A new season of Master Gardener Workshops is underway! The series kicked off with “Fall Vegetable and Seed Starting” on August 23, and will conclude on December 6 with “Gardening for a Lifetime.” In all, this Fall Series totals 18 workshops, covering eleven all-new topics and seven important basics. There is something here for every type of gardener and every size of home garden, whether you maintain a balcony of plants in containers or produce fruit and vegetables on a large plot for your family, friends and neighbors.
A number of new workshops focus on issues related to our changing (and hotter) climate, including how to deal with heat in the garden; how to design your landscape for a hotter, drier climate; the benefits of native plants in our challenging environment; and steps you can take to manage your garden during prolonged drought conditions.
Interested in adding a new gardening skill? We've got workshops on bonsai; vertical gardening; companion planting; composting with worms (vermiculture); and the use of self-watering pots and planters.
Most of the workshops will be held in the outdoor classroom located in the Master Gardener Demonstration Garden or inside Pat's Barn; both are located at the Patrick Ranch (10381 Midway, between Chico and Durham). A few workshops will be held at private residences; the workshop on native plants is a joint venture with the Paradise Garden Club and will take place in Paradise at the Terry Ashe Recreation Center. While most workshops are held during morning hours, this season several are being offered in the early evening (6 to 7:30 pm).
The following is a list of workshop topics and dates. All workshops are free, but they do require advance registration. For full descriptions of all the workshops, information on our Covid safety guidelines, and to register, visit our website.
Landscape Design for a Hotter Drier Climate (Wednesday 9/7, 6-7:30 pm). Learn to create areas in your garden that are more heat-adapted and use less water.
Self-Watering Pots and Planters (Friday 9/9, 10-11:30 am). Learn about different types of self-watering containers: how they work, the best planting mediums for them, and the kinds of plants that do and do not thrive in them.
Companion Planting with Ornamentals (Saturday 9/10, 10-11 am). Attract pollinators, deter pests and offer food for wildlife by combining plants that give one another the nutrients, shade and/or support they need.
Vermiculture: Why Do I Keep Throwing This Stuff Away When the Worms Would Love to Eat It? (Monday 9/19, 10-11:30 am). Learn how to make a simple bin that uses worms to compost kitchen waste, creating compost for your garden.
The 3 Most Important Things You Can Do in Your Garden (Thursday 9/22, 11 am -12:30 pm). Best practices for soil health, plant health and people's health are all connected. Three processes are key: no till; no bare soil, and no herbicides, pesticides, or synthetic fertilizers.
Propagation (Tuesday 9/27, 9-10:30 am). Learn when and how to propagate woody perennials and divide plants.
Lawn Conversion to Lower Water Use and Add Interest to Your Garden (Wednesday 10/5, 6-7:30 pm). This workshop takes you through the steps of taking out a lawn area and, eventually, replanting it to lower water bills, encourage more wildlife and create a more diverse garden.
Bonsai (Friday, 10/7, 10-11:30 am). Learn the pruning and training techniques needed to create a beautiful miniature tree.
Heat in the Garden—and What to do About It (Tuesday 10/11, 10-11:30 am). Learn to recognize symptoms of heat stress on different crops, and how to minimize these harmful effects.
Composting (Tuesday, 10/18, 10-11:30 am). This workshop covers a variety of approaches to creating compost, from simple to complex.
Vertical Gardening plus Edible Gardening (Thursday 10/27, 10-11:30 am). Maximize your garden space by growing fruits, vegetables, and vines upwards!
Drought Talk (Wednesday 11/9, 6-7:30 pm). Learn to take precautions in your garden that will help you define your gardening priorities and plan for continuing drought conditions.
Native Plants (Monday, 11/14, 1-2 pm). This workshop will take place in Paradise, where gardeners face challenges created by the Camp Fire as well as our continuing drought. Native plants and other sun-loving and drought-tolerant plants help conserve water and attract pollinators.
Drip Irrigation Installation and Maintenance (Wednesday 11/16, 6-7:30 pm). An overview of different drip irrigation systems, how to install them, and how to troubleshoot problems and make repairs.
Pruning Ornamental Trees and Shrubs (Tuesday 11/29, 12-1:30 pm). Learn when and how to prune for size and shape, and the right tools for various pruning jobs.
Fruit Tree Pruning (Saturday 12/3, 10-11:30 am). Different fruit trees bear fruit in different ways; this workshop includes a demonstration of the best way to prune various fruit trees.
Gardening for a Lifetime (Tuesday 12/6, 10-11:30 am). Practical advice about plants, labor-saving techniques, tools, and exercises to help us continue to garden successfully as we (inevitably) age.
UC Master Gardeners of Butte County are part of the University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) system. To learn more about us and our upcoming events, and for help with gardening in our area, visit our website. If you have a gardening question or problem, email the Hotline at mgbutte@ucanr.edu or leave a phone message on our Hotline at (530) 538-7201. To speak to a Master Gardener about a gardening issue, or to drop by the MG office during Hotline hours, see the most current information on our Ask Us Hotline webpage.