May Special Events

May 6, Sunday – 1pm-5pm: The East Bay Rose Society 65th Annual Spring Rose Show in the Lakeside Park Garden Center, adjacent to the Gardens at Lake Merritt. For a complete schedule of activities, go to http://www.eastbayroses.org/

May 26, Saturday – noon-1pm:  Tips and tricks for growing great vegetables in containers. Containers are a good option for growing on decks, patios and compact yards. This talk will cover suitable containers, soil, vegetables and herbs for container gardening as well as light, water and fertilizer requirements. General gardening hints and questions & answers at the end. Master Gardener David Blood shares many years of experience gardening in containers great and small.

Community Work Party Events 

“The Gardens have come into their springtime beauty and are looking more colorful each day.  A special thanks to the volunteers who continue to provide TLC,” Bruce Cobbledick, President, Friends of the Gardens at Lake Merritt

NEW TIME – Every Thursday – 9:00am to noon:  Meet at the Pollinator Gardens adjacent to the community Edible Garden.

May 5, Saturday- 9am-12pm: Mediterranean Garden and Overall Garden TLC. 

May 19, Saturday- 9am-12pm: Sensory, Palmetum, and Rhododendron Gardens

Bring a friend and a garden tool. When volunteering, receive a parking pass at the kiosk by telling the attendant you are a volunteer with the Friends of the Gardens at Lake Merritt.

In the event of rain, meet behind the lathe house (the Vireya Display Garden) where we will plant cuttings under cover.

May Gardening Tips

Prepared by the Alameda County Master Gardeners

All summer vegetables can be planted (beans, corn, squash, tomatoes, peppers, melons, etc.).

All summer annual flowers can be planted or sown.

Continue planting summer bulbs.

In cooler areas east of the coastal hills, continue planting beets and carrots.

Thin fruit on fruit trees as needed (use the width of your closed fist as a rough guide). For more information, read up on thinning here.

Check to be sure that your irrigation system is working and meets the needs of your garden with the calculator for estimating water needs. For more information on gardening tips and information from the Alameda CountyMaster Gardeners, go to http://acmg.ucdavis.edu/