Wasco County Master Gardeners

10/29/2026

🍂🍁 Add Fall Color to Your Landscape! 🍁🍂
Who says the garden has to fade when summer ends? Cooler nights and shorter days can bring spectacular colors to the landscape—and shrubs offer plenty of autumn interest without requiring the space of a large tree.
🌿 Looking for shrubs with beautiful fall color and interest across the seasons? OSU Extension horticulturist Neil Bell recommends several options. We’ve adapted the list for our Columbia Gorge and Wasco County region:
🫐 Blueberry – Enjoy spring flowers, summer fruit and fall foliage in shades of yellow, orange and red.
🔥 Bloodtwig dogwood ‘Midwinter Fire’ – Golden fall foliage followed by colorful stems that brighten the winter landscape.
🌺 Panicle hydrangea ‘Unique’ – Large, cone-shaped flowers start white and fade to soft pink, extending the floral display into fall.
🍁 Sumac – Excellent red fall color and well adapted to dry conditions.
💛 Golden currant – Spring flowers, berries for wildlife and attractive fall interest; drought tolerant once established.
🌿 Western serviceberry – Spring flowers, edible berries, fall color and good wildlife value.
🌱 Thinking about planting this fall?
In our area, planting is generally possible until about mid-November, depending on weather and soil conditions. Aim to get new shrubs in the ground 4–6 weeks before the ground freezes—not just before the first frost—to give them time to develop feeder roots before winter. Let conditions guide you rather than the calendar, and avoid planting in frozen or saturated soil.
Dig a hole about twice as wide as the root ball—but no deeper—and position the top of the root ball level with the surrounding soil. Water thoroughly after planting.
👉 Read the full OSU Extension article for more information about these shrubs and planting tips:
“Add fall color to the landscape with vibrant, easy-care shrubs”

🍂 What shrubs are putting on a show in your garden right now? Share a photo in the comments! 📸🌿

While trees often steal the spotlight in fall, shrubs offer equally rich color and beauty.

10/24/2026

We’re at the Sorosis rose garden on this lovely fall morning pruning blooms! Come help us tuck the roses in for their winter sleep and take some blooms home as a thank you for your help!

10/23/2026

🌹 Calling all rose lovers! 🌹

Want to learn how to get the Sorosis roses ready for winter? Come join us at the Sorosis Park Rose Garden on Saturday, October 24 at 10:30 a.m.

OSU Master Gardener volunteers will be doing a final bloom prune, removing the remaining blooms and getting the roses ready for the winter ahead.

And there’s a little bonus for those who come help—you’ll likely get to take home a lovely bouquet of the last roses of the season! 💐🌹

Come learn why this final step is important and how to prepare roses for winter.

✂️ Please bring your own pruners and gloves.

Everyone is welcome! Come learn, lend a hand, and enjoy the last blooms of the season. 🌹🍂

📸: MG Dana G

10/20/2026

Rose season is coming to an end. Come join us on Saturday and take home some free blooms!

Roses don’t like getting whipped around any more than we do. As colder weather comes, it’s important they get a trim to protect them from breaking in freezing winter winds. That means it’s time to trim them now, even though they’re still blooming.
Full story here: https://columbiacommunityconnection.com/the-dalles/free-rose-blossoms-cuttings-at-sorosis-park-this-saturday

10/08/2026

🌹 Calling all rose lovers! 🌹

Want to learn how to get the Sorosis roses ready for winter? Come join us at the Sorosis Park Rose Garden on Saturday, October 24 at 10:30 a.m.

OSU Master Gardener volunteers will be doing a final bloom prune, removing the remaining blooms and getting the roses ready for the winter ahead.

And there’s a little bonus for those who come help—you’ll likely get to take home a lovely bouquet of the last roses of the season! 💐🌹

Come learn why this final step is important and how to prepare roses for winter.

✂️ Please bring your own pruners and gloves.

Everyone is welcome! Come learn, lend a hand, and enjoy the last blooms of the season. 🌹🍂

09/29/2026

🌷🍂 Plant Spring-Blooming Bulbs in Fall for Years of Low-Maintenance Color! 🌱

Fall is the perfect time to plant spring-flowering bulbs like daffodils, tulips, crocus and hyacinths. Plant them now, let them establish roots through fall and winter, and enjoy beautiful blooms in spring! 🌷🌼

💡 A few planting tips from OSU Extension:
• Choose large, firm bulbs without mold or soft spots.
• Plant bulbs in full sun and well-drained soil.
• As a general rule, plant bulbs about 3 times as deep as the bulb is wide.
• Plant bulbs pointed side up and cover with soil.
• Group bulbs together for a beautiful mass of color.
• Choose early-, mid- and late-blooming varieties to extend your spring display.
• After flowering, allow the foliage to turn brown and die back naturally so nutrients return to the bulb for next year's blooms.

