UPPER LAKE, Calif. – Attention gardeners and nature lovers: Don’t miss Upper Lake’s Horticultural Happening, taking place on Main Street from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 27, and Sunday, April 28.

Under the auspices of the Upper Lake Community Council, the weekend event will celebrate Lake County’s horticultural abundance and diversity with an array of experts from the Bay Area to the North Coast region.

The event is open to the public and is free of charge.

The historic red barn on Main Street will feature display gardens created by esteemed regional landscape designers such as Theresa Mathur/Edible Garden (Scotts Valley), Star Gardens (Middletown); and Mendocino College Agriculture Department (Ukiah).

Work by modern-day blacksmith and architectural sculptor Michael Bondi, recently featured in the Wall Street Journal, also will be showcased in the red barn, as will Katy Gibbs with her torch-cut metal gates.

EcoArts of Lake County will do a special installation of nature-inspired sculpture in the Tallman Hotel gardens and in the Blue Wing Saloon featuring the work of local artists Lisa Kaplan, Karen Turcotte, Sheila O’Hara, Kevin Byrnes, Lee Farnsworth and Rick Foltz.

Plant displays will include Simply Succulents (Fort Bragg), Urban Tree Farm (Santa Rosa), and Juliana Schleuder’s display of mushrooms used for dyes with samples of dyed materials. For gardening on a smaller scale, don’t miss Stephen Dilley’s container gardening display.

Learn how to make suet for bird feed by visiting 4-Her Emma Farrell’s booth in the red barn.

At Tallman Hotel’s Riffe’s Meeting House, a lineup of renowned experts will speak on topics ranging from creating bird friendly gardens by Julie Serences of Sacramento Audubon and vibrant gardens for inland Mendocino and Lake Counties by Kate Frey to Grow Biointensive farming by Ryan Batjiaka, composting by Terre Logsdon, plus tips on how to transform your garden and community with permaculture by Denise Rushing.

Gardening-related vendors will include Chris Ruttan/Olive Trees, Lake & Mendocino Seed Bank, Lightning Rod Gallery with plants/paintings/bird boxes/garden items; and Mendo Mill with a range of gardening accoutrement.

Kelseyville Kids Garden Club leader, Helen Finch will inspire young gardeners by teaching them how to plant seeds and presenting participants with a seedling they can take home to nurture.

Event sponsors include Tallman Hotel, Redbud Audubon Society, Lightning Rod Gallery and Lake County Wine Studio.

For more information call Tallman Hotel at 707-275-2244. Extension 0, or visit www.growwithupperlake.tumblr.com .