Welcome back gardeners! The “Get it Growing” column has returned, offering another year of gardening articles. Published every Wednesday, March through October, the goal is to provide inspiration and evidence-based information to the public about sustainable home gardening practices.
Each article is researched, written, and edited by a team of Clallam County Master Gardener (MG) volunteers.
Each MG trainee goes through Washington State University (WSU) training that is based on scientific research and taught by experts in the field. After completing training, volunteers perform a dedicated number of hours of service to become a certified Master Gardner. Advanced training and continuing education are yearly requirements for continued certification.
In addition to this column, Clallam County MG volunteers have a myriad of ways to reach out to the community. The Plant Clinics are designed to answer questions from home gardeners, provide science-based advice, and solve plant and insect mysteries.
The weekly in-person Plant Clinics that were held in Sequim and Port Angeles have been temporarily replaced with email inquiries (see sidebar). Although the format has changed, the dedication has not. When volunteers cannot come up with an answer to a question, they have access to state-wide WSU diagnostic services for further research and analysis.
In the past, our MG volunteers have held workshops and lectures covering gardening topics in regularly scheduled series. These presentations have temporarily moved online to Zoom video sessions, where participants can engage and ask questions. Presentations will also be made available online shortly afterward at this link: extension.wsu.edu/clallam/mg/resources/local-articles.
Local Master Gardeners maintain the 2.4-acre Woodcock Demonstration Garden at 2711 Woodcock Road in Sequim, where the public can get gardening ideas and see what grows well in our climate. The garden is broken up into specific areas of interest that include various types of vegetable beds, an orchard, herb gardens and a plethora of ornamental plantings.
The Spring Plant Sale at Woodcock Demonstration Garden is scheduled this year for Saturday, May 7 , has always been an important fundraiser and community favorite. We look forward to fine tuning the details this spring so be sure to keep the date reserved on your calendar to attend.
The Fifth Street Community Garden, located at 328 E. Fifth St., Port Angeles, is another gardening site with an area maintained by MGs and used for outreach activities. Information on walks and activities at this garden can be found on our website. At both gardens, visitors are welcome but are required to follow all COVID-19 precautions in accordance with current county health guidelines.
Community involvement is a key goal of these programs. MGs are proud of their long-standing partnership with a number of local partnering organizations. We depend on them, as much as our community members and volunteers. Together we make our region a fun place to garden, learn, and grow! We look forward to bringing you information every week to make your gardens more enjoyable and maintainable.
Marilyn Marshall is a WSU Clallam County Master Gardener Intern and editor of the weekly “Get it Growing” column. Laurel Moulton is the Clallam County Master Gardener Program Coordinator.