🌱 Bonus: Many spring-blooming bulbs are naturally drought tolerant because they go dormant during summer, making them an easy, low-maintenance addition to the garden.

🌸 Looking for something a little different? OSU Extension horticulturist Heather Stoven recommends exploring fawn lily, Grecian windflower, alliums, fritillaria and species tulips.

📚 Source: Oregon State University Extension Service — Plant spring-blooming bulbs in fall for years of low-maintenance color

🔗 Read the full article for regional planting information and more tips:
https://extension.oregonstate.edu/news/plant-spring-blooming-bulbs-fall-years-low-maintenance-color

Bulbs are naturally drought tolerant because they go dormant in summer and require no watering.

09/20/2026

🌱🎉 Celebrating 50 Years of the OSU Extension Master Gardener Program! 🎉🌱

For 50 years, Oregon State University Extension Master Gardeners have been helping communities grow—not just plants, but knowledge, connections, confidence and stronger communities. 💚

The Oregon program began in 1976 with just 36 trainees in Lane and Clackamas counties. Today, the program has grown to:

🌿 28 Oregon counties
👩‍🌾 2,418 volunteers, including 402 trainees
⏰ 160,000+ hours of service in 2025
❓ 70,500+ gardening questions answered
🥕 35 tons of produce donated to 85 organizations

From plant clinics and farmers markets to demonstration gardens, food pantries and community education, Master Gardener volunteers continue to provide trusted, research-based horticulture information to people across Oregon.

As the program celebrates 50 years, one message remains at its heart: gardening grows more than plants—we grow people and communities, too. 🌱💚

📚 Source: Oregon State University Extension Service — Joy of Gardening celebrates 50 years of OSU Extension Master Gardener Program

🔗 Read the full story:
https://extension.oregonstate.edu/news/joy-gardening-celebrates-50-years-osu-extension-master-gardener-program



Leslie Madsen wears a vintage home-made Master Gardener vest and skirt as she delivers the keynote at the Joy of Gardening Conference in July.
Credit: LeAnn Locher

09/11/2026

🌿 Get Ready & Get Prepared! 🔥

Join us for the Get Ready Preparedness Event on Saturday, September 19, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Mid-Columbia Fire & Rescue, 1400 W 8th Street in The Dalles.

Come enjoy a fun and educational event for the whole family, with fire and safety demonstrations, rescue demonstrations, a chance to meet Sparky the Fire Dog, and more! 🚒🐾

🌱 The Master Gardeners will be there too! Stop by our table to learn about fire-resistant gardening and ways you can make thoughtful choices in your landscape to help prepare your home and garden for wildfire.

🎡 Be sure to spin our prize wheel! Everyone who plays gets a prize!

Come learn, explore, and Get Ready!

09/10/2026

🧄🌱 Fall Is the Best Time to Plant Garlic in Oregon! 🍂

Don’t put away your garden tools just yet! September through November is the best time to plant garlic in Oregon. Garlic develops its roots during the fall and winter, giving it a strong start for rapid spring growth and larger bulbs.

🌱 Tips for Growing Garlic
• Choose large, healthy cloves that are free of disease.
• Plant in full sun with well-drained soil.
• Plant cloves root side down, about 2 inches deep and 2–4 inches apart.
• Elephant garlic should be spaced about 6 inches apart.
• Lightly mulch to help reduce weeds and improve soil structure.
• Keep garlic weed-free—garlic does not tolerate much competition.

🧄 Hardneck or Softneck?
Hardneck varieties can produce flowering stems, while softneck garlic generally produces larger bulbs. Both are great options, so try different varieties to see which grows best in your garden!

🌿 Harvest & Storage
Harvest garlic when the cloves are plump and the outer skin is thick, dry and papery. After harvesting, cure the bulbs in a shady, warm, well-ventilated area before storing.

💡 Fun fact: Elephant garlic may look like garlic and produce large, mild cloves, but it is actually a type of leek!

📚 Source: Oregon State University Extension Service — Fall is the best time to plant garlic in Oregon, by Chip Bubl.

🔗 Read the full article for planting, care, harvesting and storage tips:
https://extension.oregonstate.edu/news/fall-best-time-plant-garlic-oregon

09/08/2026

Feeling incredibly lucky to do what I love every day: helping Wasco County gardeners learn, grow, and succeed. 🌱 💚

Black Thumb goes Green: A failed Tygh Valley garden led Hilary Jensen to the Master Gardeners — and ultimately her dream job helping Wasco County communities grow stronger, more resilient and deeply rooted.

https://columbiacommunityconnection.com/the-dalles/gardening-challenged-jensens-struggle-leads-to-growing-deep-community-roots