On the Road Tour - Putting the Garden to Bed; Getting Ready for Spring

Join the WSU Extension Clark County Master Gardener program for an On the Road Tour and leave the driving to us! We will be visiting several gardens with a focus on end of the season activities: pruning, moving plants, deadheading, and thinking about spring planting. Our first stop is at the home of Master Gardener Marcia Sparling. She and her husband are developing their 37-acre farm in LaCenter with several distinct areas. They are not on city water and must be careful to save and use their well water wisely. There is a large and diverse perennial flower area designed for continuous summer blooms. She has created a “dry garden”, mimicking areas in the Mediterranean. They are also creating a varied “forest” of unusual trees. Although we won’t cover the entire 37 acres, be prepared for walking on uneven ground and gravel paths. From there we will travel to Battle Ground Blooms. This family-run cut flower business provides bouquets through the summer for weddings and farmers’ markets. They will help us think about plant choices for cutting gardens as well as how to put that kind of flower garden to bed for the winter. Lunch is at the Margarita Factory in Battle Ground. Tour participants can purchase lunch of their choosing. Our last stop is the Mabry Correction Center, a court diversion program in Vancouver. The Mabry has a large vegetable growing area, providing thousands of pounds of fresh food to the food bank last year. Their project director will help us learn about their steps for closing out planters, raised beds, row crops, and the greenhouse. He will also talk about winterizing water lines and protecting delicate plants. Mike’s team builds planter boxes for the Master Gardener sale and might give us some ideas for our own winter projects. On this tour there will be opportunities to learn about garden practices as the growing season ends and we start thinking about spring. Don't miss our last tour of the year. October 8. Meet at the 78th Street Heritage Farm at 8:15am and return at 4pm. Cost: $40 (plus tax, fees). For more information: (564) 397-5738 or [email protected]. Learn more at http://extension.wsu.edu/clark/gardening/workshops-events/.