Winter in the Demonstration Garden

Are you looking for a short winter outing that offers natural, educational, and meditative opportunities, welcomes children, and is not too far away?

The Master Gardeners' Demonstration Garden lies just outside the Chico city limits on the Patrick Ranch property at 10381 Midway. Begun in 2013, the Demo Garden has been growing and expanding ever since, and is open to the public on Saturdays and Sundays from 11 am to 3 pm.

There are now fourteen different garden areas within the Demonstration Garden as a whole: the California Native Plant Garden highlights the beauty of natives; the All-Stars Garden features plants that do particularly well in our climate; and the closely-related Mediterranean Garden showcases plants grown around the world in areas like ours that have cool, moist winters and hot, dry summers. The Wildlife Garden presents examples of plants that pollinators and other forms of wildlife depend on.

There is a Succulent Garden area planted with low-maintenance but highly distinctive succulents; a Summer Dry Garden featuring plants that require little to no water once established; and an area Under the Oaks where the plants are happy with sun in winter and shade in summer.

For those looking for food-growing inspiration, the Edible Garden is planted with a variety of edible plants that can be grown in a home garden; and the Herb Garden offers plenty of inspiration for ways to grow herbs outside the kitchen door.

There is an Arbor Garden which demonstrates a number of ways to use structure and support for plants; an Espalier Fruit Trees section which focuses on the art and practicality of pruning and shaping fruit trees; a Backyard Orchard area planted with eight different fruit tree species; and a Heritage Almond Orchard showcasing the species of almonds planted by early agricultural pioneers to our area.

Finally, for those who are gardening in areas with poor soil or drainage, the Berm Garden provides useful ideas.

There are maps available on-site, or you can print your own map on our Demonstration Garden webpage. Why not visit to see what's in bloom or interesting to look at during this cool, quiet season? You might well gain some inspiration for additions to plant in your own home garden. Bring a notepad!

If it's the structure of bare trees you are interested in, admire the Valley Oaks (Quercus lobata) characterized by their large size and gnarly branches. They make an impressive silhouette on clear winter days. The largest of oak trees, Valley oaks thrive in hot interior valleys, grow up to 60 feet, and have been known to live for 600 years. There are many massive Valley Oaks on the Patrick Ranch property, and once you can identify them you will see them everywhere.

In every leafless tree you can observe the phenomenon called “crown shyness.” The branches of trees maintain a respectful distance from one another, reaching outward and upward, allowing more light to filter into their branches and leaves.

Moving through the Demo Garden, you will find the Edible Garden, where raised beds are covered with hoops which, when covered with fabric, provide protection from frost and marauding deer. Thriving now are lettuces, peas, kale, chard, red cabbage, and onions, all providing a solid reminder that a winter vegetable garden is possible in our region.

Along an outer fence you'll see the row of espaliered fruit trees: apples, figs, cherries, pluots, and pears are all growing happily. Espalier is the practice, going back to Roman times, of training tree branches to grow flat against a wall or fence. It's a useful option for a small garden where space is at a premium. Look closely and you may see some birds' nests!

Approaching the Outdoor Classroom, where workshops for adults and kids take place throughout the year, you will find one of the most spectacular winter sights: the Red Hot Poker or Torch Lily (Kniphofia uvaria). The tall colorful spikes of this plant look a bit like candy corn. They bloom only in winter.

Also on site you will find a Bee Drink Station and a Grape Arbor.

Finally, make sure you find the Heritage Almond Orchard, a large section of the Demonstration Garden, where you can wander among almond varieties that were planted in our valley before the 1900's. Take time to admire the neat rows while watching and listening for birds, and just breathing in the fresh winter air.

Discover for yourself the delights of the UC Master Gardeners' Demonstration Garden!

Master Gardener Spring 2025 Workshop Series is about to start!  Our Spring series of workshops begins with Seed Starting on Saturday, February 1^st.  For more information about the series, which runs through early June, and to register for the upcoming workshops, visit the Master Gardener website.

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 530-552-5812. 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 section of our website.