Programs & Projects

Connect with Master Gardeners In-Person and Online

	Gardening Advice - Ask a Master Gardener: Are you puzzled by a pest, a plant problem or something else in the garden? The Master Gardeners are here to help! Submit your question online, and our team will research your query and provide a timely response. You can also browse our knowledge base to find troubleshooting tips for tomatoes, roses, gophers and more.
	In-Person and Online Classes: Whether you’re new to gardening or want to dig into a specific interest, we are here for you. We offer an array of in-person and online classes that cover everything from native plants to vegetable gardens.
	Sustainable and Affordable Plants for Sale: Our plant propagation team offers a robust menu of plants available for sale in spring and fall to provide gardeners with water-wise, drought-tolerant plants that thrive in our climate. Join our mailing list or follow us on Instagram or Facebook for announcements and updates.
	Public Information Booths: Master Gardeners of Monterey, Santa Cruz and San Benito Counties can be found at Public Information Booths at many local farmers markets and gardening events. View our events calendar to find out where we’ll be in the community.
	Become a Master Gardener: Garden and nature enthusiasts are invited to join the University of California Master Gardeners program. Residents of Monterey, Santa Cruz and San Benito Counties to apply to join our program.

Our Work in the Gardens

Pinto Lake County Park Demonstration Garden: Our demonstration garden provides hands-on community education for sustainable gardening practices. Built from the ground up by our Master Gardeners, the space offers an orchard, a children's area, a California native meadow, an assortment of raised beds and more. Visit the garden to see how edible and ornamental plants thrive using a range of horticultural techniques and garden designs.

We invite visitors to the garden during our volunteer shift times, for either self-guided or personal tours. You are also encouraged to join an event or class. 

Location: Pinto Lake County Park, 757 Green Valley Road, Watsonville.

Getting to the garden: We recommend you input the garden address (Pinto Lake County Park, 757 Green Valley Road, Watsonville) into your GPS. The garden is at Pinto Lake COUNTY Park, not Pinto Lake CITY Park. The county park is located about a mile from the city park (also on Green Valley Road). Once inside the park, drive to the last parking lot. The demonstration garden is a short walk from there.

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Image	Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History: Master Gardeners serve as garden docents for the Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History’s Native Plant and Pollinator Garden by providing hands-on plant maintenance and by sharing knowledge with museum visitors.
Image	Rancho Cielo, Salinas: Master Gardeners visit the Rancho Cielo campus to teach students enrolled at John Muir Charter High School about gardening topics ranging from organics to composting to irrigation — and more.
Image	San Juan Bautista State Historic Park: Master Gardeners help maintain the gardens and answer visitor questions at this 6-acre California State Park. At the Amah Mutsun Garden, we offer gardening support to the Native Plant Stewardship of the Amah Mutsun Land Trust, which focuses its efforts on planting and maintaining local California native plants that are culturally significant to the indigenous Ohlone-Amah Mutsun people.
Image	UC Santa Cruz Arboretum & Botanic Garden: Master Gardeners volunteer in the greenhouse and answer questions from arboretum visitors about California native and Mediterranean climate native plants.