Whitley County Master Gardeners

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Whitley County Master Gardeners

Welcome to the Whitley County Master Gardener Association page! Check out their website at https://www.hort.purdue.edu/mg.

We're located in Whitley County, Indiana, and have a strong and active membership who serve as Purdue Extension Master Gardeners. Extension Master Gardener programs are accredited through each state's land-grant university (more info: https://mastergardener.extension.org/). In Indiana, Purdue University, Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, in West Lafayette, is the home of the P

urdue Extension Master Gardener program. Opinions expressed on this site may not represent the official views of Purdue University. For a look at the Purdue Extension Master Gardener Program Policy Guide, go to
https://extension.purdue.edu/extmedia/mg/mg-5-w.pdf.

06/23/2026

Container gardening is one of the easiest ways to express your creativity in the garden! 🌿🎨

By mixing plants of different heights, textures, and colors, you can create a unique display that reflects your personal style or the season. Try pairing tall focal plants with mounding fillers and trailing accents for a dynamic look. Whether you love bold color combinations that demand attention or soft, harmonious palettes that create a sense of calm, every container tells a story.

What's growing in your containers this year? We'd love to see your creations! Share a photo in the comments and tell us about your favorite plant or color combination. You might inspire a fellow gardener to try something new! 🪴

06/19/2026

Butterfly Garden 2026 at Morsches Park in Columbia City - planted and maintained by the Whitley County Master Gardeners

06/18/2026

Some gardens grow vegetables. Some gardens grow family traditions. Joe and Sarah Schwartz’s garden grows both. 🌽💚

Our next featured stop on this year's Garden Walk is the Schwartz’s garden - rooted in generations of knowledge, hard work, and family connection, the garden is a true family effort.

And this family takes canning seriously! Corn, green beans, and countless other garden harvests are preserved and enjoyed long after the growing season ends.

Visitors will find a productive garden shaped by experience, practical wisdom, and the kind of teamwork that makes gardening even more rewarding.

🎟️Presale tickets are just $10
👉Grab yours at MasterGardenersWC.com
📆RSVP & share the event: Garden Walk - Whitley County Master Gardeners
🌿More details and photos and options to purchase: www.mastergardenerswc.com/events/garden-walk

06/17/2026

Have you noticed the clematis in bloom lately? These eye-catching 👀 vines are putting on a spectacular show right now, adding color and height to gardens across Whitley County.

In this month's What's Growing On? blog post, Whitley County Master Gardener Kim J. explains the three clematis pruning groups and why knowing which type you have matters. Some bloom on old wood, some on both old and new growth, and others bloom on new wood and benefit from a hard spring pruning.

Understanding your clematis group can help you enjoy healthier plants and more blooms year after year.

Read the full blog post here:
https://www.mastergardenerswc.com/whats-growing-on/clematis-june-2026

06/16/2026

Some gardens are planned. Others are cultivated through decades of love, learning, and hard work. 🍎

The Graber’s garden is one of the featured stops on this year's Garden Walk, and it reflects 27 years of dedicated care by Sarah and her husband, Tobie Graber.

Fruit trees and rose bushes are the stars of the garden, providing both harvests and blooms throughout the season. Sarah doesn't garden according to a particular style. Instead, she focuses on creating a landscape that is both practical and beautiful. Annual flowers play an important supporting role, weaving color throughout the garden while complementing the plants that provide food for the family.

Join us on June 27 from 9 AM to 2 PM - you just might leave with a few ideas for your own backyard.

🎟️Presale tickets are just $10
👉Grab yours at MasterGardenersWC.com
📆RSVP & share the event: Garden Walk - Whitley County Master Gardeners
🌿More details and photos and options to purchase: www.mastergardenerswc.com/events/garden-walk

06/14/2026

The purple Clustered Bellflower (Campanula glomerata) has been blooming at the Kenneth Wright Park garden, which is just one of many gardens planted and maintained by our Master Gardeners. Isn't it eye catching? 👀

06/12/2026

What if a garden could feed both the body and the soul? 🍓

If you enjoy productive gardens, homegrown food, and gathering ideas for your own backyard harvest, you'll want to make sure to join us on June 27 from 9 AM to 2 PM for our Garden Walk to see the Hilty’s Country Farmstead!

Together, William and Susie Hilty have created a space filled with purpose, abundance, and simple country charm. Visitors will find fruit trees, vegetables, and one of Susie's favorite places on the property: the blackberry patch. For her, there is nothing better than harvesting fresh produce from the garden, making summer her favorite time of year.

🎟️Presale tickets are just $10
👉Grab yours at MasterGardenersWC.com
📆RSVP & share the event: Garden Walk - Whitley County Master Gardeners
🌿More details and photos and options to purchase: www.mastergardenerswc.com/events/garden-walk

06/10/2026

Have you noticed the cheerful yellow irises blooming around the pond at Morsches Park? Their bright flowers add a splash of sunshine to the water's edge each spring.

If the irises have finished blooming by the time you visit, be sure to wander through the nearby gardens, lovingly planted and maintained by our Master Gardeners.

Photo courtesy of Master Gardener Clarinda S.

06/09/2026

Join us for our Garden Walk June 27 from 9 AM to 2 PM and explore five unique private gardens throughout South Whitley. Over the next few weeks, we will give some tidbits about each featured garden! First up...

The Hersha's Whimsical Cottage Garden 🌿

Lovingly cultivated by Claire and Cory over the past three years, this enchanting cottage-style garden is filled with colorful perennials, cheerful annuals, and a special connection to the past.

Many of the plants were originally planted by family members before them, creating a living legacy that continues to grow and flourish. Wander among unexpected plant combinations that reflect Claire's creative gardening style. Rather than following a strict plan, she mixes beloved favorites with new discoveries, resulting in a garden that feels both personal and delightfully surprising.

If you're looking for inspiration, charm, and ideas you can bring home to your own garden, you won't want to miss this stop.

🎟️Presale tickets are just $10
👉Grab yours at MasterGardenersWC.com
📆RSVP & share the event: Garden Walk - Whitley County Master Gardeners
🌿More details and photos and options to purchase: www.mastergardenerswc.com/events/garden-walk

06/03/2026

🌿 Join us June 4th at Peabody Library — Community Room A!

At 6:00 PM, Watershed Manager Mariah Roberts will present "Working Together in the Watershed: Yards, Farms, and Native Plants" — diving into how homeowners, farmers, and conservation partners can collaborate to protect water quality and support native plants across our shared watershed.

We're proud to share that the Watershed Foundation supports the Whitley County Master Gardeners' rain garden at the Humane Society of Whitley County — a beautiful example of this work in action!

At 6:30 PM, stick around for the WCMG Friends & Member Meeting.

We hope to see you there! 🌱💧

Address

Columbia City, IN
46725

Telephone

(260) 244-7615

Website

https://www.mastergardenerswc.com/

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