garrod Drive on the UC Davis campus. There is no charge for the tour. Parking is available for $7 in Visitor Lot 55, on Garrod Drive at the School of Veterinary Medicine. For more information, please call (530) 752-4880 or visit arboretum.ucdavis.edu.

December 17 – Davis: UC Davis Arboretum: Guided Tour: Under the Redwood Canopy 2 p.m., Wyatt Deck, Old Davis Road, UC Davis. Enjoy the peace and silence of the redwood grove on a misty winter day and learn about the complex and fascinating ecosystem of the redwood forest during a free guided tour at the UC Davis Arboretum on Saturday, December 17. This walk will provide a brief introduction to the ecology and history of the coast redwood and the plants that grow under the redwood canopy. The tour will meet at 2:00 p.m. at the Wyatt Deck, located on Old Davis Road next to the Arboretum redwood grove on the UC Davis campus. There is no charge for the tour and free parking is available in Visitor Lot 5, at Old Davis Road and A Street. For more information, please call (530) 752-4880 or visit arboretum.ucdavis.edu.

December 19 - Chico: In a North State Garden: Special I-5 LIVE! The Wonderful World of Mushrooms 8 - 9 pm. Join host Jennifer Jewell and mushroom-enthusiast guests Don Simoni of Mushroom Adventures, and Beth and Stephan Wattenburg in Forest Ranch to chat about the seasonal appearance of these wonderful structures throughout the North State. What do they tell us? How to begin to id them? Where to go see them, how to make a spore print, and some favorite recipes preparing them. KCHO 91.7/KFPR 88.9 fm in Chico and Redding.

December 21/22 - WINTER SOLSTICE 12:30 am Eastern Standard Time

December 31 - Chico: Butte Rose Society Annual Rose Pruning Demonstration, Historic Stansbury House 10 am. Want to see how to prune roses effectively and correctly and have seasonal fun doing it? Join the BRS for their annual pruning demo in the Historic Stansbury House rose garden. For more information: http://www.butte-rosesociety.org/

December 31 – Redding: McConnell Arboretum & Botanical Gardens at Turtle Bay: Walk With Lisa Endicott, Horticultural Manager 11 am. Bring your notebooks and camera! We’ll make our way through the Gardens with frequent stops for discussions about (what else?) plants! Free with Park or Garden admission. Meet at West Garden Entrance. Take N. Market Street, turn on Arboretum Drive. Take the right fork. Parking lot and entrance are on the left. More info: 530-242-3178 or www.turtlebay.org/nursery

December 31, 2011 - January 1, 2012 HAPPY NEW YEAR. May be peace be yours in the coming year.

Jewellgarden.com’s collections of note cards and blank journals make wonderful gifts. Dedicated to the art, craft and science of gardening, produced wholly in the North State on 100% recycled papers, Jewellgarden.com’s line of Holiday, Natives in the Garden, Edibles in the Garden, and Seed Series of printed products will delight all the gardeners, readers, writers - all enjoyers of life - in your life this year. Available now on-line. All of Jewellgarden.com’s cards are printed in Chico by Quadco printing using 100% recycled paper and vegetable-based ink.

Follow Jewellgarden.com/In a North State Garden on Facebook. Photo:

To submit plant/gardening related events/classes to the Jewellgarden.com on-line Calendar of Regional Gardening Events, send the pertinent information to me at: Jennifer@jewellgarden.com

Did you know I send out a weekly email with information about upcoming topics and gardening related events in the North State region? If you would like to be added to the mailing list, send an email to Jennifer@jewellgarden.com.

In a North State Garden is a weekly Northstate Public Radio and web-based program celebrating the art, craft and science of home gardening in Northern California. Made possible in part by the Gateway Science Museum - Exploring the Natural History of the North State and on the campus of CSU, Chico, In a North State Garden is conceived, written, photographed and hosted by Jennifer Jewell - all rights reserved jewellgarden.com. In a North State Garden airs on Northstate Public Radio Saturday mornings at 7:34 AM Pacific time and Sunday morning at 8:34 AM Pacific time. Podcasts of past shows are available here. Weekly essays are also posted on anewscafe.com a regional news source that is simultaneously universal and positively North State.

I think it starts with the pomegranates and pumpkins of October, but it’s hard to put my finger on exactly. Something about this time of year begins a seasonal journey of tradition and ritual. Once it begins, it sort of carries me along - like a leaf bobbing along on the ripples sent out by a pebble dropped into the water.

This mostly comforting, fairly consistent seasonal rhythm from harvest and Halloween to fall planting, Thanksgiving and on to the December holidays, then the New Year and planning of the next crops in the vegetable garden - carries me right through to mid-January, where it drops me off to start another round of seasonal rhythms.

During this time the view in the garden goes through what for me are some of its most moving seasonal changes: Pumpkins and pomegranates give way to lemons, oranges and holiday greens. I watch the daily arc of the sun become angled, softer. Iridescent and sometimes arrestingly beautiful shades of red and orange, pink and gold settle into the oaks each evening. Each evening is consistently colder, and the blue oaks change their garb a little more each day: the dark, firm blue-green of summer, changes to the mottled rusts, browns and yellows of late Fall. The little shapely leaves begin to drop - a few more each day rustling their way to the ground where they mulch my garden beds and round out my compost piles. Photo: Courtesy of Derral Campbell: Autumn Rose hips on the Trinity River. (more…)

Autumn’s arrival for me is accompanied by a renewed sense of community. Perhaps it is the return of regular school schedules, and the return of regular monthly meetings for garden clubs and organizations. Perhaps it is the primal sense of oncoming winter and a need to come together and prepare. Perhaps it’s the anticipation and energy of the harvest – from the vast chartreuse rice fields and the statuesque almond, olive and walnut orchards running through our region, to the end-of-summer tomatoes, peppers, beans, and squash finishing up in our home gardens and now filling our kitchen counters, freezers and shelves. Cool, even cold, nights and days with a prospect of rain are returning. We are gathering, and we are planning and planting for the seasons to come. Photo: Rice fields, Central Valley in October. (more…)