WSU Kitsap County Extension Master Gardeners

Correction: today, August 7!

The final "Kids Cultivate" - FREE Garden Program - of the summer is today, August 7!
https://tinyurl.com/2srebbsu

Join WSU Kitsap County Extension at Blueberry Park Children's Garden in Bremerton to learn about bugs, composting and veggies, and construct cool take-home crafts!

Leaf characteristics are important when trying to ID plants.

Kitsap Farmers Market Week
August 4th - 10th

https://extension.wsu.edu/kitsap/event/kitsap-farmers-market-week/

It's National Farmers Market week! Help celebrate by joining us at one of Kitsap's terrific farmers markets -

- Bremerton Farmers Market: Thursdays, 4-7
- Port Orchard Farmers Market: Saturdays, 9-2
- Bainbridge Farmers Market: Saturdays, 10-2
- Poulsbo Farmers Market: Saturdays, 10-2
- Kingston Farmers Market: Sundays, 10-3

For so many reasons, farmers markets have always been essential. They bring communities together with nutritious food, support the livelihoods of local farmers, contribute to the wellbeing of our planet, and so much more.

Farmers Markets are changing the way we eat, shop, connect, and more! Across the country, farmers markets are defining their role in our communities. Markets are not only essential to local food systems, but are increasing opportunities for us to learn, grow, and work together.

Farmers markets are our past, present and future. Can't wait to see you there!

According to the National Institutes of Health, gardening can have many health benefits such as lowering blood pressure, reducing anxiety and depression, and boosting your immune system. But getting into that lovely greenery can be difficult, if not impossible, for people with limited mobility. Accessible gardening techniques can help people of all ages and physical abilities. Join Clallam County Master Gardener, Cathy Wagner, for the Green Thumb Education Series presentation, “Tips & Tricks for Accessible Gardens,” at 12:00 pm on Thursday July 25th at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church in Port Angeles. Visit our website to attend this session virtually via Zoom.
Master Gardener Foundation of Clallam County

🌿 Join Us for a Guided Walk at Coulter Creek Heritage Park! 🌿

🗓️ Date: Saturday, July 27th
🕙 Time: 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
📍 Meet: Calvinwood Lodge, Calvinwood Rd SW, Port Orchard, WA 98367

Discover the beauty of native plants and witness the regrowth of the forest floor in the Calvinwood area. Our recent restoration efforts have created a budding landscape filled with diverse plant species across different micro-environments.

Note: The walk includes some hills, so come prepared for a small hike.

We hope to see you there!

For more information, contact us at:
📧 [email protected]
📞 (360) 337-5350
💻 kitsapgov.com/parks
📱 Follow us:



Image Description: Promotional flyer for a guided walk at Coulter Creek Heritage Park on Saturday, July 27th, from 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM. The walk will highlight the native plants in the Calvinwood area, showcasing the regrowth of the forest floor due to recent restoration efforts. Contact information and social media handle for Kitsap Parks are included.

Strawberries! Raspberries! Blueberries! Blackberries! And everything in-between!!!

We are so fortunate to live in the Pacific Northwest where growing a variety of delicious and healthy berries is both relatively easy to do and incredibly rewarding. There are numerous cultivars of each type of berry that have specific properties you may be after and/or may work better for your specific situation or micro-climate. For example, maybe you don’t want to deal with thorny blackberries so you opt for one of the many cultivars of thornless blackberries available.

Each type of berry also has specific requirements you should be aware of, such as their pH level. Blueberries like the most acidic soil (4.0-5.5), while strawberries and raspberries like acidic soil too (6.0-6.5), but not to the same extent as blueberries. The guide linked below will provide information on the proper pH levels for a variety of berries, including those not mentioned here, and how to address pH levels outside of the desired range.

One of the reasons the author of this specific post has opted for thornless blackberries is because I have two young kids and want them to enjoy picking the berries without the scrapes and scratches that can come with thorny cultivars. Surprisingly for me at least, the thornless blackberries I have taste delicious, are not ‘seedy’, and are prolific without problems related to spreading beyond where I want them. In a single 12-foot row I generally harvest 12-16 gallons of blackberries that we both eat fresh but mostly freeze to enjoy throughout the year, whether for popsicles, pies, smoothies, or other treats or healthy snacks.

However, I have not had success with all thornless varieties of berries. I have tried multiple times to grow thornless boysenberries and they simply haven’t grown. They die before they establish themselves. I finally decided to choose the original thorned variety and plant them away from the other varieties of berries so my kids can avoid the thorns. They have all been growing incredibly well and I hope to have my first berries next year. Why go through all the trouble? When I was younger and my wonderful and amazing grandma was still with us, she would pick boysenberries from her neighbor’s yard each year to make me a boysenberry pie for my birthday.

