Time for a Late Spring Ramble on Sunday -- sign up!

The self-guided garden tour is free, but registration is required. Register here.

Carpenter's 1-acre garden, just west of Davis off Pierce Ranch Road, features about 400 species and cultivars of California native plants. Visitors are welcome to start their tour any time during the hours above.

Carpenter will hold an optional short orientation and Q-and-A sessions at 10 a.m. and noon; meet near the check-in table.

In addition to the late spring color, she says highlights at this time of year include:

-- The desert area starts to come alive;

-- The many geophytes in the garden should be blooming (although this is not a typical year);

-- Seasonal maintenance, pruning, seed collecting and plant propagation will be under way;

-- Botanist Glen Holstein will be on site, helping with plant identification and answering questions about native plants.

Stan the Tool Man will be at the garden, too, from 9 a.m. to noon only. He can sharpen any garden tools except saws -- pruners, loppers, shovels, knives and scissors, to name a few. He also will drill holes in empty pots. All donations for his work are accepted for the California Native Plant Society.

The non-native garden also will be open for visits.

As with all rambles at Carpenter's garden, artists are welcome to paint, draw, photograph or write on site. Masks are optional but visitors are asked to respect distancing. Everyone is welcome to bring a snack or lunch to enjoy. No dogs, please.

Can't make it Sunday? On Thursday, May 21,  from 9 a.m. to noon, Carpenter will host a special event at her garden: A talk by author M. Kat Anderson, featuring her new book "I Sing to the Earth and She Sings Back." A discussion and book signing will follow.

Anderson's 2005 book, "Tending the Wild," was a great help, Carpenter notes, 20 years ago when she was just starting to plant her garden, learning about native plants, their indigenous uses and management.

The talk begins at 9:45 a.m. Beforehand, a guided walk with Carpenter will be available through the native garden. 

Admission is free but registration is required; register by emailing Patricia at pcarpenter.flower@gmail.com. Include your name, the number of guests who will be attending, and any questions. 

For either event, a map and address of the garden will be sent after registration.

For more information on Patricia Carpenter and her garden, visit her CNPS profile here.