• Putting the garden to bed
• Building healthy garden soils for better vegetables
• Pitcher plants and waterwise wonders
• Seeking community scientists for beaver surveys!

Washington County Master Gardener classes

Putting the garden to bed

Saturday, September 19, 10 am-noon, 17705 NW Springville Rd., Building 4, Room 103

Fall is a great time to prepare for winter and to set up your garden for success year-round. We will share tips for landscape plants, best practices for planting trees and shrubs, tasks to prepare the vegetable and fruit garden for winter, and techniques to protect the soil. The in-class section will be followed by a visit to the WCMGA Education Garden for a demo of our tips including proper planting technique, and then a visit to the PCC RC vegetable and fruit garden to discuss techniques to prepare for winter. Helpful references will also be provided. Presented by Fran Beebe, Lisa Hansen, and Sue Ryburn, OSU Extension MG Volunteers

*Class approved for 1 hour Continuing Education credit for MG Perennials.

Building healthy garden soils for better vegetables

Tuesday, September 1, 7-8 pm, Zoom Webinar (pre-registration required)

We will focus on the techniques you can deploy to improve the health of your garden soil and as a result the quality of your fruits and vegetables. What are the characteristics of a healthy soil and what is the role of “Soil Organic Matter” in building healthy garden soils? Bruce will try to tease out how results from “No Till” farmland research can inform your garden soil improvement process. We will review the common techniques of soil improvement (and their drawbacks), ranging from extreme no-till to the disruption of “Double Dig,” all of which try to preserve and increase soil organic matter, ending with a description of Bruce’s process of garden soil improvement. Presented by Bruce Gravens, farmer and OSU master gardener volunteer, Douglas County

*Class approved for 1 hour Continuing Education credit for MG Perennials. Register for the webinar here.

Pitcher plants and waterwise wonders

Saturday, September 12, 10 am-noon, 8005 SW Grabhorn Rd., Beaverton

Dive into the fascinating world of carnivorous and drought-tolerant plants, exploring the unique structures of pitcher plants and the diverse shapes, textures, and adaptations that allow waterwise plants to thrive. Learn a little about where some of these plants come from, their growing requirements, and how to care for them. The class will also include a brief introduction to nature journaling where you’ll learn to use simple prompts and materials to more deeply connect and engage with nature, truly see the world around you, and draw and write about what you see.

You’ll get a guided tour of the Learning Garden’s pitcher plant bed and waterwise area and have the opportunity to journal about your observations in a fun, interactive environment. Bring your own journal, pens, and pencils to class or use provided paper and writing/drawing materials. No previous nature journaling experiences necessary. Presented by Terri Rottman, Artist & OSU Extension MG Volunteer and Cindy Muir, OSU Extension MG Volunteer

*Class approved for 1 hour Continuing Education credit for MG Perennials

Seeking community scientists for beaver surveys!

Thursday, September 10, 5:30-7 pm, Zoom webinar (registration required) Saturday, September 12, 4:30-6 pm, 2850 NE Brookwood Pkwy., Hillsboro (registration required)

Join The Wetlands Conservancy’s volunteer field team as we explore wetlands in search of beaver activity! All through September and October, we’ll search for dams and lodges throughout Washington County and the Tualatin River Watershed. No experience or commitment necessary. Anyone interested in learning about beaver ecology is encouraged to attend. There are two options for training—virtual or in-person. The in-person event will allow new trainees to try on various pairs of chest waders to see which might work best for them. You can register for the Zoom webinar here; for the in-person event, registration is via this link.