UC Master Gardener Program of Sonoma County

University of California

UC Master Gardener Program of Sonoma County

April in Sonoma County

Assessing the Landscape: Answers to Post-Fire Questions

Since the October fires, our Information Desk received many questions from homeowners who had suffered landscape damage. For the answers to the five most frequently asked questions, please click here.

Also, find previous articles in our "Fire Issues" series here.

UCCE Sonoma is committed to helping our community rebuild.
Click here for a list of resources that we have compiled.

Garden Sense Program Resumes

The Garden Sense program was suspended after the October wildfire disaster, and we are happy to announce the program has resumed as of February 1, 2018. Our Garden Sense consultants have advanced training in water management, irrigation systems, site assessment, low-water use plants, and sustainable garden practices. Click here to learn more about the program and to schedule a Garden Sense consultation and site visit.

Food Gardening

Lemongrass

Easy to grow. Attractive in an ornamental garden with its arching form. Versatile in the kitchen with its lemony scent and flavor. What's not to like about lemongrass?! If you click here, Master Gardener Gaius Robinson will share everything you need to know in order to grow this perennial herb successfully.

Growing a Thriving Vegetable Garden with Less Water

The Food Gardening Specialists (FGS) of the UCCE Sonoma Master Gardeners are excited to present water-wise food gardening strategies. Given our hot, dry summers along with the prediction of extended drought, we can’t afford to waste a drop. This video demonstrates how home and community gardeners can grow a thriving vegetable garden with less water. In addition, this video is complemented by a planting scheme and a drip system instruction and shopping list that reflect the 4x8-foot demonstration vegetable bed in the video. Click here for these documents along with additional helpful documents for food gardening with less water.

Ask a Master Gardener
Questions and Answers from the Helpline

Watch to Learn What Master Gardeners Do

Fight Invasives!

Master Gardener-staffed Help Desks are located
at Sonoma County Farmers' Markets and Fairs

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

Workshop Calendar

Event Name	Date
Lessons Learned from My Garden - Guerneville	4/28/2018
Supermarket Orchids Survival Class - Sonoma	4/28/2018
Sudden Oak Death Blitz - Petaluma	5/3/2018
Sudden Oak Death Blitz Sampling Event - Yorkville	5/5/2018

View More Events

Find links to past workshop handouts under Resources/Workshop Handouts.

Sundays with Sue

By SCMG Sue Lovelace
Updated: April 22, 2018

Hi All. I would like to congratulate our very own UC Master Gardeners Of Sonoma County Facebook administrator and writer extraordinaire, Stephanie Wrightson, on her Outstanding Volunteer of the Year Award presented to her by the Sonoma County Board Of Supervisors on Friday. Not only does Stephanie manage our “Daily Words” on Facebook and previously food writing on our website, she has led our Food Gardening Specialist Group, spoken at and managed workshops, chaired a myriad of projects and committees, overseen speakers, and every single Food Gardening document has had her hand on it making sure no detail is missed. Stephanie is an incredible editor who somehow convinced me I could write “Sundays with Sue” over 5 years ago and she continues to mentor and support. She credits her meticulousness to a career with the U.S. Government and believe me, she is meticulous! An honor well deserved!

It’s been such a busy week as a Master Gardener, participating and learning about people and gardens and the environment we live in. A full day of touring school gardens in Petaluma painted an impressive picture of the emphasis these schools put on children growing their own food in a setting that promotes science, writing, history, and the joy of being outside. We saw complex sheds, greenhouses, washing stations, pollinator gardens, raised beds, and water catchment systems. Garden coordinators like Julia, Lauren and Mike blew us away with their enthusiasm and dedication. Casa Grande High School’s acre and a half of fruit trees, culinary grills, 9 worm bins and 44 raised beds spoke to a future of food gardening.

A Garden Sense Visit to a garden, also in Petaluma, gave my partner, Linda King, and I a chance to share information on sheet mulching, planting drought tolerant plants and irrigation. I was delighted when the homeowners asked about growing veggies in raised beds as we could relate good info about that, as well as planting a supporting pollinator garden in the back yard.

Our SCMG membership was captivated by a presentation on growing food in an environment of climate change, what to expect in the future and ways we can combat it, by Wendy Krupnick. She also spoke to Carbon Farming and its importance.

Planting potatoes and a Spanish lesson at Bayer Farm community garden rounded out the week. I told you it was a busy week!! Time to get out to my garden and get it ready for the warm season! First, compost, compost, compost!! Have a good week!

“Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Show me and I learn.” Benjamin Franklin

Master Gardeners in Print

The Garden Doctors
Dana Lozano & Gwen Kilchherr, The Press Democrat

What is Biochar?

Tips and tricks for sowing seeds

Webmasters: Kim Roche, Stan Pawlak

Website Editor: Penny Fink

Food Gardening Editor: Stephanie Wrightson

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