Wasco County Master Gardeners

08/28/2026

🌻 Join us this Saturday, August 29, from 10:15–11:15 AM at The Dalles Imagination Garden! 🌻

Harvest Party is a fun end-of-season celebration where you can see what has grown successfully in our community garden—flowers, veggies, herbs, and fruits! Bring extra garden goodies to share or trade, and get ideas for varieties you may want to grow next year.

📍 The Dalles Imagination Garden (DIG)
3820 Klindt Drive, at Klindt Drive & Steelhead Way in the Port District of The Dalles

We hope to see you there! 🥕🌿🍅
Photo by Malayna

08/26/2026

Safe plant propagation and plant sales 🌱🪴
Plant swaps, sales and fundraisers are a great way to share plants and connect with other gardeners—but moving plants and soil can also spread invasive insects, plant diseases and weeds.

A few simple ways to reduce the risk:

🪴 Use clean pots, tools and containers
🌱 Propagate from healthy, clean plant sources
🚫 Don’t share plants dug directly from home garden soil
🔎 Inspect plants for insects, disease or damage
🏷️ Properly identify and label plants
🧼 Clean soil and plant debris from tools before sanitizing
🪱 Avoid moving soil whenever possible to help prevent pests such as jumping worms

Even healthy-looking plants can carry pests or diseases that aren't immediately visible. A little extra care can help protect our gardens, farms and natural areas.

📖 Read the full article on OSU:
Safe Plant Propagation and Plant Sales — Oregon State University Extension
Authors: Erica Chernoh, Brooke Edmunds, Grace Florjancic, Janhvi Pandey, Samantha Clayburn & LeAnn Locher.

This guidance was developed through collaboration among Oregon State University Extension, Master Gardener volunteers and the Oregon Department of Agriculture.

08/19/2026

🎨🌻 NATURE ART IN THE GARDEN! 🌻🎨
Saturday, August 22nd — Come paint the garden with us! 🌿🖌️

We’ll have a variety of art supplies for you to try:
🎨 Watercolors
🖌️ Acrylic paints
✏️ Colored pencils
📄 Paper & canvas to create your masterpiece!
We’ll also have linen and hammers so you can make your own beautiful flower prints right from the garden! 🌼🔨

Come get creative, enjoy the garden, and have some fun! All ages and skill levels are welcome! 💚

⚠️ Wildfire Smoke Notice: This is an outdoor event, so please check the air quality before attending. If smoke levels become unhealthy, the event may be modified, postponed, or canceled. Please use your best judgment and take care of yourself!

📅 Saturday, August 22nd
🎨 Come Paint the Garden! 🌻

We hope to see you there! 💚🌿

08/17/2026

🐝🌼 How can we help our bees?

Wildfire smoke can cause bees to slow down or stop flying. After the smoke clears, we can help by planting bee-friendly, fire-resistant plants and keeping defensible space around our homes. 🌸🐝

Choosing the right plants can support pollinators while also helping protect our homes from wildfire. ❤️

Learn more: OSU Extension – Fire-Resistant Landscaping for Pollinators

Information provided by Oregon State University Extension:
Andony Melathopoulos – Pollinator Health Extension Specialist
Brooke Edmunds – Community Horticulture & Master Gardeners
Jim Rivers – Assistant Professor

08/14/2026

Join us tomrrow. 🐛🪲🐞

08/12/2026

🐞 Saturday, August 15th — Bugs: The Good, the Bad & the Ugly! 🐛

Come learn all things BUGS! 🔎🌿 Learn how to recognize and attract the good guys, and discover more about the bad guys that may visit your garden.

Take a walk through our demonstration garden and see what you can find! 👀🐝🦋

And don’t forget the BUG HOTELS! 🏠🐞
Kids—both big and small—can make their own bug hotel to take home!

🌱🐜🦋 Come explore, discover, and get buggy with us!

Saturday, August 15th
📍 3820 Klindt Drive
⏰ 10-15-11:15Am

Photo by Malayna

08/11/2026

🔥🌱 SMOKE & ASH IN YOUR GARDEN? HERE’S WHAT TO KNOW!

Wondering if your garden produce is still safe to eat after wildfire smoke and ash?

First—protect yourself! ❤️
If air quality is unhealthy, stay out of the garden until conditions improve. Check your local air quality at AirNow.gov

🌿 When it’s safe to garden:
• Don’t use a leaf blower—avoid stirring up ash.
• Gently rinse plants with water.
• Wash your hands after handling produce.
• Rinse fruits and vegetables outside first, then wash them again in the sink.
• Peel produce or remove outer leaves when appropriate.

⚠️ Heavy ash? Near a structure fire? Not sure? When in doubt, throw it out!

Wildfire ash can contain contaminants, and ash from structure fires can contain additional harmful materials.

📚 Want more information? Check out this research-based guide from UC Agriculture and Natural Resources.

Link: https://extension.oregonstate.edu/ask-extension/featured/it-safe-eat-my-garden-produce-affected-wildfires

Credit: Brooke Edmunds Community Horticulture, Master Gardeners

🌻 Stay safe and take care of yourselves and your gardens! 💚

08/08/2026

We are a go for our pollinators event this morning at The DIG! The breeze is nice and fresh and the sky is blue 🌞. We are also assembling take-home kits for the Mason bee houses if the air quality is still above your comfort zone. Just swing by and grab one!

The DIG- Corner of Klindt and steelhead way in the port district

10:15-11:15 today, Saturday 8/8!

08/07/2026

🐝🌼 Pollinator Party Tomorrow – Fun for the Whole Family! 🌼🐝
Join us tomorrow, Saturday, August 8, for a fun-filled morning celebrating our amazing pollinators!
Learn about local pollinators, how to identify them, ways to attract them to your garden, and how to create habitat that helps them overwinter.
🌿 Make & Take Activity: Build your own mason bee house to take home and help support native pollinators!
📍 Location: 3820 Klindt Drive (corner of Klindt Drive & Steelhead Way, Port District)
🕙 Time: 10:15–11:15 a.m.
This free event is fun for the whole family, so bring your kids, friends, and neighbors for a morning of learning, creativity, and hands-on activities!
⚠️ Please note: Smoke from local fires may impact event scheduling. Stay tuned for updates.
We hope to see you there! 🐝🌸

08/05/2026

Is your vegetable garden starting to slow down? 🌱

Don't worry—midseason is the perfect time to give your veggies a boost! Heavy-feeding crops like corn, squash, cabbage, and other vegetables can often show noticeable improvement within just two weeks when given the right nutrients.

Learn when and how to side-dress your plants to encourage stronger growth and bigger harvests.

🥕 Read the full article to help your garden finish the season strong!


Credit to: Chip Bubl, retired associate professor and horticulturist with the Oregon State University Extension Service
Link:

Scatter fertilizer near the base of plants and water it in. Most crops will respond within two weeks.