Central to the Master Gardener mission is a commitment to horticulture and environmental stewardship education within our community. To reach as many people as possible, the Master Gardener Program offers a wide range of horticultural educational opportunities throughout Jefferson County.
The Jefferson County Master Gardener Foundation is a vital partner in supporting our programs through its generous funding of WSU Jefferson County Extension. This support enables us to maintain the staff and resources needed to deliver high-quality educational opportunities. Below is an overview of the programs supported in Jefferson County.
Ask a Master Gardener
Have a gardening question? Ask a Master Gardener at one of our in-person or online plant and insect diagnostic clinics. Master Gardeners staff clinics across the county and offer pop-up clinics at many community events. These clinics are staffed with trained volunteers who will help you get the answers to your pesky gardening problems.
The Master Gardener Foundation funds the research materials and handouts required to make our Ask a Master Gardener clinics a valuable —and free — gardening resource in Jefferson County.
Growing Groceries Class
Every spring, the WSU Jefferson County Master Gardeners offers a six-week in-person “Growing Groceries” course designed to equip participants with essential gardening skills. These classes cover topics such as garden design, soil health, seed starting, crop rotation, and pest management.
The funding provided by the Master Gardener Foundation enables us to offer this class at cost and provide scholarships, ensuring it is accessible to everyone in the community.
Seed Library and Community Seed Project
Master Gardeners support a communal model of seed saving and hope to foster a community of seed savers who contribute to the adaptability and genetic diversity of our local seed stock. As we grow, save and share seeds, we make micro adaptations to the seed that contribute to the evolution season after season.
Supplies and outreach materials are provided for free through the generous donation from the Master Gardener Foundation.
Demonstration and Community Gardens
Master Gardeners host a demonstration garden in Port Townsend and partner with other gardening organizations to increase their reach in Jefferson County. The demonstration garden is a place where the public can informally tour to pick up on gardening ideas, and view deer-resistant plants.
The Master Gardener Foundation funds all the expenses it takes to run the demonstration garden.
Speakers Bureau
Master Gardeners prepare and deliver presentations to garden clubs, for the Jefferson County and Port Townsend library system, home owners associations and basically any organization hungry for the latest science-backed developments in horticulture and environmental stewardship.
These presentations are offered for free, and the expenses to develop and deliver the presentations are covered through the funding to WSU Jefferson County Extension from the Master Gardener Foundation.
Green School
(Master Gardener volunteer and non-volunteer tracks)
Green School offers two distinct tracks in its online course: the Washington Gardener course for individuals looking to enhance their gardening skills through research-based horticultural and environmental stewardship, and another for those who wish to take it further by becoming a WSU Extension Master Gardener Program volunteer.
