Spring 2026 - Volume 16, Issue 1
Editor’s Note: Spring is Finally Here!
Is there anything better than spring in Contra Costa County? After the rains, seeing the hills turn that brilliant green and watching the buds finally pop is the best reward for a winter of waiting. The recent hot spell has also really moved things along in our home garden (especially the weeds!). This issue of The Latest Dirt is as packed as our garden beds, and we're so excited to share what our members have been up to around the county.
Before we learn what’s happening in the new season, though, we have a chance to look back. Lisa Bramblet has put together a lovely recap of our December Recognition Dinner. If you missed it—or just want to relive a great night—be sure to click through the included slide shows and photo links. I’m always amazed at the absolutely Herculean contributions of CoCoMGs.
As we move into the "doing" season, Laura Brainin-Rodriguez gives us the rundown on the new Ask A Master Gardener booth schedule. Speaking of gardens, Liz Rottger’s piece on the Ribes at the Richmond Dry Garden is a must-read—this plant is an absolute showstopper right now. If you haven’t stopped by the Richmond Dry Garden lately, drop by. You’ll be so delighted. We also have a big celebration to share: the Gehringer Native Plant Garden is officially open to the public on April 4 from 12 – 3 pm! A huge thank you to the UC Master Gardener team, whose hard work every Thursday since 2022 has turned a weed–infested area, including a former parking strip, into an oasis.
Of course, spring brings its problems, but that doesn’t seem to be a problem for UC Master Gardeners and their problem–solving powers. Susan Heckly at the Help Desk shared a question from a local gardener asking about the major uptick in the Walnut Creek deer population (as many of you have probably noticed!). And Lisa Phillips also dives into Dorothy Abeyta’s expert strategies for handling fire blight. In Community Garden news, Kitty Cole interviews Darlene DeRose as she takes us inside the Martinez Discovery House Community Garden. Kitty also did some amazing research on how major gifts can help sustain our program’s mission for years to come.
Finally—the big one! The Great Tomato Plant Sales are almost here. Upcoming dates are Walnut Creek (April 11, 12, 15, and 22), Antioch (April 18), and Richmond (May 2). You’ll find the flyers at the bottom of this issue; please print them out and get them up in your neighborhoods. We’re going to need tons of help getting 70+ varieties out to our local communities, so if you have a few hours to spare, jump onto VMS and grab a volunteer slot. It’s always a whirlwind, but there’s nothing like the energy of those sale days.
Happy gardening, everyone. I'll see you out in the dirt!
Simone Adair
Editor, The Latest Dirt
Spotlight on December’s Recognition Celebration
I had intended to write a piece about our December Recognition Event, a recap of all the happenings, presentations, and details. The more I thought it over, the less I could come up with to write down. But less is more ~ and I rather think it would suffice to say in summation that ‘a good time was had by all’.
Read Lisa Bramblet recounting this wonderful event
AAMG gets ready for the 2026 Season!
Ask a Master Gardener (AAMG) started its season in March 2026. AAMG is unique in that we reach Contra Costa County residents as they go about their lives at Farmers Markets, Our Garden and single–day events throughout the county. Our season runs from March to October.
Continue reading for more AAMG details.
Hidden Gem of the Low Water Garden: The Wild Currant
In mid-January, at the Low Water Garden in Richmond, I started digging up a large area of wild onions, the personal bane of my work there. I hardly noticed the small shrub nearby. It wasn’t until a few weeks later, still digging up the wild onions, when it began to leaf out with sticky, little maple-leaf-shaped leaves that have a slightly resinous, pleasant scent, that I realized it was a wild currant.
Discover More About the Wild Current
Concord’s Gehringer Native Plant Garden Blooms
The Gehringer Native Plant Garden, designed, installed, and maintained by UC Master Gardeners, showcases California native plants that attract pollinators and thrive in Concord’s hot summers. It demonstrates how hardy, water-conserving plants can be used in homes, schools, businesses, and public gardens without pesticides, benefitting wildlife. It also provides a setting for UC Master Gardeners to develop hands-on skills in an area of growing public and business interest.
