SATURDAY MAY 16 2015 1DFACEBOOK.COM/SACRAMENTOBEETWITTER.COM/SACBEE_NEWSSACBEE.COM

Home&GardenEXPLORE

In his greenhouse,Sacramento photog-rapher Donn Reinersfound the perfect

subjects. They stay mo-tionless as he capturesthem in sharp focus. Hecan squeeze in extra tightwithout worry that theyllreact. They never blink.

Of course, Reiners hasto watch his fingers if hegets too close thesebeauties can be beasts.

For their unusual color,infinite patterns and com-pelling textures, Reiners iscrazy about cactuses.

Be careful aroundsome of these guys, hesaid as he gingerly skirteda table full of pricklyplants. They can reachout and grab you.

He particularly loves

smaller specimens; he canfit more into his backyardgreenhouse. Althoughpetite, they pack plenty ofphotographic power.

See hundreds of eye-catching examples at thisweekends CarmichaelCactus and SucculentSociety show and plantsale at the CarmichaelCommunity Clubhouse.

JOS LUIS VILLEGAS jvillegas@sacbee.com

Euphorbia green ice cactus grows alongside other plants in the backyard greenhouse of Donn Reiners, whose hobby is to photograph them.

For cactus chronicler, itssimply points and clicks

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Cactuses and succulents make colorful, pliablephotography subjects. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

See hundreds of eye-catching specimens at theCarmichael cactus show. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Some simple tips can turn any gardener into a flowerphotographer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

BY DEBBIE ARRINGTON

darrington@sacbee.com

MOST PEOPLE JUST PHOTOGRAPH THEFULLY OPEN FLOWERS. I REALLY LIKETHE FLOWER BUDS AND THE SPINES.THEIR TEXTURES, PATTERNS ANDCOLORS ARE SO UNUSUAL, SOUNEXPECTED. THEYRE JUST AMAZING.

Donn Reiners, plant collector and photographer

DONN REINERS

With its corkscrew shape,Eulychnea castenea

montrose is among therarities in Reinersextensive collection.

JOSE LUIS VILLEGAS jvillegas@sacbee.com

Be careful around some of these guys, Reiners says of his prickly subjects.

SEE CACTUSES, 6D

May is all about growth.Warm weather (andwarmer soil) help youngplants get off to a faststart. Youll notice rapidchanges, especially in thevegetable garden. Ifyoure planning on plant-ing summer vegetables,now is the time to getthem in the ground.

Transplant tomatoes,peppers, eggplant andsquash seedlings. Makesure they get enough wa-ter, especially if temper-

atures rise or if the soil isdried out by wind. Irrigatethem twice a week byhand.

Plant seeds for melons,cucumbers, summersquash, corn, radishes andannual herbs such as basil.

Keep soil slightly moist(not wet) and theyllsprout quickly. Hand wa-ter for best results.

In the flower garden,its time to plant seeds forsalvia, sunflowers, zinnias,cosmos, marigolds, celosiaand asters. You also cantransplant seedlings formany of those flowers.

To retain moisture, adda layer of insulating mulcharound your vegetablesand flowers. This also cutsdown on weeds. Be sure toleave a small circle aroundthe base of each plant toprevent rotting stems ortrunks.

Harvest cabbage, let-tuce, peas and green on-ions. As the weatherwarms, lettuce will turnbitter and go to seed.

For continued bloom,cut off spent flowers onroses and other plants.

GARDEN CHECKLIST

Summer veggiesready for planting

BY DEBBIE ARRINGTON

darrington@sacbee.com

MICHAEL A. JONES Sacramento Bee file

Nows time to transplantsummer squash seedlings.

When Elizabeth

Murphy got her hands

dirty, she realized the

importance of soil.

I was working on dif-ferent organic farms,recalled the UC Davisresearcher and soil scien-tist. Everything we weredoing came back to thesoil.

Murphy became ded-icated to soil and its pres-ervation. She studied soilsthroughout the West,taught other farmersthrough Oregon StateUniversitys Small FarmProgram and now isstudying in Japan.

Were having a globalsoil crisis because peopledont protect it, she

explained. It provides somuch for us; we depend

on soil for food. Mostpeople dont think aboutsoil, but most gardenersdo.

The United Nationsshares Murphys interestin the health of theworlds soils, and hasmade 2015 the Interna-tional Year of Soils.

Soil is a nonrenewableresource, Murphy said byphone from Tokyo. Ittakes billions of years tocreate. The Central Valleyhas great naturally pro-ductive soils, but werenot doing everything wecan to preserve it.

Murphy has compileddecades of research andreal-life experience into anew go-to resource,Building Soil: A Down-to-Earth Approach (CoolSprings Press, $22.99,

SEEDS

BY DEBBIE ARRINGTON

SEE SEEDS, 2D

Neglectsoil atour ownperil

GARDENS OF THE

HILLS

Where: Start at GreenAcres, 205 Serpa Way,FolsomWhen: 10 a.m.-5 p.m.today and SundayCost: $25; children underage 12, $10Details:www.sierrafoothills.assistanceleague.org

See seven El DoradoHills gardens to benefitschool and seniors pro-grams of the Assistance

League of Sierra Foothills.

ROSEVILLE GREENER

GARDENS TOUR AND

DIY EXPO

Where: Start at RosevilleUtility Exploration Center,Mahany Park, 1501 Pleas-ant Grove Blvd., RosevilleWhen: Expo, 9 a.m.-1p.m.; garden tour, 9 a.m.-3p.m., both todayCost: Tour, $5 per vehicle;DIY expo, free.Details: (916) 746-1550,www.roseville.ca.us/gardentour

Learn how to have awater-wise landscape. Theself-guided tour show-cases Roseville homesthat took part in the citysCash for Grass land-scape conversion pro-gram. The DIY expo fea-tures dozens of expertsand vendors focused onsaving water and sustain-able gardening.

SATSUKI AIKOKAI

BONSAI SHOW AND

SALE

Where: Shepard Gardenand Arts Center, 3330McKinley Blvd., Sacra-mentoWhen: 10 a.m.-5 p.m.today, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.SundayCost: FreeDetails: (916) 428-8505

This beautiful bonsaishow is dedicated toblooming little trees.Make your own azaleabonsai class ($20) at10:30 a.m. each day. Ex-pert Yuzo Maruyama

RANDALL BENTON rbenton@sacbee.com

Dick Bregars El DoradoHills home is on theGardens of the Hills gardentour this weekend.

THE WEEK

AHEAD