The Ventura Botanical Gardens is holding its second annual Garden Festival on Saturday, May 18th from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. behind Ventura City Hall at Grant Park. There will be gardening workshops, children’s gardening activities, raffles, good food, music, and an array of local vendors specializing in plants, garden-related arts, personal items and unique fun things with an emphasis on natural and renewable materials.

Kids will love hands-on projects and a puppeteer and Tinker Bell who will be there at noon to sing and tell stories.

The schedule for the gardening workshops is:
11:15 am - Succulents, Carol Haverty, Camarillo Park & Recreation educator
12:15 pm - Attracting Birds & Butterflies, Lisa Burton, Nature by Design
1:15 pm - Urban Organic Food Production, Randy Ritchie, Malibu Compost, the creator of Bu’s Biodynamic Compost (“fairy dust” for the garden)
2:15 pm - Ocean Friendly Gardens, Renee Roth, Ventura Water
3:15 pm - Biological Pest Control, Kyra Rude, Rincon-Vitova Insectaries

Artist Patricia Kochel, who paints under the name Patricia Harrington, will be there to sign prints of her watercolor, which was commissioned for this event.

Tickets are $15 and children 12 and under are free with adults. Tickets may be purchased online at VenturaBotanicalGardens.com or from a friendly volunteer once you arrive. Park in the lot behind Ventura City Hall at 501 Poli Street and come join the party!