For me, berries provide nutritional benefits for sure, but also create special memories. When my two kids were picking blueberries with me the other day, the six-year-old was putting them in a container and the ten-year-old was eating them all. The six-year-old took exception to the ten-year-old eating them all (they’re siblings, after all). I told them both, this is part of what growing your own berries is all about—going in your yard, picking berries, saving some…or eating them all….enjoying the ‘fruits of our labor’.

Please take a look at this FREE publication from WSU Extension. It is loaded with incredibly helpful information. I learned a lot of additional information looking at it and plan on implementing some additional things for next year, including a regular fertilizing schedule and being better about checking my own soil’s pH levels.

Happy Gardening!

Just click on “Download Now”: https://pubs.extension.wsu.edu/growing-small-fruits-in-the-home-garden-home-garden-series

Photo by Marc Dupuis

Interested in composting but don't know where to start? Already a regular composter but looking for more information?
We're excited to be offering a series of Backyard Composting workshops this month with the to teach you all about that famous 'black gold' and how you can start reducing organic waste and making your own compost at home! Afternoon workshops will be offered in Sequim, Port Angeles and Forks throughout July, and all entirely free to attend.

What is taller than you are and covered in prickles? Scotch thistle! This Class B noxious w**d is in bloom now and some counties mandate control. Report sightings to the Washington Invasive Species Council or contact your county w**d board for information on how to control this prickly pest. Washington State Noxious W**d Control Board

Don't miss the 29th Annual Petals and Pathways Garden Tour this Saturday June 22, 2024 from 10 am to 4 pm, a fundraiser for the Master Gardener Foundation of Clallam County. Tickets purchased before Saturday at in-person sales outlets are $20. Tickets purchased on Saturday are $25. Enjoy 7 fabulous gardens around Port Angeles that will delight and inspire your gardening adventures! Visit the Extension Website for more information and ticket sales locations. https://extension.wsu.edu/clallam/event/petals-and-pathways-garden-tour-2024/

It's Pollinator Week!

Creating pollinator habitat can be as simple as setting out pots of flowering plants on an apartment balcony, as complex as installing thousands of square feet of pollinator hedgerows on a farm, or anything in between.

Pictured is our pollinator garden, nestled between our garage and the ramp to our front door. Lupines (Lupinus latifolius) are currently in bloom, with lots of goldenrod (Solidago canadensis) to follow later in the summer.

For information on the many things you can do to help pollinators, see https://xerces.org/bring-back-the-pollinators

Ever wonder about all the fuzzy stuff on trees and rocks in the Pacific NW? Find out more about these amazing organisms by joining Clallam County Master Gardener, Muriel Nesbitt, for the Green Thumb Education Series presentation, “Lichens: They Are Not What You Thought They Were.” at 12:00 pm on Thursday June 13th at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church in Port Angeles. Visit our website for the Zoom Link and more information. https://extension.wsu.edu/clallam/event/green-thumb-2024-lichens/
Master Gardener Foundation of Clallam County

ALERT: King County warns of spread of toxic w**d poison hemlock

King County warns of spread of toxic w**d It belongs to the carrot family but can spread rapidly and may be deadly if eaten.

Juneteenth Freedom Festival
Come see our Master Gardeners!

Juneteenth Peoples March and Freedom Festival is June 15 this year at Evergreen Rotary Park (1500 Park Ave, Bremerton, WA 98337 ) from 11-4. Master Gardeners will be hosting a booth at this event and would love to see you there! There will be food, entertainment and certainly fun!

Back by popular demand!

GOT PLANTS FOR 2025?
2025 MGFKC plant sale wants your plants!

See the full wishlist -
https://extension.wsu.edu/kitsap/2024/05/2025-mgfkc-plant-sale-wants-plants/

The annual Master Gardener Foundation of Kitsap County Plant Sale is the primary fundraiser for the WSU Kitsap County Master Gardener Program. The sale's proceeds pay for the supplies, tools and reference materials used at MG demonstration gardens (which grow thousands of pounds of produce for our local food banks each year), the MG children's programs and the MG Virtual and Farmers' Market clinics. WE ARE SEEKING DONATIONS OF HEALTHY, WELL-ESTABLISHED PERENNIALS IN ONE-GALLON POTS THAT WILL BE APPEALING TO PURCHASERS IN EARLY MAY. YOU CAN POT YOUR OWN OR HAVE THE HELP OF OUR SALVAGE TEAM. Our customers generally will not buy flowering plants unless they know the color of their flowers, so please ensure that you have have noted the flower color of any plant to be donated.

