Home and garden events around Snohomish County

Published 1:30 am Saturday, March 9, 2019

“Insects”: Master gardener Sharon Coleman will give a talk on insects during a meeting at noon March 11 for the Monroe Garden Club, which meets at Monroe United Methodist Church, 342 S. Lewis St., Monroe. The public is welcome to attend. For more information, call 425-345-6154 or email GardeningSince52@gmail.com. More at www.monroegardenclub.net.

Grow your own avocados: John Cornell will present a lecture on growing avocados during a meeting of the Snohomish County Fruit Society, scheduled from 7 to 9 p.m. March 14 at the Snohomish Boys & Girls Club, 402 Second St., Snohomish. Cornell has been a commercial avocado grower in California since 1992. His 34-acre orchard in southwest Riverside County currently grows Hass and Reed avocados, as well as star ruby grapefruit, Southern highbush blueberries and seedless Kishu citrus. The meeting is open to the public. For more information, check the website snohomishcfs.wordpress.com.

Sustainable gardening series: The Master Gardener Foundation’s 16th annual sustainable gardening speaker series runs through April. Up next: On March 15, Darcy Daniels speaks on “Beyond Pinterest — Unlocking The Secrets Behind the Pretty Pictures.” Then: March 29, ​Ciscoe Morris on “Life’s Lessons — What 30 Years of Gardening Have Taught Me,” and April 5, Kevin Jones on “The Hidden Treasures of Pelargoniums and Fuchsias.” All presentations are on Fridays from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. at Trinity Lutheran Church, 6215 196th St. SW, Lynnwood. The charge is $20 for a single session or $85 for the series. All proceeds go to the Master Gardener Foundation of Snohomish County. Go to www.gardenlectures.com or call 425-357-6010 for more information.

“Reproduction in the Garden”: Sandy Schumacher, a member of the Master Gardeners of Snohomish County, will discuss how far plants and their pollinators go to sustain the life cycle and perpetuate the species from 1 to 2 p.m. March 16 at the Evergreen Arboretum and Gardens, 145 Alverson Blvd., Everett. Find out about the helpful pollinators. Meet in Horticulture Classroom No. 105. RSVP to 425-257-8597. Free to members, $10 for non-members. Join online or day of class.

Learn about rain gardens: The Hardy Plant Society of Washington presents a free lecture on rain gardens at 7 p.m. March 18 at the Center for Urban Horticulture, NHS Hall, 3501 NE 41st St., Seattle. Refreshments and seed sales at 6:30 p.m. Rain garden experts Lauren Taylor from Sustainable Ballard, and Lisa Haglund from WSU King County Extension, will be provide information on how King County and the city of Seattle created Rainwise program, benefits to having a system installed. They’ll also give guidelines for eligibility for installation and rebates, whether installing a rain garden and or cisterns. More at www.hardyplantsocietywa.org.

Landscaping with Native Plants: Come learn about the importance of native plants to birds and other wildlife in your yard at 7 p.m. March 20 at the Island County Multi-Purpose Center, 141 N. East Camano Drive, Camano Island. Brenda Cunningham, who manages the Washington Native Plant Society’s display garden in Mount Vernon and is a master gardener, will provide information on what you can do to increase the resilience of your landscape in these climate-changing times. The Camano Wildlife Habitat Project, sponsored by Friends of Camano Island Parks, hosts public presentations the third Wednesday of the month. For information, call 360-387-2236, or visit www.camanowildlifehabitat.org.

Egg Scramble: Scramble through the grass in Everett’s arboretum to find colorful eggs filled with seeds, then plant them with dirt in the shell and take them home in an egg carton from 1 to 2 p.m. April 20 at the Evergreen Arboretum and Gardens, 145 Alverson Blvd., Everett. Dress for the weather, rain or shine. Meet in the arboretum lawn near the gazebo. RSVP to 425-257-8597. Free to members, $10 for non-members. Join online or day of class.

Hartsfield quilts: The Pacific Northwest Quilt & Fiber Arts Museum, 703 S. Second St., La Conner, is exhibiting the Hartsfield Quilt Collection through April 28. The quilt collection, originally owned by a slave family, dates back to the early 1850s. The 12-piece exhibit will be accompanied by family photographs and historical context. Admission is $7 general, $5 military and students, free for children 12 and younger. Museum hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. More at www.qfamuseum.org.

Master Gardener Hotline & Diagnostic Clinic: Call 425-357-6010 to talk to a master gardener or visit Snohomish County’s walk-in clinic at the WSU Extension office in McCollum Park, 600 128th St. SE, Everett. Hours are 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday, October through March. More at extension.wsu.edu/snohomish/garden/master-gardener-program.