WSU Pierce County Master Gardener

06/12/2026

Friday Fun!🤣

06/10/2026

🌿 W**d Wednesday: Horsetails (Scouringrush) 🌿

Have you spotted these prehistoric-looking plants popping up in moist areas of your landscape? Horsetails and scouringrush are ancient perennial plants known for their hollow, segmented stems and deep, spreading root systems that make them especially difficult to control once established.

🔎 How to identify horsetails:
• Hollow, jointed stems with black “teeth” at the nodes
• Rough texture caused by silica in the stems
• Field horsetail produces two stem types:
• Tan fertile stems with spore cones in spring
• Green, branched sterile stems later in the season
• Scouringrush stays green, upright, and unbranched year-round

🌧️ Where they grow:
Horsetails thrive in moist to wet soils and are commonly found:
• Along roadsides and ditch banks
• In gardens and landscapes
• In pastures and damp areas

⚠️ Why they’re challenging:
Field horsetail spreads through deep underground rhizomes and tubers, making it very persistent and difficult to eradicate.

🌱 Management Tips (IPM First!)
WSU Extension Master Gardeners encourage using Integrated Pest Management (IPM) practices whenever possible:

✔️ Improve drainage where possible
✔️ Maintain healthy, dense plantings to outcompete weeds
✔️ Hand-pull young shoots repeatedly to weaken roots over time
✔️ Use inorganic barriers such as landscape fabric or heavy mulch layers to suppress growth

🚫 Avoid allowing horsetails to spread into new areas, especially moist garden beds.

📚 Learn more from WSU Hortsense:
https://hortsense.cahnrs.wsu.edu/fact-sheet/weeds-horsetails-scouringrush-equisetum-spp/

**dWednesday

CAHNRS > Hortsense > Fact Sheets > W**ds > F-H > W**ds: Horsetails (Scouringrush) – Equisetum spp. Share on Twitter Share on FaceBook Share on Linkedin share with email share with link W**ds: Horsetails (Scouringrush) – Equisetum spp. categories: F-H W**ds last review date: 2025-09-15 02:16 Fami...

06/10/2026

Hey, Pierce County Gardeners! Have you registered for From The Ground & Up Garden Workshop being held on June 20th?

This week’s Evergreen Thumb Podcast features Lisa Taylor presenting “Gardening When Water Is Scarce.”

Lisa will be one of the speakers at the FTG&U Garden Workshop and will be holding two marvelous presentations.

Listen to this and other Evergreen Thumb podcasts at: https://evergreenthumb.mastergardenerfoundation.org/episodes/
Find more information about FTG&u at:

https://extension.wsu.edu/pierce/mg-home/educational-outreach/from-the-ground-up/

Dry summers can make vegetable gardening challenging, especially when water becomes limited. In this episode of The Evergreen Thumb, Erin talks with Lisa Taylor about practical ways gardeners can adapt during dry conditions.

The conversation covers:
💧 Efficient watering tools and methods
💧 How plants communicate their water needs
💧 Mulch and soil strategies that help retain moisture
💧 Plant choices and garden design for lower water use

Listen now on your favorite podcast app or at https://buff.ly/0obZTiw

06/08/2026

🌸 Saturday Garden Talk: Demystifying Hydrangeas 🌸

Have you ever wondered why some hydrangeas are blue, pink, or even purple? Join the Pierce County Master Gardeners for an informative and engaging garden talk all about these beloved landscape favorites!

Demystifying Hydrangeas: Color, Care and Varieties
📅 Saturday, June 13
🕙 10:00–11:00 a.m.
📍 Gig Harbor Demonstration Garden
10123 78th Ave NW, Gig Harbor, WA 98332

Learn about:
🌿 Different hydrangea varieties
🌸 What affects flower color
💧 Watering and care tips
✂️ Pruning basics
🏡 Choosing the right hydrangea for your garden

Whether you’re growing your first hydrangea or looking to improve your success, this free presentation will help you grow healthier, more beautiful plants.

We hope to see you in the garden!

06/07/2026

🐝🌼 Discover the Secret Life of Bumblebees! 🌼🐝

Join us for a fascinating look into the hidden world of bumblebees, presented by the WSU Extension Master Gardener Speaker Bureau, on June 27 at the Pierce County Master Gardener Demonstration Garden Pollinator Event, and learn why these fuzzy pollinators are some of the hardest-working visitors in our gardens.🌿

Our special presentation, “Buzz Pollination and Other Secrets in the Life of a Bumblebee,” will explore the incredible journey of a bumblebee colony—from a lone queen emerging in spring to a thriving community supporting flowers, fruits, and vegetables throughout the season.

