UC Master Gardener Program of Sonoma County

University of California

UC Master Gardener Program of Sonoma County

December in Sonoma County

Garden Sense awarded the Irrigation Association 2020 Outstanding Public Engagement Award

This is a photo of a water efficient landscape that was transformed from a grass lawn. Photo by Leslie Hart

The UC Master Gardener Program of Sonoma County (MGSC) Garden Sense program via its sponsoring organization, Sonoma Water, was named the recipient of the Smart Water Application Technologies (SWAT) Outstanding Public Engagement Award.

Creating Wreaths from the Garden and Beyond - Zoom Talk
Thursday, December 10, 2020, 1:00 to 2:30 pm

Creating Wreaths from the Garden and Beyond L250p

Master Gardener Sue Lovelace, author of Sunday’s with Sue, will demonstrate how we can create wreaths from flora that we have around us and show methods for harvesting and preserving freshness, and prepping materials. Supplies and materials to have on hand plus design elements and techniques will lead to personal style and achievement. Attendees are welcome to gather their cutters, greens (evergreens, conifers, herbs, etc.), wreath forms (wire or vine), paddle wire (22 gauge), and any embellishments (ribbon, pine cones, fruit, cinnamon sticks, etc.) to join the fun of creating a wreath. Note: the workshop will cover a sphagnum moss wreath base. Click here for more information.

Food Gardening

Putting Your Garden to Bed

We are blessed in Sonoma County to be able to food garden twelve months of the year. But if you did not plant a fall food garden that overwinters or your fall/winter food garden does not occupy all of your planting space, it's time to put that garden to bed. Read more.

COVID-19 Notice

To reduce the spread of COVID-19 pandemic and in compliance with county orders, we have adjusted our services accordingly:

All in-person events are suspended. Library talks have been replaced by Zoom events. Please check the "Upcoming Events" section at the top-right of this page for currently scheduled events.

Thanks for your patience during this time. We will inform you when the in-person library talks resume.

Interesting new posts are frequently added to our Facebook Page. Check it out! And please check our Food Gardening page, and Food Gardening Articles for help in starting, upgrading or extending a veggie garden.

Master Gardeners in Print

Press Democrat
Common plants that don't deserve their bad reputation 8/28/2020

The Garden Doctors
Dana Lozano & Gwen Kilchherr, The Press Democrat
What variety of oregano should I grow? 10/16/2020

Argus Courier
Mannion Knoll Park: a walk in the woods 6/25/2020

Master Gardeners are volunteers trained by the UC Davis Cooperative Extension.

Sonoma County Master Gardeners will provide environmentally sustainable, science-based horticultural information to all of Sonoma County’s population. We strive for diversity and inclusion in all aspects of our organization.

UCCE Farm Advisor: Stephanie Larson, County Director

SCMG Coordinator: Mimi Enright

Getting Help

We are not currently accepting walk-ins or specimen drop offs at our Master Gardener Information Desk at the UCCE Sonoma office.
Please email your questions and attach photos if you have them. One of our Information Desk experts will get back to you.

Event Name	Date
Creating Wreaths from the Garden and Beyond - Zoom Talk	12/10/2020

Sundays with Sue

By SCMG Sue Lovelace
November 29, 2020

Parsley

Anyone still eating turkey?! We certainly are, especially in light of not having a large family gathering this year. Turkey dinners with all of the fixings take a long time to prepare, and really, whether it’s two people or twenty, an all day stint in the kitchen is required. I am not complaining as the rituals of preparing a traditional Thanksgiving dinner gave me a feeling of nostalgia and normalcy in abnormal times. The mixed feelings of seeing photos of family and friends at their dinner tables in addition to quick driveway visits or masked conversations inside or out remind us that there is still much to be thankful for in the year 2020.

Swiss chard

Speaking of feeling thankful, we gardeners know that feeling with all the wonderful harvests from our gardens that add to the pleasures of seasonal eating, and sometimes non-seasonal eating, as well as from those summer treasures that we’ve saved in one form of the other. I often write about the salads of mixed greens that keep getting better with the cold weather. However, the real bonuses of a cool weather garden for us this Thanksgiving, came within a few steps of our back door. Parsley, celery tops (a new little plant I found in a local nursery), Swiss chard, and woody herbs like fresh thyme, oregano and rosemary, created great starts to our stuffing and other dishes. Lemons are so numerous this year, and there are so many wonderful dishes, sauces and drinks that just get fresher and better tasting with lemon juice. Using lemon juice to stop the browning of certain fruits and vegetables, or the peels for zest or even to freshen up a garbage disposal makes use of every part of the fruit. Then there are the beautiful persimmons, the pomegranates and the mouth-freshening kumquats, not to mention the numerous varieties of winter squash and that all important root called garlic; need I say more about seasonal eating from the garden?!

Many of you are still finishing the harvests of warm season edibles and this is what I meant by non-seasonal eating. I received a text from fellow Master Gardener Dandi, telling me that she still had Japanese eggplant and loads of peppers in her garden. I am sure many of you can say the same thing about other warm season vegetables especially if you have a bit more coastal influence or a very warm microclimate in your garden. Lucky you!

I am sure that still more treasures from the garden for this holiday came out of pantries, drying areas and freezers. Many gardeners do it all, utilizing all the garden has to offer throughout the year. Speaking of such, I have to tell you that a group of Master Gardeners became certified Master Food Preservers recently, meaning they can teach us about food preservation. I will have more to report in the upcoming weeks, and perhaps a website we can all go to.

Chickens on rice hulls

So, while others were 'Black Friday' shopping, we gave our full attention to the chicken coop on Friday and Saturday. Raising chickens often comes with a myriad of issues but somehow the sing song chitter chatter they offer when we walk outside tells us they value our presence as much as we value theirs. Various projects related to these “girls of five” included cleaning the consistent mess they create outside the coop plus the endless poop inside the coop! We also addressed rodent issues and instead of laying down wattles (which we now think gave said rodents a hiding place and nesting material) we put sandbags inside the coop instead. If you are wondering why we would put in either, it’s to create an elevated medium for the chicks to walk on to keep feet dry in the event of rain and/or boredom. One of the biggest events we can offer these pecking beauties is to lay down fresh rice hulls, which we did. They love rice hulls and will peck through them endlessly. Silly chickens!

As we approach the first week of December, I wish you a much energizing time outside. Have a good week.

“The gardening season officially begins on January 1st, and ends on December 31.” Marie Huston

Webmasters: Kim Roche, Stan Pawlak

Website Editor: Penny Fink

Food Gardening Editor: Open, please apply!

Staff Photographers and Videographers:
Cie Cary, Electra de Peyster,
Coby Lafayette-Kelleher, Laura Salo Long