The Secret Garden celebrates with two weekends of family fun
The beautiful Gulf Fritillary butterfly is the focus of The Secret Garden's Butterfly Fest, Sept. 14-15 and 21-22. Courtesy The Secret Garden
Love butterflies? It’s time to wing it to The Secret Garden in Elk Grove.
The butterflies – specifically Gulf Fritillary butterflies – annually return to this destination nursery during their migration, attracted by their favorite host plant: passionflower.
Each September, The Secret Garden celebrates their comeback with its annual “Butterfly Fest.” And after the large crowd that turned out last year, The Secret Garden decided to double the celebration with two weekends devoted to butterfly fun.
On Sept. 14-15 and Sept. 21-22, Butterfly Fest will entertain and inform about these important and beautiful pollinators. Hours are 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. each day; admission is free.
“Mark your calendars for a fluttering good time at The Secret Garden's Annual Butterfly Fest this September!” say the organizers. “Due to last year's incredible turnout, we're excited to announce an extended celebration over two weekends.
“Immerse yourself in the enchanting world of butterflies and pollinators at our local nursery. Every year, The Secret Garden becomes a haven for Gulf Fritillary butterflies during their migration, attracted to our lush passionvine. Join us as we honor these winged wonders and delve into the importance of pollinators in our ecosystem.”
At 11 a.m each day, take a guided tour of the butterfly’s life cycle with a visit to see hungry caterpillars in action as well as mature butterflies.
Designed for the whole family, the fest offers free kid activities such as face painting. A coffee cart will offer beverages. Or visitors can enjoy a scoop of Leatherby’s ice cream.
To coax more butterflies to your landscape, take home some perennials including such butterfly favorites as California native milkweed and passionflower. (They’ll be on sale for 15% off.)
Butterflies are most active in the cooler morning hours, so get there early to enjoy the show.
The Secret Garden is located at 8450 W. Stockton Blvd., Elk Grove.
For details and directions: https://www.secretgarden-online.com/.
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Food in My Back Yard (FIMBY) Series
FALL
Dec. 2: Plant artichokes now; enjoy for years to come
Nov. 25: It's late November, and your peach tree needs spraying
Nov. 18: What to do with all those fallen leaves?
Nov. 11: Prepare now for colder weather in the edible garden
Nov. 4: Plant a pea patch for you and your garden
Oct. 27: As citrus season begins, advice for backyard growers
Oct. 20: Change is in the autumn air
Oct. 13: We don't talk (enough) about beets
Oct. 6: Fava beans do double duty
Sept. 30: Seeds or transplants for cool-season veggies?
Sept. 23: How to prolong the fall tomato harvest
SUMMER
Sept. 16: Time to shut it down?
Sept. 9: How to get the most out of your pumpkin patch
Sept. 2: Summer-to-fall transition time for evaluation, planning
Aug. 26: To pick or not to pick those tomatoes?
Aug. 19: Put worms to work for you
Aug. 12: Grow food while saving water
Aug. 5: Enhance your food with edible flowers
July 29: Why won't my tomatoes turn red?
July 22: A squash plant has mosaic virus, and it's not pretty
July 15: Does this plant need water?
July 8: Tear out that sad plant or baby it? Midsummer decisions
July 1: How to grow summer salad greens
June 24: Weird stuff that's perfectly normal
SPRING
June 17: Help pollinators help your garden
June 10: Battling early-season tomato pests
June 3: Make your own compost
May 27: Where are the bees when you need them?
May 20: How to help tomatoes thrive on hot days
May 13: Your plants can tell you more than any calendar can
May 6: Maintain soil moisture with mulch for garden success
April 29: What's (already) wrong with my tomato plants?
April 22: Should you stock up on fertilizer? (Yes!)
April 15: Grow culinary herbs in containers
April 8: When to plant summer vegetables
April 1: Don't be fooled by these garden myths
March 25: Fertilizer tips: How to 'feed' your vegetables for healthy growth
WINTER
March 18: Time to give vegetable seedlings some more space
March 11: Ways to win the fight against weeds
March 4: Potatoes from the garden
Feb. 25: Plant a fruit tree now -- for later
Feb. 18: How to squeeze more food into less space
Feb. 11: When to plant? Consider staggering your transplants
Feb. 4: Starting in seed starting
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Garden checklist for week of Nov. 30
It's going to get colder after the fog (finally) dissipates. Without the fog, damp ground will finally have a chance to dry out – and no rain is in the forecast for at least a week.
Make the most of this break in the weather and tackle late fall chores:
* Protect tender plants from possible frost damage. Don’t leave poinsettias outdoors.
* Rake and compost leaves, but dispose of any diseased plant material. For example, if peach and nectarine trees showed signs of leaf curl this year, clean up under trees and dispose of those leaves instead of composting.
* Clear gutters and storm drains.
* Prune dead or broken branches from trees.
* For holiday blooms indoors, plant paperwhite narcissus bulbs now. Fill a shallow bowl or dish with 2 inches of rocks or pebbles. Place bulbs in the dish with the root end nestled in the rocks. Add water until it just touches the bottom of the bulbs. Place the dish in a sunny window. Add water as needed.
* Plant bulbs at two-week intervals to spread out your spring bloom. Some possible suggestions: daffodils, crocuses, hyacinths, tulips, anemones and scillas.
* Seed wildflowers and plant such spring bloomers as sweet pea, sweet alyssum and bachelor buttons.
* Set out cool-weather annuals such as pansies and snapdragons.
* Lettuce, cabbage and broccoli also can be planted now.
* Plant garlic and onions.
* Give your azaleas, gardenias and camellias a boost with chelated iron.
* For larger blooms, pinch off some camellia buds.
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