You’ll discover:
🐝 How bumblebees use their unique “buzz pollination” technique
🌸 Why they are essential to healthy gardens and food production
🌿 The challenges they face and how gardeners can help
🍅 Which plants benefit most from their pollination services

Whether you’re a gardener, nature enthusiast, or simply curious about these remarkable insects, you’ll leave with a new appreciation for the important role bumblebees play in our pollinator community.

Come learn the secrets of these garden superheroes and see why life would be much less colorful—and less productive—without them!

Learn about other activies happening at the Puyallup Demonstration Garden Pollinator Event at:
https://extension.wsu.edu/pierce/event/pollinator-celebration-at-the-puyallup-demonstration-garden/

🐝🌻🌿

06/06/2026

🍅 Dreaming of vine-ripened tomatoes this summer?

Join the WSU Extension Pierce County Master Gardeners for Tomatoes in the PNW and discover how to grow delicious, mouth-watering tomatoes in our unique maritime climate. Learn practical tips and proven techniques to help your plants thrive despite our cooler temperatures and shorter growing season.

📅 June 13, 2026
⏰ 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM
📍 Pierce County Library – University Place Branch
3609 Market Place West, University Place, WA 98466

Whether you’re growing tomatoes in containers, raised beds, or a backyard garden, you’ll leave with research-based advice to help you enjoy a successful harvest.

This program is free and open to the public.
Discover more PCMG public outreaach events at:
https://extension.wsu.edu/pierce/mg-home/

06/05/2026

Together, we can make a difference!🌿

🌎🌱 Celebrate World Environment Day in Your Own Backyard! 🌱🌎

You don’t have to lead a global movement to make a difference—sometimes environmental action starts with a single plant, a shovel, and a commitment to care for the world around you.

This World Environment Day, consider taking one small step that can have a lasting impact:

🌿 Plant a native plant to support local wildlife
🐝 Add pollinator-friendly flowers to your garden
💧 Check your irrigation system and reduce water waste
🍂 Mulch garden beds to conserve moisture and improve soil health
🌱 Start composting kitchen and garden waste
🚫 Remove invasive plants that threaten local ecosystems
🦋 Leave a small area of your garden wild for beneficial insects and wildlife

When thousands of gardeners make small changes, those actions add up to healthier soils, cleaner water, increased biodiversity, and more resilient communities.

As gardeners, we have a unique opportunity to be environmental stewards right where we live. Every garden can be part of the solution.

Be a steward of the earth today and everyday🌿

💚 Together, we can make a difference—one garden at a time.🤜🤛

Discover how WSU Extension Master Gardeners are making an impact:
https://mastergardener.wsu.edu/priorities/2025-impact-report/

🌎🌿🐝🌱💧

06/04/2026

🌱 Two Great Gardening Programs on June 11! 🌱

Join the WSU Extension Pierce County Master Gardener Speaker Bureau for two free gardening presentations designed to help you grow successfully—whether you’re gardening in containers or cultivating a climate-resilient vegetable garden.

🥕 Veggie Gardening with EASE
📅 June 11 | 5:30–6:30 PM
📍 Community Garden: Steilacoom Historical
2402 B Street, Steilacoom

Learn how to garden more sustainably in a changing climate. Discover the EASE approach:
✅ Evaluate your carbon footprint
✅ Adapt to climate change realities
✅ Sustain soil health
✅ Enjoy your garden

🌼 Container Gardening
📅 June 11 | 1:00–2:00 PM
📍 Broadway Farmers Market
949 Broadway, Tacoma

Limited space? No problem! Learn how to successfully grow flowers, herbs, and vegetables in containers. We’ll cover:
🪴 Choosing the right containers
🌿 Selecting appropriate plants
💧 Watering and soil essentials
🌱 Providing nutrients for healthy growth

Both presentations are free and open to the public. We hope to see you there!

Discover these and other educational opprotunities at:
🔗https://extension.wsu.edu/pierce/mg-home/

06/04/2026

Gardening education workshop for Master Gardeners, now open to the public!
Saturday, June 20th from 8:30am to 3:00pm
Workshop lectures, more than a dozen topics to choose from. Come to Pierce Franklin High School in Tacoma and learn with us.

Full details and registration link here:

From the Ground and Up - PCMG - Cheddar Up. Collect online payments for events and fundraisers with Cheddar Up.