Exploring Sonoma County, indoors and outdoors

SONOMA

Sharon Santoni, the blogger behind “My French Country Home,” will give a free talk on the beauty of French decorating and entertaining June 30 at Chateau Sonoma. She will bring examples of her new “My Stylish French Box,” a quarterly subscription box for Francophiles. Santoni works directly with French brands to create this curated box of items. She also will sign copies of her book “My French Country Home.” 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., 23588 Arnold Drive.

chateausonoma.com, 707-935-8553.

PETALUMA

The 17th annual Art & Garden Festival takes place July 8 and the event makes for a great family outing. There will be gardeners, artisans, live music and local wineries, breweries and restaurants. The event is free, but you have to purchase a tasting package to partake in wine, craft beer, cocktails and food tasting. There will be 145 booths of unique, handmade items. Experts will be on hand from the Petaluma Garden Club and the Sonoma County Master Gardeners to answer gardening questions. 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., 210 Lakeville St., Petaluma.

petalumadowntown.com, 707-762-9348.

MENDOCINO COAST

The Mendocino Art Center is celebrating its 26th anniversary with a Mendocino Coast Garden Tour on June 30. You'll get a behind-the-scenes look at some of the coast's most striking private gardens between Albion and Fort Bragg. On the tour, the center's garden shop will be featuring garden art and a range of plants. Tickets for the tour are $40 per person and can be purchased online at

mendocinoartcenter.org. But you'll have to pick up the tickets at the center, 45200 Little Lake St., in Mendocino by June 29 to get a map of the gardens you'll visit. Check the website for all the events surrounding the tour. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., 707-937-5818.

GLEN ELLEN

Bay Area butterfly expert Don Mahoney will share insights about the colorful winged creatures on June 30 at Quarryhill Botanical Garden. He will help identify a host of butterflies inhabiting the garden, including Pipevine Swallowtail, Painted Lady, Red Admiral, Buckeye, Skipper, Tiger Swallowtail and West Coast Lady. The garden has a few gentle hilly trails so participants should wear walking shoes and bring water and binoculars if they have them. Mahoney is the president of the Hallberg Butterfly Gardens and curator at the San Francisco Botanical Garden. He earned a Ph.D. in Wildland Resource Science from UC Berkeley.

Advanced registration is required. The fee is $15 for members and $20 for nonmembers. To register, visit

quarryhill.org. 10 a.m. to 11 a.m., 12841 Sonoma Highway, Glen Ellen. 707-996-3166.