UC Marin Master Gardeners at the Marin County Fair 2025
Good Bugs, Bad Bugs!
Visit UC Marin Master Gardeners at our NEW LOCATION at the Marin County Fair
July 2-July 6, 2025 11am-7pm
Marin County Fairgrounds
East side of the Veteran's Memorial Auditorium
10 Avenue of the Flags
San Rafael CA 94903
Ask a Master Gardener - Daily 11am to 7pm
This year’s Master Gardeners County Fair booth will focus on the amazing insects that live in our gardens. Meet the rock stars of the insect world and learn how to out smart pests with an earth-friendly approach
Discover, Get Answers, Be Inspired
Join us to discover all the ways Marin Master Gardeners can help you garden. Get your gardening questions answered by trained and UC-certified Master Gardeners.
Learn about insect pests and pollinators & how to take an earth-friendly approach to gardening with our Integrated Pest Management.
Have some fun and take part in our Scavenger Hunt. Spin the Wheel to learn more about Good Bugs, Bad Bugs and those that are Both.
Exhibit Hall Speakers 12-12:45pm
UC Marin Master Gardeners will also be giving talks and presentations throughout the fair days.
- Fundamentals of Aesthetic Pruning: Vision, Technique, and Plant Essence
Speakers: David Ross & Sharna Brockett
Date: July 2, 2025
Wish you knew how to prune your Japanese maple, lemon tree, Camilla or native plant? Come learn the basic concepts and techniques for aesthetic pruning: the "What" you want to prune and the "Why" that guides the "How" and "When" to prune for the essence of the plant. David Ross and Sharna Brockett are fourth year journeymen pruners who will demonstrate these techniques to shape plants in harmony with their natural structure.
- Growing Strawberries
Speaker: Judy Orsini
Date: July 3, 2025
Are you interested in growing strawberries or have you tried to do so unsuccessfully in the past? Come and learn which varieties are recommended, what their requirements are for light, soil, water and fertilizer, how to plant and care for your plants, how to propagate them, and what to do about diseases and pests. Judy Orsini is a UC Marin Master Gardener specializing in edible plants and helped initiate the Mill Valley Community Garden.
- Monarchs in Marin
Speaker: Peter Norton
Date: July 5, 2025
Monarch butterflies are in danger of extinction here in California. Learn about their life cycle needs and practical steps that we can take to help them survive. Come be inspired to make your yard a friendly natural habitat for the creatures around us! Peter Norton is one of the lead volunteers at the Marin Master Gardener demonstration gardens at the Falkirk Cultural Center in San Rafael with a particular interest in creating native plant habitats.
- Dazzling Dahlias
Speaker: Paula Jaffee
July 5, 2025
Be WOW’ed by Dahlias! Learn how to successfully grow large , strong dahlias in our Marin clay soil. Topics include: plant selection, how to plant, growing dahlias in containers and how to protect them against pest damage. Paula Jaffe grows over 80 dahlias on 2/3 acre in Tiburon which enjoys the distinction an eight page spread in Better Homes & Gardens about her “Dazzling Dahlias.”
- Backyard Birds and Bird Habitat
Speaker: Bob Mauceli
July 6, 2025
Over 500 species of birds have been seen in Marin County and you can see some of them just by looking out your windows into your backyard. In this presentation you will learn about some of the most frequently seen of these backyard birds and how to make them easier to see by building a simple, sustainable bird-friendly habitat garden. Bob Mauceli is an avid bird watcher with a passion for creating natural habitats in the garden.
Plant Sale July 7th (Morning after the Fair)
10 Avenue of the Flags
Cash or checks only