Master Gardeners of Clallam County

10/23/2026

This is a reminder that tomorrow we will be having our last Homegrown Berry Series presentation, "Fall and Winter Berry Care."

Entertaining and knowledgeable, Veteran Clallam County Master Gardener and berry enthusiast Jeanette Stehr-Green will discuss what you need to do to keep your berry plants happy and healthy from fall through winter.

Saturday, October 24, from 10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m
Dungeness River Nature Center
1943 W. Hendrickson Road, Sequim, WA 98382

Admission is free and open to all. Walk-ins are welcome.

10/23/2026

Check out another timely radio spot, "Winterizing Your Roses," by Master Gardener Shirley Honore on today's (October 23) KSQM Garden Show on FM 91.5 at 6:40 p.m.

This broadcast will be repeated on Tuesday, October 27, at 11:40 a.m.

Photo by Jeene Hobbs

10/23/2026

Thinking about adding more trees to your property? Learn about the advantages from "The Evergreen Thumb" Podcast (Note: you can also read the transcript).

The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is tomorrow.

In episode 83 of The Evergreen Thumb, we talk with Tim Kohlhauff, Urban Horticulture Program Coordinator with WSU Extension Spokane County and an ISA-certified arborist, about why the trees in our communities matter and how to support them.

In this episode:
What counts as urban tree canopy, including the trees in your own backyard
How trees intercept air pollution, slow stormwater, and cool neighborhoods
The urban heat island effect and tree equity
New pests and a changing climate
The tension between housing needs and room for trees
Choosing a tree that fits your site, planting at the right depth, and watering in the first few years

Listen now on your favorite podcast app or at https://buff.ly/r5cG5Pd

10/22/2026

Please join us tomorrow (Thursday) for our Green Thumb Education Series presentation, "How to Start and Care for a Wildflower Garden."

Find out, step by step, how to create and maintain your own wildflower meadow with Clallam County Master Gardeners Cece Fitton, Nancy Kohn and the Wildflower Meadow Team.

October 22nd, 1 – 2:15 p.m.
Vern Burton Community Center Meeting Rooms
308 E. 4th Street in Port Angeles
Visit https://extension.wsu.edu/clallam/master-gardener-calendar/ for more information.

10/21/2026

Native Plant: Common snowberry (Symphoricarpos albus)

You may have recently noticed shrubs around the area with puffy white berries. As the leaves turn color and fall off the branches, the berries will remain throughout the winter. This is common snowberry, a native plant that also makes a great ornamental for your yard or garden.

Its advantages as a native include providing food and shelter for local wildlife, and the pink flowers attract pollinators. Natives also require less care in your yard, with less watering and soil amending to do once they become established. With their deep roots, common snowberries help to provide soil and slope stability, as well as erosion control.

Common snowberry can survive in a variety of soils in full sun or partial shade. Be aware that it naturally suckers to form thickets, so you may need to prune back the root suckers every few years to keep it within bounds.

If you are interested in planting snowberries, bare root plants can be found this time of year at local nurseries that feature native plants and through our local county Conservation District.

Resources:
An Appreciation of Snowberry, WNPS
https://www.wnps.org/blog/an-appreciation-of-snowberry
Common Snowberry, US National Park Service
https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/common-snowberry.htm?ref=ecofriendlyhomestead.com
Photo: Symphoricarpos albus by Wsiegmund, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

10/19/2026

If you grow raspberries or are considering growing raspberries, check out this "Get it Growing--Ask a Master Gardener" article in the Sequim Gazette by Clallam County Master Gardener, Jeene Hobbs. While Jeene specifically addresses the issue of crumbly raspberries, she also provides great information on growing raspberries in general.

Q: We planted summer-bearing red raspberries (variety ‘Tulameen) three years ago and have been disappointed with fruit production. So far, the berries have been small and crumbly. Do we need to plant a cross-pollinator (another raspberry variety)? Or is it due to something else?

10/18/2026

Please join us next Saturday for our last Homegrown Berry Series presentation, "Fall and Winter Berry Care!"

Veteran Clallam County Master Gardener and berry enthusiast Jeanette Stehr-Green will provide gardeners with the knowledge needed to help keep their berry plants happy and healthy from fall through winter.

Saturday, October 24, from 10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m
Dungeness River Nature Center
1943 W. Hendrickson Road, Sequim, WA 98382

Admission is free and open to all.
Registration is not required but helpful to ensure accommodation for all attendees. For more information or to register, visit: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/berryseries

10/17/2026

Putting the Garden to Bed
From the October/November Clallam County Monthly Gardening Calendar

• Throughout the garden, collect and discard fallen leaves, vegetables, and fruit to discourage diseases and pests. Compost only disease-free vegetation; burn or discard any that is questionable.
• Clean up empty beds. Sow quick growing cover crops (such as cereal rye) or mulch with compost, deciduous leaves, or straw to protect soil.
• Test garden soil. For instructions contact Clallam Conservation District (www.clallamcd.org). Based on results, apply lime or sulfur to adjust pH. Do not add other amendments at this time.
• Clean garden containers with a dry scrub brush and rinse inside with a solution of 10-parts water to 1- part bleach. Once pots have dried, stack them upside down with newspaper between them.
• Disconnect and store hoses. Before rolling them up, drain them and remove any twists or kinks.
• Clean, repair, and sharpen garden tools.

Photo by John Nzoka on Unsplash

10/16/2026

What should you be doing with your geraniums in the garden this time of year?

Check out today’s (October 16) KSQM Garden show on FM 91.5 at 6:40 p.m. to hear Master Gardener Jeanette Stehr-Green talk about "Overwintering Garden Geraniums."

This broadcast will be repeated on Tuesday, October 20, at 11:40 a.m.

Photo: Great red geranium by Master Gardener Jeene Hobbs

10/16/2026

This is just a reminder that next Thursday is our next Green Thumb Education Series presentation, "How to Start and Care for a Wildflower Garden."

Find out, step by step, how to create and maintain your own wildflower meadow with Clallam County Master Gardeners Cece Fitton, Nancy Kohn and the Wildflower Meadow Team.

October 22nd, 1 – 2:15 p.m.
Vern Burton Community Center Meeting Rooms
308 E. 4th Street in Port Angeles

Visit https://extension.wsu.edu/clallam/master-gardener-calendar/ for more information.

Photo by Clallam County Master Gardener Lorraine Eckard.