Ask a Master Gardener – Skagit County Master Gardener Foundation

Artistic Composting

garden with flowers bloom beside a flower pot and an ornamental wire cage for composting leaves

Master Gardener Herta Kurp introduces a creative approach to building compost structures in the home garden. These structures are hard working solutions to the garden waste stream.

Conifers in the Homescape

Whether used as hedges, focal points, or ground covers, conifers will provide lasting beauty and functionality to your outdoor space.

Winter Prep Checklist

birdbath with leaves floating on water in fall

Master Gardener Diana Wisen has prepared a fall garden prep list

Master Gardener Karen Bruce discusses the joys and considerations of starting a cut flower garden, highlighting the importance of planning, choosing annuals and perennials, and ensuring success from spring through fall.

Growing Garlic

Master Gardener Laura Kuhn shares valuable tips for planning and planting a successful garlic crop this fall.

Integrated Pest Management

Discover the essentials of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and learn how to create a thriving garden while reducing pesticide use. Transform your gardening approach with these sustainable practices today!

The Importance of Trees

weeping willow tree with colorful field in background

Trees provide numerous benefits, including reducing stress, purifying air, combating climate change, managing water runoff, supporting wildlife, and enhancing comfort through shade and noise control. They are essential for our well-being.

Attracting Pollinators

summer garden with colorful flowers and birdbath

Key to crop production and creating a diverse environment, pollinators are also entertaining to watch in the home garden.

Blueberries

Interested in growing blueberries? Soil acidity, location and plant selection are key to success in area.

Garden Open House

Three garden open house on Saturday, June 28 offers a great opportunity to learn A-Z about gardening in our area.

Become a Master Gardener

Considering becoming a master gardener, or have a friend thinking about it? Master Gardener Kari Ranten outlines her top ten reasons, and why she values the program.

Pet-Friendly Gardening

Both pets and gardening require planning, patience, and a healthy dose of reality—learning methods to avoid pitfalls and lead to a happy coexistence between plants and pets.

Dealing with Wet Spots

Discover how to transform soggy spots in your landscape into thriving, beautiful spaces. Learn the secrets of selecting plants for wet areas!

Plant Fair 2025

The 2025 Skagit County Master Gardener Plant Fair is scheduled for Saturday, May 10.

Preventing Food Waste

Reducing food waste is a step-by-step process. It can be fun learning about the delicious ways you can get more out of your food budget.

Pruning Hydrangeas

pink and blue hydrangeas blooming in garden with bird house

Master gardeners explain the types of hydrangeas and when to prune them.

Rhododendrons

Warmer Summers Impact Local Rhododendrons From sun scorch to lace bug, local gardeners protect their beloved rhododendrons with these conscientious tips. FacebookPinEmail Subscribe to the Blog > By Sonja Nelson, Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardener Author Sonja Nelson Rhododendrons in our gardens, along with the native state flower Rhododendron macrophyllum, the Western or Pacific…

Bamboo: Is it for you?

Is Bamboo for You? If you love bamboo, be a good neighbor and understand how to select, grow, and maintain the plant. FacebookPinEmail Subscribe to the Blog > By Kay Torrance, Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardener Bamboo is alternatingly loved and hated by home gardeners. Typically, gardeners are firmly planted in one camp or…

Garden Tours

Creating and appreciating a garden is a dynamic, creative process that benefits from inspiration. Gardeners in the Pacific Northwest are fortunate to have access to many garden styles and a wide variety of plant combinations at gardens that are open to the public – all within range of a day trip from Skagit Valley.

Hummingbirds

Our resident Anna’s and migrating Rufous hummingbirds are an important part of our ecosystem helping control insects are great pollinators.

Vegetable Seed Selection

Use this guide to make strategic selections when choosing vegetable seeds for planting your 2025 garden.

The Winter Garden

This winter, look at your garden’s potential and where you can contribute to its winter beauty by adding a tree, shrub, or grasses.

Gift Ideas

Gardeners are fortunate to have an abundance of great titles on the market, including some new volumes, some old favorites, and many offerings specific to growing in the Pacific Northwest.

