Wildflower Wonders - April 14th, 10 - 4

Elderberry Farms - a project of the California Native Plant Society, Sacramento Chapter. Come celebrate the season - spend a day in the "country" on the banks of the American River in Rancho Cordova - far from the freeway noises, where chickens and dogs wander freely, the sky is blue and birds entertain from above!

Sticky Monkeyflower grows in the demo gardens 

 Come to Wildflower Wonders

Saturday, April 14 - 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

2140 Chase Dr, Rancho Cordova, CA 95670

On the American River Parkway at Soil Born Farms

Free Admission / Open to the public / Refreshments available

Wildflower Wonders is the annual Earth Day event presented by the Sacramento Valley Chapter of the California Native Plant Society. Kick off California Native Plant Week with Wildflower Wonders! What will you see and do this year? 

Explore Soil Born Farms

• 10:30 Bird Walk for Families - Join Sacramento Audubon’s Maureen Geiger for a brief walk and talk about common Sacramento birds. Binoculars provided. Limited to the first 10 families each day.
• 11:30 Farm Tour - Join Soil Born Farms staff in a guided tour of the American River Ranch and learn about how their non-profit farm and education center is improving health through innovative food production, food access and education programs.
• 12:30 Native Plants and Climate – Tim Nosal, an Environmental Scientist with the California Department of Fish and Game has been exploring the trails of the American River for more than 25 years. Join Tim on a 1 hour walk as he finds a way to weave botany and water conservation into an insightful view of our locally native plants. Free advice will be provided on plant identification, gardening challenges, baking, and drip irrigation.
• 1:30 Bees Are Not Optional! Join us for a talk about the importance of native bee pollinators in our urban landscapes, followed by a walk to check out bees on Soil Born Farms hedgerow. Julie Serences, Environmental Educator
• 2:30 Ecology and Ethnobotany - Take a walk with David Self, Co-founder of The Place Program, People Linking Art, Culture & Ecology. Learn how to recognize and honor Native traditions that sustained and celebrated a myriad of foods, crafts and rich biodiversity through centuries.



Foothill Penstemon also grows in our demo gardens!

 Plant Sale

During the Wildflower Wonders Event, Elderberry Farms and Cornflower Farms will have plants for sale. Gardening experts will be there to help you find the best plants for your garden. A wide variety of gardening books, field guides, and other native plant literature will be for sale. Please bring boxes to carry home your treasures and an umbrella if it rains.

CNPS 

To find out more about native plants in our area, visit the California Native Plant Society, Sacramento Valley Chapter  FREE PLANT: Join or renew your CNPS membership at the sale and choose a 1-gallon plant from Elderberry Farms!

I've been seeing this native Flannel Bush in freeway plantings lately ... very drought tolerant!



Note: I've been volunteering at Elderberry Farms since last fall. My specific job is designing (weeding) the demonstration gardens. It's been a chance for me to get to know plants that are native not only to California, but native to our local area as well. Wednesday morning's are work days at the farm, and all are invited. Free pbj sandwich for all volunteers. Contact LewisC916@yahoo.com for more info.

Call me ... let's explore native gardening together!

Whether you need garden design, coaching, seasonal maintenance or planting, Geno's Garden can help!

Call me at (916) 764-5243, or email hansonja@aol.com.