Spectacular ‘Savage' plants are the frightfully fun focus at this Encinitas garden

THE PRE-HALLOWEEN SEASON, which in some quirkier quarters faithfully begins the day after the Fourth of July, can mean various things in different parts of the Golden State. Some of the major autumn attractions, the ones with mazes filled with monsters, begin their casting calls before August arrives while stage shows, the kind with plenty of eerie on-stage razzamatazz, announce their October schedules. And at one gorgeous garden in Encinitas? That prickly, potent, and panache-filled run-up is all about plants rather than costumes, cosmetics, and creepy moments. Though there are certainly spectacular sights with a creepier edge at "Savage Gardens: The Real and Imaginary World of Carnivorous Plants," the brand-new exhibition on view at the Dickinson Family Education Center at San Diego Botanic Garden through Oct. 29. That concluding date tells a lot of the spine-tingling story: This event is very much about a spookier side of nature, sprinkled with a delightful dose of super-sized art.

A 10-FOOT-TALL VENUS FLYTRAP SCULPTURE... is one eye-catching piece, and if you're wondering if hydraulics are involved, all to show how this obsessed-over specimen "snaps" its trap, you are thinking in the right dastardly direction. Other mega artworks dot the greenery-packed center, a capacious space that is also filled with an incredible "collection of real carnivorous species" (so cool). And if you happen to call upon the Encinitas destination on a weekend? You might be able to purchase a plant or two (vendors will visit on select dates).

TALK ABOUT PERFECT TIMING: The scenic 37-acre garden was also just in the headlines for a stink-a-riffic Corpse Flower, which began to open for its famously brief run in early July. The appearance of the notoriously "nosey" blossom is serving as a perfect kick-off to the brand-new "Savage Gardens" exhibit, which reminds us that the wilder world brims with all sorts of wickedly wonderful superstars.