From WSU Snohomish County Extension: Preserve the Harvest
Summer 2024 Food Preservation Classes

https://extension.wsu.edu/kitsap/event/preserve-the-harvest/all/

– Basics of Safe Canning – Wed. May 22, 2024, 6:00–8:00pm
– Jams, Jellies, Spreads – Wed. June 5, 2024, 6:00–8:00pm
– Tomatoes, Salsa and Relish – Wed. June 12, 2024, 6:00–8:00pm
– Pickles – Wed. July 10, 2024, 6:00–8:00pm
– Basics of Dehydrating and Freezing – Wed August 7, 2024, 6:00–8:00pm
– Basics of Pressure Canning – Wed. August 14, 2024, 6:00–8:00pm

New to the science of food preservation? Been a few years since you have canned? Learn about the most recent research and changes to home food preservation procedures along with links to safe, research-tested recipes. This series of six classes teaches safe food preservation techniques, on Zoom, with real-time live demonstrations and time for questions. Limited spots are also available to attend in the kitchen classroom as well. This series will provide you with the scientific background, preparation tips, and processing methods to preserve food safely at home.

To register for the Online classes
https://preserve-the-harvest-2024-online.eventbrite.com

To register for the In-person classes at Stilly Valley Health Connections in Arlington, WA
https://preserve-the-harvest-2024-in-person.eventbrite.com

After each class, everyone registered will receive an email list of links to recommended recipes and resources along with a link to view a video recording of each class. Videos will be available to view for one year after the class occurs.

For more information, please contact Rosy Smit, WSU Snohomish County Extension Consumer Food Safety and Preservation Advisor, [email protected], (425) 357-6024.

Daily affirmation...

Happy Earth Day! Food Waste Hero: Rachel Beason
by Paisley Gallagher, Food Security Coordinator

https://extension.wsu.edu/kitsap/food-preservation/food-waste-hero/

In the heart of Kitsap County, Rachel Beason, Director of Food Services at Kitsap Community Resources (KCR), stands at the forefront of a crucial movement, rescuing food and transforming it into nutritious meals for those in need. Through her tireless dedication and innovative approach, she has redefined the concept of food rescue, making a significant impact on her community. In a recent interview, Rachel shared insights into her motivations, challenges, and aspirations in her role.

Click above to read the full piece!

Never Heard of Mason Bees? Check out a Presentation this Sunday and see What They can do for Your Garden

https://theislandwanderer.com/never-heard-of-mason-bees-check-out-a-presentation-this-sunday-and-see-what-they-can-do-for-your-garden/

Join the Bainbridge Island Parks and Trails Foundation on Sunday, April 21 from 3-5 p.m. for a Stewards Circle event at the Hilltop Orchard and Pru’s House (Grand Forest, Mandus Olson Road entrance) to learn all about the magic of Mason Bees, including ways to host them in your very own yard!

Pull the W**ds, Not Your Hair webinars

https://extension.wsu.edu/kitsap/event/pull-w**ds-not-hair-webinars/all/

Dealing with dandelions? Miserable about moss? Clover taking over? Discover eco-friendly ideas to keep your lawn healthy by tuning into one of our 'Pull the W**ds, Not Your Hair' webinars.
- April 20th at 10 AM
- April 27th at 10 AM
- May 1st at 6 PM

Register online at kcowa.us/NaturalYardCare

Are you wondering whether your old vegetable seeds are still good to plant? 🌱

Learn more:https://extension.illinois.edu/sites/default/files/infosheet_seed_viability.pdf

For those of you who ordered from our native plant sale this year, here's a guide to storing, planting, and potting bare root plants: https://kitsapcd.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/2022-Bareroot-Planting-Guide-PMC-1.pdf.

We'll see you this Friday or Saturday at the Kitsap Fairgrounds!

🌱🌱 Spring is coming! Join us for a farmer-led workshop on growing your own veggies! 🍅🥕 Bring your specific questions and/or come for a basic overview of how to get your garden growing this year!

Sunday April 21 at the Bainbridge Island Grange Hall.
Register at https://bit.ly/fulltilthfarm
Plant starts available for purchase after class.

Poulsbo Farmers Market Bainbridge Island Farmers' Market Kitsap Fresh Friends of the Farms

Food Preservation & Food Safety
New section and lots of great resources on our website!

https://extension.wsu.edu/kitsap/food-preservation/

At home food preservation can be a rewarding experience, but proper steps must be followed in order to ensure safety. It can be tempting to try that old recipe passed down through the generations, but we don't recommend it! Many of those old recipes are no longer safe by today's standards. It's not worth taking the chance of making your family and friends sick!

You can trust that all of the resources listed on these pages are chock full with current research-based information, and every recipe has been lab tested to ensure its safety for your family.

*** LAST CALL!!! Order-taking for our native plant will close Monday, February 5th at 8pm! ***

We still have some trees (both evergreen & deciduous), shrubs and vegetable starts available.

We are sold out of all perennials except Canada goldenrod. For groundcovers, we only have coastal strawberry remaining. We also have northwest wildflower seeds.

To order go to https://kitsapcd.org/plant-sale.

Edible Gardens Workshop Series | Pierce Conservation District, WA Edible Gardens Workshop Series