“Daylily variety developed at Greenwood Daylily Gardens” photograph taken by John Schoustra, owner.

The private gardens of Rancho de las Flores in Somis will be open for a special event to benefit the Museum of Ventura County’s Agriculture Museum, on Saturday, June 8, 2013. The general public and Museum members are invited, and are asked to make prepaid reservations by May 30th, by calling the Agriculture Museum at (805) 525-3100.

The event begins at 11:00 a.m. in Somis with tours of the gardens of Rancho de las Flores. Roses, fruit trees and California native plants frame views of Las Posas Valley and Conejo Valley. At 12:00 p.m., a buffet lunch catered by Command Performance will be served on a shaded hilltop patio. During dessert, John Schoustra, landscape architect and owner of the Rancho, will talk about varieties of daylilies, irises and pelargoniums he has developed for local gardens. Schoustra was formerly chief horticulturist at Rancho Los Alamitos Historic Site and Gardens in Long Beach and currently owns Greenwood Daylily Gardens, a commercial nursery. From 1:00 to 2:00, those in attendance can shop at Greenwood Daylily Gardens, adjacent to the Rancho. Twenty percent of plant sale proceeds will be donated to the Agriculture Museum.

Admission to all the day’s activities is $35 for Museum members and $40 for the general public. The activities commence in Somis; directions to the site will be given upon reservation. Ample parking will be available.

The Museum of Ventura County’s Agriculture Museum is located in historic downtown Santa Paula at 926 Railroad Avenue. Hours are 10 a.m.– 4 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. General admission is $4 adults, $3 seniors, $1 children ages 6-17. Free for Museum of Ventura County members and children ages 5 and younger. Paid events include free admission to the galleries, the first Sunday of every month is free general admission to the public, and the Second Thursday Gallery Talks are followed by an additional gallery talk at the Santa Paula Art Museum. For more information, go to www.venturamuseum.org or call (805) 525-3100.