Elk Grove Community Garden

06/06/2026

Walking through the garden and loving all the beautiful plants and wildlife

06/06/2026

Don't forget, next Saturday June 13th is the Open Garden at the Fair Oaks Horticulture Center from 9am until noon. Come out to get ideas, ask questions, and stroll through the gardens. Master Gardeners will be on site to answer all your questions!
https://ucanr.edu/site/uc-master-gardeners-sacramento-county/event/june-open-garden-fohc

06/03/2026

Stories from the Garden: The Monarch!

Nicky was surprised at how good these leaves were! He had been skeptical when his brother Alan tried to convince him to take a bite. They had both grown up eating the plant where they were born, and he was used to narrow, thin milkweed leaves. This new milkweed was so wide it was like eating ten of the the other leaves at once!

The taste was just as good, and he could really get a rythm going as he munched back and forth across the broad expanse. At this rate, he would be an adult butterfly in no time!

-the reflections of Nicky, a monarch butterfly caterpillar comparing showy milkweed to narrow-leaf milkweed
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Photo and story by Kimberly Steinmann, Master Gardener

Note: Milkweed is the host plant for the monarch butterfly, meaning it is the only plant the caterpillars can eat. There are various species of native milkweeds for the Sacramento region, including Showy Milkweed (Asclepias speciosa), Narrow Leaf Milkweed (Asclepias fascicularis), Heart Leaf Milkweed (Asclepias cordifolia), and Woollypod Milkweed (Asclepias eriocarpa). Non-native milkweeds have been associated with increased disease risk for monarchs in California due to their ability to remain green year-round, which can promote the buildup and transmission of the protozoan parasite Ophryocystis elektroscirrha (often called OE), and should be avoided when possible. If already planted, cutting them back periodically can help reduce disease buildup.

For more information on milkweed species, see:
Calscape:
https://calscape.org/search/?plant=milkweed

Xerces:
https://www.xerces.org/sites/default/files/publications/15-006.pdf

05/31/2026

Summer arrives early as June starts with a warming trend

05/27/2026

Update: The Bee Class has been canceled

05/26/2026

Easy to grow, these annuals love our weather

05/23/2026

Open gardens are informal FREE events where you roam the gardens, watch what we are doing, see what we are growing and ask questions. Bring samples of your problem plants, mystery pests and questions to the “Ask the Master Gardeners” information table. Get one-on-one advice based on the most rec...

05/21/2026

Authors share their expertise at special event at Green Acres in Elk Grove

05/19/2026