Master Gardener Margery Whites will lead a workshop for newcomers about gardening on the Olympic Peninsula from 9 a.m.-noon Saturday, May 18, at the at the Clallam County Master Gardener’s Woodcock Demonstration Garden, 2711 Woodcock Road.

The event is free but registration is required by May 16. Call the WSU Extension Office at 360-565-2678 to reserve your seat (space is limited).

This workshop is part of the Saturdays in the Garden lecture series sponsored by Clallam County Master Gardeners.

New residents to the area may face gardening and landscaping challenges in the unique climate of the Pacific Northwest. To address these challenges, Whites will divide the workshop into four sections — each beginning with a lecture, followed by small group discussions with veteran Master Gardeners.

She will first discuss how to choose appropriate plants for a homeowner’s property based on its specific microclimate.

She will then review basic landscape planning that will help homeowners grow and maintain a sustainable garden.

In the third section of the workshop, Whites will help attendees develop problem-solving techniques for specific challenges that may occur during our wet winters and dry summer months.

Finally, she will offer tools to find appropriate information and resources for additional gardening information.

A retired professor from St. Cloud State University in Minnesota, Whites moved to the area three years ago with her husband and said she experienced many challenges while trying to garden in the unique climate. She said she is excited to share what she has learned to make gardening for newcomers a successful and rewarding experience.