Nearby Nature – Skagit County Master Gardener Foundation

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

succulents on log

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.

The Winter Garden

grasses catching sunlight in winter

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

Hypertufa Containers

small plants growing in rock container

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

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.

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.

Seed Saving 101

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

Cider Making

Get started pressing apple juice and making cider. Learn about the excellent resources here in Skagit County and how to get started pressing apple juice and making fermented apple cider.

Restoring Nature

Recently certified Master Gardener Joan Stamm writes about how Douglas Tallamay’s book, Nature’s Best Hope changed her gardening perspective.

Discovery Garden Open House June 24, 2023

Join us for a day of discovery and learning at the Skagit Master Gardener’s Discovery Garden in Mount Vernon

Italian Arum

Italian arum seed pods

Don’t be deceived by the beauty of Italian Arum, though it is sold by many companies, it is an invasive plant in most areas of Western Washington.

Visit UW Botanic Gardens

Skagit Master Gardeners spend a day touring and learning about the plants at the UW Botanic Garden.

Northwest Tree Squirrels

Author Kathy Wolfe explores the ambiguity of Pacific Northwest tree squirrels: At times entertaining and at other times very destructive.

Midnight Marauders

Master Gardener Diana Wisen discusses slug damage and eradication, one of the most discussed topics among PNW gardeners.