Marin IJ Articles

Great places to learn about gardening

• Marie Narlock

• There are many ways to learn about gardening: reading, talking to friends, attending classes and workshops, visiting websites. These are all useful, but sometimes the best teacher is the great outdoors. 

  Fortunately, we live in paradise, so it’s not difficult to find examples of best practices for growing healthy, vibrant landscapes. Here are places to visit for inspiration and real-life ideas to bring home.  

  The Marin Master Gardener exhibit at the County Fair: inspiration and knowledge under one tent

  

  Fairgoers visit the Marin Master Gardener tent at the County Fair to learn how to grow gardens that are beautiful, low-water, and pollinator-friendly.

  In keeping with this year’s “electrifying” theme, the Marin Master Gardeners are sharing bright ideas for growing and maintaining an Earth-friendly garden. In other words, a garden that works with nature, not against her. Need help choosing plants? Here’s an opportunity to see and discuss what and how to grow a floriferous, pollinator-loving garden perfectly suited to Marin’s microclimates – without excess water and definitely without pesticides. Like what you see? All the plants will be for sale at 7 am on July 5.

  Have garden questions? Docents will be on hand to answer them. Want to attend a free 30-minute talk? There will be two per day -- 11:30 am and 1:30 pm -- to illuminate many topics that are especially important to Marin gardeners. These include pruning basics, attracting birds into the backyard, how to grow strawberries and blueberries, sheet mulching, vermicomposting, great plants for Marin gardens, succulents, and growing edibles in containers. 

  Please join us. When it comes to upping your gardening prowess, you never know: this could be the lightbulb moment you’ve been waiting for. https://marinmg.ucanr.edu/ASK_US/EVENTS/COUNTYFAIR/

  Going public: gardens that invite you to take a stroll

  

  The gardens at the the Falkirk Cultural Center in San Rafael showcase what thrives in Marin's summer-dry climate. Photo: Gail Mason

  Our public gardens are horticultural treasure chests. Many offer classes and workshops for novice as well as experienced gardeners. The primo examples are the San Francisco and University of California Botanical Gardens, where it’s easy to get lost in all the exotic, mammoth species. But there are also gardens closer to home that are perfect destinations for learning as well as walking or picnicking. 

  The Falkirk gardens in San Rafael provide an ideal outdoor classroom for learning how to garden successfully in our summer-dry climate. Visit Falkirk to see first-hand how to grow and care for succulents, the ease of Australian plants (most are deer-proof!), and the rugged beauty of California native plants. Show up between 10 am and noon on a Monday morning, and you can help tend the garden with expert guidance from Marin Master Gardeners. 

  Have a shady setting? The garden at the Outdoor Art Club in Mill Valley contains numerous plants that thrive in dappled light. Come take a peek at the Japanese maples, hellebores, viburnum, columbine, azaleas, and anemones that appreciate cooler locales away from bright sunshine. 

  Finally, check out the gardens and classes at the Marin Art & Garden Center, where the expansive grounds feel like a plant lover’s playground. MAGC has something for everyone, from basketry to roses. Don’t miss the epic species: a rare dawn redwood, immense English oak, and the incredible Magnolia circle. 

  For the love of food: where to learn how to grow some of your own

  

  Marin Master Gardener Joan Kozlowski points to crops ready for harvest at the Edible Demonstration Garden in Novato. Photo: Linda Stiles

  The Edible Demonstration Garden at College of Marin’s Indian Valley Campus in Novato is Mecca for food growers. With a backdrop of 100+ varieties of vegetables, flowers, fruit, and herbs, this garden showcases sustainable agricultural practices that are useful for home gardeners. Whether your edible garden is in the ground or in a container, you can find all the advice and know-how you need. Look for Saturday morning workshops on-site to hone your craft. 

  If you want to rub elbows with the big boys (and girls), consider a jaunt to West Marin and its impressive farms and ranches, many of which provide tours. Marin’s 39,000 acres of agricultural land are well known for its forward-thinking techniques. See the Grown In Marin website to learn more.