Changing Deer Behavior in Walnut Creek
Recently, the Contra Costa UC Master Gardener Help Desk received the following concern about the deer population in Walnut Creek. “I think the deer population has changed due to the climate crisis. I’ve lived here in Walnut Creek next to John Muir Medical Center for 35 years,” a local gardener wrote in.
Read all the details of this HelpDesk article
Dorothy Gets to the Root of the Problem
Dorothy Abeyta, a UC Master Gardener, frowned as she examined the sprawling pear tree. She quickly diagnosed the problem: fire blight. She explained, "It is a biotic disease caused by bacteria that overwinter, then become active in the spring. First signs are oozing, then blackened twigs and wilted buds. We have to act fast before the disease spreads to the rest of the orchard."
Here is Dorothy Abeyta's Expert Approach to Fire Blight.
Cultivating Recovery: How Gardening Transforms
Discovery House is a Contra Costa County-run facility in Martinez that houses and supports men in treatment for substance use disorder. And it’s home to one of the first Contra Costa County UC Master Gardener community gardens!
Learn More About the Discovery House Garden
Legacy and Major Gift Opportunities for CoCoMGs
Kitty Colr recently met with Scott Brayton, the Major Gifts Officer at UC Davis, and Dawn Kooyumjian, our Contra Costa County UC Master Gardener Coordinator, last year after inquiring whether we had a legacy/major gift program. We do!
It is a wonderful way to give back to the UC Master Gardener program and is quite easy.
Read more on major Gifts
Congratulations, New 2026 UC Master Gardeners!
We can't wait to meet you out in the garden! Please note that UC Master Gardener Fletcher Oakes has uploaded his beautiful photos from graduation day to Flickr at the UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa.
Spring is Here and GTPS is Near!
We are looking forward to seeing your smiling faces very soon. Please mark your calendars for the 3 locations in Contra Costa County as we’d hate for you to miss a single minute of the excitement. See you there!
Get the full scoop on this fabulous event!
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To contact us: email cocomg+subscribe@googlegroups.com to join our informal email list, CoCoMG@googlegroups.com. Moderators will add you after checking the current Contra Costa County UC Master Gardener list.
You can also sign up for our external newsletter 'News to Grow By'
Previous Issues:
TLD Fall 2025
Fall 2025 - Volume 15, Issue 3
Editor’s Note: It’s been a while since our last issue of The Latest Dirt—thank you for your patience as our team took a short break to regroup and refresh! Over the past six months, we’ve been rethinking how best to share all the great work happening across the UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa County. We’re excited to be back, ready to dig in with new stories, timely gardening tips, and updates that highlight the many ways our volunteers make a difference in the community.
We’re also thrilled to welcome the New Volunteer Training class of 2026! This group brings fresh energy, curiosity, and a love of learning that reminds us why we do what we do. We can’t wait to see them grow into their new roles and share their enthusiasm in our gardens, at events, and throughout the county. Welcome, trainees—we’re so glad you’ve joined the UC Master Gardener family!
This issue opens with warm greetings from Dawn Kooyumjian, our CoCoMG Program Coordinator, and Terri Takusagawa, an Executive Leadership Team member-at-large. Ann Ramirez, NVT Project Lead, follows with updates on the New Volunteer Training Program. Then, meet our 26 new trainees in their own words—each with a unique and inspiring story—and hear from several 2025 graduates reflecting on their first year as UC Master Gardeners.
Also in this issue: David George highlights four CoCoMGs honored as 2025 Gardeners with Heart, a statewide recognition celebrating extraordinary dedication. Bonnie Dwyer offers an essential piece on using soap and detergent safely in the garden. At the same time, Emma Connery from the Help Desk investigates the curious case of lichen growing on a client’s Japanese maple tree. David also contributes a thoughtful profile of UC Master Gardener Titiana Buchholdt, and we wrap up with a look at the Water Conservation Garden’s first Open House.
And finally, if you haven’t already, please sign up as a member on CoCoMGHub.com. This site is moderated, as it contains a wealth of resources for Master Gardener volunteers’ eyes only! This issue of The Latest Dirt will be made available there a few days after publication. See you on the Hub!
Simone Adair, Editor
