UC Davis hosts campus-wide event featuring its Arboretum and Public Garden
Students welcome visitors to the UC Davis Arboretum’s GATEway garden, one of 12 campus museums, gardens and installations that will participate in Biodiversity Museum Day. Courtesy of UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden
Here’s an opportunity for the whole family to celebrate science – while learning a lot!
On Saturday, Feb. 21, UC Davis celebrates “Biodiversity Museum Day,” a chance to become immersed in our natural world and talk to scientists about their work.
During this 15th annual event, about 250 scientists, faculty, staff and students will share their work and expertise while highlighting the university’s collections. A dozen on-campus museums will participate with programs and presentations from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free.
Among them will be the UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden, which will focus its efforts at its Environmental GATEway habitat gardens from noon to 4 p.m.
“The UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden is proud to be one of 12 campus collections participating in UC Davis Biodiversity Museum Day – a free, family-friendly celebration of the incredible diversity of life on our campus and beyond,” says the Arboretum team. “(In the GATEway gardens),Learning by Leading students and staff invite you to explore the rich biodiversity woven into our landscapes and discover how urban habitats can support both people and wildlife.”
The Arboretum, a living museum of plants, is an obvious choice for this celebration.
“This year’s theme, Nature Rx, is all about fulfilling a prescription for better physical, mental, and social wellbeing simply by spending time outdoors,” say the organizers.
Among the special events planned are a public yoga session at 2 p.m. on the lawn adjacent to Scrubs Cafe and the unveiling of a new ceramic mural at 3 p.m.
Other activities include: a living drawing booth, Polaroid postcards, birding and garden tours, water-wise and nature-friendly garden demonstrations and more. Find the full schedule of Arboretum events here: https://arboretum.ucdavis.edu/events/uc-davis-biodiversity-museum-day-2026
Leave time for UCD’s other museums, too. The “Bug Squad” with their creepy crawlers always draw a crowd. The Bee Haven will undoubtedly create some buzz, too. Here’s a snapshot of schedules and locations:
Anthropology Museum, temporarily housed in Wickson Hall, West Entrance, while Young Hall is undergoing renovations. Hours: 12 noon to 4 p.m.
Arboretum and Public Garden, Habitat Gardens in the Environmental GATEway, Hours: 12 noon to 4 p.m.
Bee Haven, 1 Bee Biology Road, off Hutchinson Drive. Hours: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Bohart Museum of Entomology, Room 1124 of the Academic Surge Building and hallway, 455 Crocker Lane. Hours: 12 noon to 4 p.m.
Botanical Conservatory, Kleiber Hall Drive. Hours: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
California Raptor Center, 1340 Equine Lane. Hours: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Center for Plant Diversity Herbarium, 1026 Katherine Esau Science Hall. Hours: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Design Museum, 124 Cruess Hall, 375 California Ave. Hours: 12 Noon to 4 p.m.
Nematode Collection, 1026 Katherine Esau Science Hall. Hours: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Museum of Wildlife and Fish Biology, Academic Surge Building, 455 Crocker Lane. Hours: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Paleontology Collection, Earth and Physical Sciences Building, Room 1309, Crocker Lane. Hours: 12 noon to 4 p.m.
Phaff Yeast Culture Collection, Robert Mondavi Institute Brewery and Food Processing Facility. Hours: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
In addition, there will be a speakers’ series from 4 to 5 p.m. in the Silverado Vineyards’ Sensory Theatre, Sensory Building, Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science, 392 Old Davis Road.
More details: https://biodiversitymuseumday.ucdavis.edu/
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Flowers in My Back Yard Series
March 10: Keep camellias happy for years to come
March 3: Fruit tree blossoms are a fleeting joy
Feb. 27: Are your roses looking rusty?
Feb. 24: Treasure spring daffodils now and for years to come
Feb. 17: How and why to grow wildflowers
Feb. 10: Let's talk Valentine's Day roses
Feb. 3: Why grow flowers?
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Garden checklist for week of March 15
Enjoy these sunny days and show your garden some TLC. Don’t forget to water.
* Weed, weed, weed! Get them before they flower. Take a hoe and whack them at the base.
* Prepare vegetable beds for summer favorites. Spade in compost and other amendments.
* In the vegetable garden, transplant lettuce. Last chance this spring to transplant cole family plants such as broccoli, collards and kale.
* Seed chard and beets directly into the ground. Soak beet seeds before planting to aid germination.
* Harvest fall-planted lettuce and cabbage before it “bolts” – sending out flower shoots.
* Fertilize roses, annual flowers and berries as spring growth begins to appear.
* Prune and fertilize spring-flowering shrubs after bloom.
* Feed camellias at the end of their bloom cycle. Pick up browned and fallen flowers to help corral blossom blight.
* Feed citrus trees, which are now in bloom and setting fruit. To prevent sunburn and borer problems on young trees, paint the exposed portion of the trunk with diluted white latex (water-based) interior paint. Dilute the paint with an equal amount of cold water before application.
* Feed roses with a balanced fertilizer (such as 10-10-10 or 4-4-4, the ratio of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium available in that product).
* Prune and fertilize spring-flowering shrubs and trees after they bloom. Try using well-composted manure, spread 1-inch-thick under the tree. This serves as both fertilizer and mulch, retaining moisture while cutting down on weeds.
* Cut back and fertilize perennial herbs to encourage new growth.
* Plant summer bulbs, including gladiolus, tuberous begonias and callas. Also plant dahlia tubers.
* Shop for perennials. Many varieties are available in local nurseries and at plant events. They can be transplanted now while the weather remains relatively cool.
* Seed and renovate the lawn, if you have one. Feed cool-season grasses such as bent, blue, rye and fescue with a slow-release fertilizer. Check the irrigation system and perform maintenance. Make sure sprinkler heads are turned toward the lawn, not the sidewalk.
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Send us a gardening question, a post suggestion or information about an upcoming event. sacdigsgardening@gmail.com
Food in My Back Yard (FIMBY) Series
Lessons learned during a year of edible gardening
WINTER
Is edible gardening possible indoors?
Hints for choosing tomato seeds
Why winter is the perfect time to plant fruit trees
When to plant? Consider staggering your transplants
How to squeeze more food into less space
Plant a fruit tree now -- for later
Win the weed war by tackling them in winter
Tips for planting bare-root trees, shrubs and vegetables
Time to give vegetable seedlings some more space
Ways to win the fight against weeds
FALL
Dec. 16: Add asparagus to your edible garden
Dec. 9: Soggy soil and what to do about it
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
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