Tool Maintenance

person in boots digging a garden fork nto soil

The last job of the gardening season is tool clean-up. Master Gardener Kathy Wolfe covers the reasons why and how to make quick work of garden tool maintenance.

Holiday Floral Arrangements

Creating floral arrangements with foraged natural materials is a rewarding way to bring seasonal cheer into your home.

Growing Grapes

Dream of having your own vineyard? Begin planning now. By choosing the right location and varietal, you can enjoy home-grown grapes in Western Washington.

Growing Figs

Enjoy the sweet, aromatic flavor of homegrown figs in the Pacific Northwest with these select varieties.

Drying Herbs

Capture the seasonal flavors by preserving fresh herbs. Get started drying, freezing, dehydrating and enhance your meals deep into the winter.

Trees Not to Plant

Before buying and planting a tree, Master Gardener Alison Hitchcock outlines species to avoid due to their vulnerability to current and looming threats.

Sale Plants

Plants purchased off the sale rack are only a bargain if you follow these basic rules for all plant purchases.

Fall Planting

July is the time to plant a fall/winter garden. A little work now will set you up for a fresh, delicious vegetables to brighten your autumn and winter meals.

Western Redcedars

The best action today’s gardeners and homeowners can take to prevent redcedar dieback is to keep the soil around their trees weed-free and mulched and to discourage heavy foot traffic.

Open House 2024

picture of Discovery Garden entrance apples, Salal Native Garden sign

Join us for this year’s Open House at the Discovery Garden, the Salal Native Plant Garden, and the NW Fruit Garden

Hypertufa Containers

Alpine gardening enthusiasts have found a solution to recreate the beauty they see in the alpine regions by using hypertufa containers

Memorial Gardens

The very act of envisioning, planning, and creating a memorial garden can help you focus on things beautiful and symbolic that capture the essence of your lost loved one.

Plant Clinics

person diagnosing disease on tree branch

Visit a Master Gardener Plant Clinic and get answers to your questions from WSU Extension-trained experts.

30th Annual Plant Fair

Plants, education, food, music. Kick off your gardening season at the 30th Annual Skagit Master Gardener Plant Fair – Saturday, May 11 – 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Potting Soil

Successful container gardening depends on the attributes of your potting soil. Take a deep dive into how it is made and how to make it better.

Tent Caterpillars

During this time of year, tent caterpillar egg casings on the branches of deciduous trees are easy to spot. Remove them now, or leave them as an important part of the ecosystem.

Gardening Fitness

As you plan for the gardening season ahead, tune-up with these at-home stretches and exercises so you’ll be up to the gardening chores ahead.

Gardening for All Abilities

shows multiple raised bed gardens and terrlis

Whatever the physical challenge, take heart and continue to enjoy gardening by implementing some of these adaptive methods.

Gardening for Wildlife

Explore the benefits of using keystone plants to create a wildlife-friendly ecosystem in your own garden.

Pollinators

Learn about pollinators and open your eyes to the beauty and intricate connectivity of nature. As gardeners, we can make choices that will enhance or inhibit pollinators.

Veggie Gardening for Rookies

Interested in growing vegetables but wondering where to start? Master gardeners walk you through what to consider when starting a vegetable garden for the first time.

Indoor Grow Stand

Grow herbs and vegetables in the middle of the winter with an indoor growing stand.

Raised Beds

Winter is a great time to plan for next season and explore the many advantages of building raised gardening beds.

Season Extenders

An early frost quickly brings a close to the gardening season. Here, Master Gardener Hallie Kintner discusses tools and techniques to extend the season.

The Health Benefits of Gardening

Gardening has long been considered good for the soul. Here Master Gardener Kathy Wolfe writes about the many ways gardening improves mental health.

Plant Spring Blooming Bulbs Now

Master Gardener Jessamyn Tuttle explores the many wonderful bulbs which, if planted now, will bloom as early as late January.

Seed Saving 101

Master Gardener Sheri Rylaarsdam shares the fun of getting started saving and sharing seeds from your garden.