BOTANICAL GARDENS OPENING ON OCTOBER 18-19 WILL FEATURE A "BUTTERFLIES AND GARDENS GO TOGETHER" SEMINAR AS WELL AS A PLANT SALE AND SELF-GUIDED TOUR.

At their October opening, Tropical Ranch Botanical Gardens will feature Janelle Gearing, a Butterfly Garden Expert , who will talk about how to attract butterflies to your garden and how to provide food for them throughout their various stages of life. There is no charge and everyone is invited to attend at 10 AM on Saturday, October 18. Beautiful door prizes will be raffled off to seminar attendees - butterfly garden "starter" sets for attracting butterflies.

Exhibits containing many of the backyard butterflies found in Florida will be on display. In addition, for several varieties, there will be examples of the four stages in the life of these types of butterflies.

Diane Rexroad and Jim Haines, the owners and designers of TRBG will show local gardeners what can be accomplished in Martin County within the ten theme gardens: the International, Oriental/Bamboo, Butterfly Garden, the Mexican Patio area, the Wine & Cheese Gazebo, the Wedding Gazebo and Moonlight Garden, an Herb and Spice Garden, a Palm Tree Garden, the Champion Tree Garden, and the latest addition, the Waterfall and Aquatic Garden. The website contains many photographs that highlight these areas ( www.tropicalranchbotanicalgardens.com).

TRBG has been featured in the Stuart News, Florida Gardening Magazine, The Palm Beach Post, and Stuart Magazine as well as other local publications. Since the opening of these unique and diverse gardens to the public in 2005, Diane Rexroad and Jim Haines have never charged an admission fee - their mission has been to encourage everyone who is interested in gardening to see what is possible to grow in the Martin County area. You are invited to visit these splendid gardens that surround their home.

TRBG will have a large collection of rare and unusual plants for sale, samples of which are planted in the garden and homeowners can see them in attractive settings. Do you want to plant your own BUTTERFLY GARDEN or perhaps you are looking for COLORFUL, DROUGHT-TOLERANT PLANTS? All of the plants are for sale at reasonable prices, and gardening experts will be available to answer your gardening questions.

As always, the public is invited to stroll through the lushly landscaped, three acre Botanical Gardens. Local gardeners will see what can be accomplished in Martin County within the ten theme gardens. Tropical Ranch Botanical Gardens will be open Saturday and Sunday, October 18-19, 9 AM-3 PM. There will be hundreds of rare and hard-to-find plants for sale ranging from large palms and bamboo to plants appropriate for container gardening. The Gardens are located at 1905 SW Ranch Trail in the Tropical Farms area of Martin County. Please telephone for directions or further information (772-283-5565) or go to our website: www.tropicalranchbotanicalgardens.com.