The Secret Garden hosts annual Butterfly Fest

This event will help your pollinator garden take wing: The Secret Garden’s annual Butterfly Fest.

Over two September weekends (Sept. 12-13 and 19-20), the Elk Grove destination nursery will celebrate its homegrown Gulf Fritillary butterflies. With 4-inch wingspans and vibrant orange color, these gorgeous butterflies inspire fun for the whole family, including plenty of kids activities. Admission is free and no advanced registration required.

“Whether you’re a nature enthusiast, gardener, photographer, or looking for a memorable family outing, Butterfly Fest is a wonderful way to celebrate the importance of pollinators,” say the hosts.

From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. each day, Butterfly Fest features a coloring table, crafts station and scavenger hunt, plus face painting on Sept. 12 and 13 only. Grown-ups will enjoy the coffee cart and bakery truck. Tours spotlighting the butterfly life cycle will be held at 11 a.m. each day.

“To celebrate our pollinator friends and inspire butterfly-friendly gardens at home, all plants will be 15 percent off during Butterfly Fest,” add the hosts. “It’s the perfect opportunity to add beautiful, pollinator-supporting plants to your landscape while learning how even small gardens can make a big difference.”

The Secret Garden became a butterfly magnet by planting the right plants. In the case of big orange Gulf Fritillary, passionflower (Passiflora) is the only food source for its caterpillars.

“We do not release butterflies at Butterfly Fest,” explain the hosts. “Instead, we’ve created an environment that sustains a population of Gulf Fritillary butterflies by growing the host plant – passiflora – in multiple spots throughout the nursery. With the proper host plant as well as lots of nectar options for the adults, the butterflies naturally gravitate to The Secret Garden to lay their eggs, and hatch their babies. By creating the optimal environment, we end up with hundreds of butterflies every summer!”

Like other butterflies, mature fritillary collect nectar from a wide variety of pollinator-friendly flowers such as lantana, which the nursery also grows.

The butterflies can be spotted at the nursery anytime from June to December, they add, but tend to be most visible in mid September (hence the timing of the festival). Butterfly lovers should plan to attend early; these pollinators are busiest in the morning and early afternoon before temperatures rise.