Metro area Master Gardener (Clackamas, Multnomah, Washington counties) | OSU Extension Service

Registration for winter 2019 Master Gardener training will open in November 2018.

Want us to contact you then? Sign up for our contact list.

See training details from 2018. We expect our offerings will be similar in 2019.

Who we are and what we do

OSU Extension Service Master Gardeners are trained through OSU to offer the public Reliable, Relevant and Reachable gardening information and education opportunities.

Reliable: our gardening advice and education is science-based.
Relevant: customized information for your gardening situation.
Reachable: Call us on the phone, email us a question, or visit with us at markets or gardens in your community.

Mission statement

We provide relevant, research-based education and outreach to the public of Clackamas, Multnomah, and Washington counties about horticulture and household pests. This information promotes sustainable practices that minimize risks to human health and the environment.

Upcoming Events

Success with Herbs: Culinary and Other Uses by Judy Fenker

Metro area Master Gardener (Clackamas, Multnomah, Washington counties) Event

Thu, Jun 21, 10:00 am - 11:00 am

Great for seasoning food and gorgeous in the garden too. Learn herb selection, best soil condition and location, to create and maintain a bountiful and beautiful herb garden.

Arborvitae ID (and their look-alikes)* by Elizabeth Price

Metro area Master Gardener (Clackamas, Multnomah, Washington counties) Event

Sat, Jun 23, 10:00 am - 12:00 pm

Learn to identify Arborvitae and trees that are often mistaken for Arborvitae. Eight tree species in the Cypress family with the same type of foliage will be closely examined. Learn key ID characteristics, plant habit and uses in the landscape. This will be a walking tour of the PCC Rock Creek campus.

*Asterisk indicates 1-hour MG education credit

Drought Tolerant Gardening in the Northwest - Carolyn Adams/Jacque Myers

Metro area Master Gardener (Clackamas, Multnomah, Washington counties) Event

Thu, Jul 12, 10:00 am - 11:00 am

A wide variety of landscape plants thrive in the Willamette Valley’s climate with little or no water once established. Learn about reducing water needs of conventional plants and creating a low-water garden.

Blueberry Selection and Care* by Sue Ryburn

Metro area Master Gardener (Clackamas, Multnomah, Washington counties) Event

Fri, Jul 20, 10:00 am - 11:00 am

Blueberries are fun and relatively easy to grow in our area. Learn about varieties, how to care for blueberries, harvesting, monitoring for problems and how to address them.

*Asterisk indicates 1-hour MG education credit

OSU MG Study Group: Diagnostic Show & Tell

Metro area Master Gardener (Clackamas, Multnomah, Washington counties) Event

Mon, Aug 6, 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm

*Counts towards education/recertification credit.

This event is not open to the public. It is only for Master Gardeners.

This event is lots of fun and a great way for you to work on your diagnostic skills in a relaxed, cooperative environment. It is an informal gathering of Master Gardeners. We bring our own samples of plants, plant parts, insects or spiders to the session. We mill about the room working together on either diagnosing the problem or identifying the sample (or both).

Seeds: Sowing/Harvesting/Saving* by Sarah Gramm Wolf

Metro area Master Gardener (Clackamas, Multnomah, Washington counties) Event

Sat, Sep 15, 10:00 am - 11:00 am

What the seed packets don’t tell you when planting seeds; heirloom varieties and seed harvesting (when to harvest, how to clean the seeds); seed saving (storage conditions); and do-it-yourself viability testing before planting your saved seeds. Pioneers brought their saved seeds with them when they crossed the Oregon Trail ... the tiny, mighty seed!

*Asterisk indicates 1-hour MG education credit

Learning Garden Open House*

Metro area Master Gardener (Clackamas, Multnomah, Washington counties) Event

Sat, Sep 15, 10:00 am - 11:00 am

Tour the Master Gardener Learning Garden and FREE workshops held onsite.

* Asterisk indicates 1-hour MG education credit

Winterize: Putting your Garden to Bed* by Sue Ryburn

Metro area Master Gardener (Clackamas, Multnomah, Washington counties) Event

Sat, Sep 15, 11:00 am - 12:00 pm

Fall signals the coming of our winter months and the time to prepare the garden for cooler, wetter days. Learn about steps to protect your plants, take advantage of the indoors for some garden tasks, prepare for spring and also support the ecosystem in your garden.

* Asterisk indicates 1-hour MG education credit

Creating a Hellstrip Garden - From Sod 2 Super!* by Susan Albright

Metro area Master Gardener (Clackamas, Multnomah, Washington counties) Event

Sat, Sep 22, 10:00 am - 12:00 pm

Want to reclaim an under-used portion of your yard? Curious about the term "Hellstrip" and if you have one? This session answers these questions and more. Come learn about site preparation, plant selection and design, planting techniques, water concerns, and maintenance for hellstrips. If possible, we will have some hands-on activities in the garden.

* Asterisk indicates 1-hour MG education credit

Fascinating Plants Across the Globe by Seth Menser

Metro area Master Gardener (Clackamas, Multnomah, Washington counties) Event

Tue, Nov 6, 6:50 pm - 7:45 pm

Seth was Horticulture Supervisor at the San Diego Zoo, and will give a presentation on the various projects he worked on, highlighting in photography some of the incredible plants he has seen along the way. The countries covered in this presentation include Australia, the Bahamas, Costa Rica, France, New Caledonia, and New Zealand.

Mason Bee Cocoon Cleaning by Ron Spendal

Metro area Master Gardener (Clackamas, Multnomah, Washington counties) Event

Sat, Dec 1, 10:00 am - 12:00 pm

This presentation is a hands-on workshop showing how to extract, clean, and store mason bee cocoons.

Five Remarkable Women, Five Remarkable PNW Gardens – Donald Olson, author, Pacific Northwest Garden Tour

Clackamas County Master Gardeners Event

Mon, Sep 10, 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm

Join us on for a presentation by Donald Olson, author of the new bestselling guide, The California Garden Tour—The 50 Best Gardens to Visit in the Golden State. Donald’s talk, “Garden Goddesses: Four California Women and their Legendary Gardens,” is an informative and entertaining introduction to four remarkable women who created gardens that are today among the greatest public gardens in the world.

Earthquakes in Northwest Oregon – Scott Burns, PhD. Geologist

Clackamas County Master Gardeners Event

Mon, Oct 8, 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm

In the Pacific Northwest of the US, the Juan de Fuca plate is being subducted under the North American Plate at the Cascadia Subduction Zone. What does this mean? Dr. Burns will discuss the hazards of and the preparedness for ground shaking, liquefaction, landslides and tsunamis along the subduction zone. Much of our region was not thought to be an earthquake region, so earthquake building standards are fairly recent. How does this affect building codes, emergency preparedness, siting of critical facilities, building of bridges and transportation corridors in our region? What can we expect after a large quake? Dr. Burns will answer these questions!