Maymont is seeking donations of greenery, floral arrangements, wreaths, swags and other seasonal items for its “Deck the Halls” auction next week. To donate, call Maymont volunteer Beverly Bouse at (804) 356-4003. Donations of greenery also will help Maymont horticulture staffers as they decorate the estate for the holiday season. Greenery needed includes holly, juniper, white pine, cedar, berried plants, boxwood and nandina. Call (804) 358-7166, ext. 326, for more information.

Richmond-area school districts that send classes to participate in educational programs at Maymont will now have to pay a per-student fee, the organization announced yesterday. Maymont officials said imposing fees for the programs, which were offered free of charge, is necessary because of a drop in charitable donations and reduced funding from the city and county governments, which traditionally have supported the park near the James River in Richmond.

Maymont, the popular Richmond park that is trying to weather the economic downturn, announced yesterday that effective July 7 it will charge admission fees for its Nature Center exhibits. The fees will be $2 for children 4 to 12 and seniors ages 60 and older; $3 for those 13 to 59 and free for children under 4. Admission will remain free for Maymont members.

Packages marked “handle with care” began arriving at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden this week. It’s hard to imagine more fragile contents than butterflies—actually chrysalides—in the pupa stage of their metamorphosis.

Establishing a butterfly habitat is as simple as choosing the right plants. Your garden will need host plants, which caterpillars feed on, and nectar plants, the food of adult butterflies. “Butterflies like waves of plants, not onesies and twosies,“ said Peggy Singlemann, horticulture director at Maymont. “With a mass grouping, they don’t destroy your one plant. They have more food to choose from.“

The economy is so rough that even the river otters at Maymont are getting hit with furloughs. The popular Richmond park has closed its Nature Center on Mondays to reduce expenses in the face of sagging donations and budget cuts. “It’s indefinite at this point,“ said Norman Burns, executive director of the nonprofit Maymont Foundation, which manages the 100-acre property for the city.

Looking to beautify your garden and bolster your culinary prowess? Pick up a variety of rich green, aromatic potted herbs. They’re easy to grow, add variety to your landscape and provide fresh flavor to anything you cook. A good place to start is at Herbs Galore & More, which celebrates its 25th anniversary at Maymont tomorrow. The area’s first big plant sale of the season drew almost 5,000 people last year, according to Cathie Rosenberg, Maymont’s director of marketing.

When it comes to cooking with fresh herbs, Shaun Mercer says you might make an occasional misstep and overzealously season a dish too strongly. “But you’re going to have a lot more good meals in the end,“ said Mercer, of Lavender Fields Farm in Glen Allen, which sells a wide assortment of herbs and holds classes on how to cook with them.

Matt Goldman wants everyone with a backyard, balcony or pot full of dirt to try growing fruit. Blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, figs, even certain species of kiwi will thrive in Richmond, said Goldman, nursery manager at Virginia Berry Farm, a Ruther Glen business that sells plants through catalogs and retail garden centers.

WHAT’S HAPPENING Dance lessons anyone? Lively lessons at Rigby’s Jig Dance Studio on West Broad Street recently generated a frolicking good time as the Dooley Noted Society—Maymont’s young professionals—hosted its fourth annual Salsa Soiree. Rigby’s Jig owner Eleanor Robertson guided novices and experienced dancers through the flirty steps of the salsa and merengue—energetic, partner-dances of Caribbean, Latin American and African origins. Couples filled the dance floor as Robertson circulated among them offering words of encouragement and suggestions for refinements of technique.

Dolphus Vest proposed to Shannon McConnell on a horse-drawn carriage during last year’s Christmas celebration at Maymont in Richmond. McConnell said yes.