The 26th annual Soroptimist Gala Garden Show will take place Saturday and Sunday, March 15-16, at the Sequim Boys & Girls Club, 400 W. Fir St.

The event will be from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday.

Over the past six years, Soroptimist International of Sequim has given more than $247,000 to organizations whose mission aligns with theirs and to fund scholarships and awards. The Gala Garden Show is one of the group’s fundraising initiatives.

Here is the weekend’s schedule:

Saturday

9:30-10:30 a.m.

Judy English and Jeanette Stehr-Green, Master Gardeners – Growing Tomatoes on the North Olympic Peninsula

Learn to grow tomatoes from the best! Join Judy English and Jeanette Stehr-Green to discuss how tomatoes are the most popular garden plant on the planet and how to grow them. They will cover how local gardeners really need to modify their efforts to be successful in our cool summers and short growing season along with other growing tips.

Judy English is a popular speaker, writer, and educator on various gardening topics. She was awarded the Lifetime Achievement status with Clallam County Master Gardeners in 2014.

Jeanette Stehr-Green is a popular speaker and frequent contributor to local newspaper columns and the biweekly KSQM Garden Show. Stehr-Green attained the Lifetime Achievement status with Clallam County Master Gardeners in 2010 and was the 2012 Clallam County Master Gardener of the Year. She received the WSU Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award in 2024.

11 a.m.-noon

Keith Dekker, Master Gardener – Pruning Tips for the Home Landscape

Keith Dekker indicates his favorite task in the garden is pruning. It is a combination of art and science and allows you to work with the plant’s structure and natural shape. Dekker invites the community to join his class and learn to understand the plant’s growing habit and how that plant will react to your pruning techniques.

Dekker has been involved in horticulture for over 47 years. The last 32 years of his career have been focused on the comprehensive care of residential landscapes in the Pacific Northwest. Dekker is a Clallam County Master Gardener and active volunteer with PlantAmnesty.

1-2 p.m.

Sofie’s Florist with designer Sharrai Morgan – Floral Design Using Local Flowers and Foliage

Sofie’s Florist is a platinum sponsor for the 26th Annual Gala Garden Show. Owner Lacey Lovell, a passionate floral designer and community advocate, has grown Sofie’s into a destination for more than just flowers. As a woman-owned business, Lovell supports local causes, especially those empowering women, special needs children, and pets. By sponsoring the Soroptimist Gala Garden show, Lovell and her staff aim to further its mission of connection and service within Clallam County.

Sofie’s Florist presents designer Sharrai Morgan. She will bring her expertise and creativity on using local growable foliage and flowers. Morgan holds numerous certifications in design and serves on the board of the American Institute of Floral Designers as the Northwest Regional Representative and the past NW president and national marketing chair.

Sunday

10-11 a.m.

Margery Whites, Master Gardener – Gardening Newcomers to the North Olympic Peninsula

Whites will focus on the steps to successful gardening from identifying factors important for selecting the right plant for the right place in your yard. She will share her discoveries with newcomers to reduce work and costs and allow newcomers to enjoy their efforts.

Whites became a Master Gardener in 2016 after realizing that living on the peninsula presented different challenges to gardening from when she lived in Minnesota.

11:30-12:30 p.m.

Lissy Moriarty, Brambles Design Studio – Landscape and Design – Simplify, Restore, Thrive: Designing Impactful Landscapes with Low Maintenance Needs

Many of us think that to have a garden and landscape it needs to be a manicured and managed space. This leads many to design landscapes that require an abundance of upkeep and cost. Moriarty will help you decide how you would like to use your landscape and look at what should be restored to its natural environmental state.

Born and raised in Joyce, Washington, Moriarty graduated from California Polytechnic in California with a Bachelor of Science degree in horticulture and from Writtle University College in Essex, United Kingdom with a master’s degree in landscape architecture. She worked in New Zealand, Australia, and now works in the Pacific Northwest.

1-2 p.m.

Sue Goetz – Featured Speaker – Easy Container Gardens for Food and Flavor

Sue Goetz, author and speaker, will give a presentation on container gardening for those who want food on their back porch, deck, or rooftop garden. She presents an easy and accessible approach to gardening by mingling veggies, fruits and herbs in small spaces.

Goetz is certified as a professional horticulturist with the Washington State Nursery and Landscape Association (WSNLA), is current president of the Association of Professional Landscape Designers Washington Chapter (APLD), a member of the Northwest Horticultural Society and a member of GardenComm. She is the author of “Complete Container Herb Gardening,” “A Taste for Herbs” and “The Herb Lover’s Spa Book.”