UC Davis' outdoor beauty is by no means confined to the arboretum and the Stebbins Cold Canyon Reserve. Consider our rose fields, for example: eight acres of them — and come Saturday (May 7), you're invited to take a tour.

“Celebrate Mother's Day (the next day, May 8) with a trip to see one of UC Davis' best kept secrets, Foundation Plant Services,” the organizers said.

The occasion is the fourth annual rose tour and sale, presented by the Center for Urban Horticulture.

Foundation Plant Services produces and distributes virus and disease-free plant materials throughout the state.

The rose sale is planned from 8 a,m. to 5 p.m., with proceeds supporting the Center for Urban Horticulture. The rose fields will be available for viewing from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., via tour bus from the Foundation Plant Services parking lot. Admission is free and open to the public, with no registration required.

A workshop is planned from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., with lunch included — and with registration required. The workshop program includes a budding and grafting workshop, and a direct stick propagation workshop. The organizers said workshop participants can tour the rose fields and visit the rose sale before and after the workshop.

Workshop fee: $35, including materials (bud wood, rootstocks plants, etc.) and a miniature pot rose. Registration and more information.

Foundation Plant Services is at 455 Hopkins Road, at the southwest corner of Hopkins and Straloch roads, south of Hutchison Drive on the west side of Highway 113. (Map: fpms.ucdavis.edu/map.html.)

Rose sale: $25 each, or $22 each for five or more, or $18 each for 10 or more. Cash or check only. Free minifloribunda to the first 200 guests. Experts will be available at a Roses 101 table. See what's for sale (click on "Rose Sale Catalog" at the bottom of the page).

AT THE ARBORETUM

Walk with Warren: California Wildflowers — With Warren Roberts, retired superintendent of the arboretum. Noon Wednesday, May 11, gazebo.

Poetry in the Garden: Amy Champ — The presenter is a graduate student of performance studies at UC Davis, a filmmaker, and a teacher of yoga and meditation, as well as a poet. Her research and writing deal with yoga studies, women’s sacred arts, ritual performance and transnational feminism. Noon-1 p.m. Thursday, May 12, Wyatt Deck. (In the event of rain, this program will be moved to the Foster Room, 1138 Meyer Hall.)

The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) — The Davis Shakespeare Ensemble, in association with Friends of the UC Davis Arboretum, presents this "irreverent, fast-paced romp" through the Bard’s 37 plays. Directed by Gia Battista. 8 p.m. Thursday-Sunday, May 12-15 and 19-22, and 2 p.m. Sunday, May 12 and 19, gazebo. Tickets: $12 adults, $8 students, $5 children 12 and under. Reservations: davis.shakespeare@gmail.com. More information is available online or by e-mail, davis.shakespeare@gmail.com.

Folk Music Jam Sessions — Pull out your fiddles, guitars, mandolins, penny whistles, pipes, flutes, squeezeboxes — you name it! — and join your fellow musicians during the lunch hour for a little bluegrass, old-time, blues, Celtic, klezmer and other world music. All skill levels welcome. Listeners, too! Noon Friday, May 13 and 27, Wyatt Deck.

Plant sale — End-of-Season Clearance, featuring reduced prices on exceptional plants, with experienced gardeners on hand to help you choose the best plants for your garden design and conditions. Ten percent discount for members of Friends of the UC Davis Arboretum; new members receive a free plant. 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, May 14, Arboretum Teaching Nursery.

Storytime Through the Seasons: Los Colores de la Primavera/The Colors of Spring — Traditional stories, games, crafts and more. All ages are welcome for this program that combines Latin American culture with the colors of spring. Presented by the Arboretum Ambassadors, environmental leadership interns. 2-4 p.m. Sunday, May 15, Wyatt Deck.

Spring Musical Gathering — The second of two such casual affairs, featuring the Sacramento City College World Music Ensemble in its first collaboration with the arboretum. Everyone is welcome to sit back (bring chairs!) and enjoy the music. You're also welcome to bring your own instruments and join in. Bob Wren, Sacramento City College instructor, will direct. 5-7 p.m. Sunday, May 15, gazebo.

Buscando los Raices — A Spanish-language tour of California native plants, with topics to include California ecology and traditional uses if native plants. Presented by the Arboretum Ambassadors, environmental leadership interns. All ages are welcome for this tour — to be conducted entirely in Spanish. 11 a.m. Saturday, May 21, Wyatt Deck.

All programs are open to the public, and all are free except the art workshop and the Shakespeare production. More information: (530) 752-4880 or arboretum.ucdavis.edu (for directions, click on “Plan Your Visit”).

AT STEBBINS COLD CANYON

NATURE OUTINGS

• Stargazing: Tour of the Night Sky — Bryn Bishop returns to leads two evening programs, focusing on constellations, planets and deep sky objects. In addition, she will share stories on the mythology of the night sky. A 1¼-mile hike, slightly uphill, to a meadow. Wear appropriate clothing for evening; binoculars are optional. 8-11 p.m. Saturday, May 7, and 8:30-11:30 p.m. Saturday, June 4.

• By the Banks of Putah Creek — Tom and Ginny Cahill lead this hike on their property, northeast of Stebbins Cold Canyon, allowing people to explore a remote section of Putah Creek. A one-mile hike in, with an optional, longer hike paralleling the creek or climbing to a ridge. This outing is a perfect opportunity to sit by the creek, have lunch and listen to some stories about the area. 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, May 14.

• Dance: It’s Only Natural! — A celebration of rhythm and movement and nature. 9 a.m.-noon Sunday, May 15.

• Homestead Jamboree — A combination of hiking, music and an old-style family picnic. A 1 1/4-mile hike (one way) on the Homestead Trail will lead to a tall tree canopy, for lunch and an impromptu concert by local musicians, including Keith Cary, Wyatt Hesselmeyer and many more. Bring an instrument or your voice if you want to join in. Last year, the music inspired men, women and children to get up and dance. Come out and join the fun and see what the music and the canyon inspires in you.10 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, May 21. (This event was previously bills as a Stebbins Canyon Celebration, which it still is, but in a different format.)

• Photography and Nature: Take Only Photos, Leave Only Footprints — Daniel Ng leads this tour, helping people with their film or a digital cameras (participants provide their own). 9 a.m.-noon Sunday, May 22.

• Loop Trail: Sunrise Hike — Hike the Loop Trail as the sun cimbs into the sky before the shortest night of the year. Five miles of ups and downs, with a 1,200-foot elevation gain. Many steps are interspersed with breathtaking views. Participants are advised to wear sturdy shoes, and to bring sunscreen, snack and at least a liter of water. 5-10 a.m. Saturday, June 18. (An earlier posting gave the wrong date for this adventure.)

NATURE’S THEATRE: Nature Play for Kids

Nature’s Theatre invites children to become part of the story and learn from Mother Nature, Professor Planthead and Tiny and Whiny, to name a few.

Each outing is an opportunity to play outside and learn a little bit more about the secrets of nature. All programs run from 10 a.m. to noon.

• Consumasaurus, the Dragon (ages 6-10) — Saturday, May 7

• Nature Heroes (ages 5-10) — Saturday, May 14

• Glug, Glug and the Water Boss (water play for kids, ages 5-10) — Sunday, June 5

SIGN-UPS

All activities are open to the public. Optional fees: $5 per person or $10 per family. Activities fill up fast; reservations are required. E-mail Jeff Falyn, jfalyn@ucdavis.edu, with your name, address, event date, and phone number and-or e-mail address, and indicate whether you need directions. More information, including the complete schedule.