Learn about sustainable gardening, resources of UC Placer County Master Gardeners

The UC Master Gardeners of Placer County, around since 1983, are an extraordinary FREE resource for residents of Auburn and throughout the county. We strive to present accurate, impartial research-based information so our readers have the knowledge to make informed gardening decisions about plant choices, soil fertility, pest management and irrigation practices specific to our local environment. Our target audience is gardeners and want-to-be gardeners. Everyone. What are the Master Gardeners? It is a group of volunteers formally trained through a program supported by Placer County and the University of California to extend research-based sustainable gardening and composting information to the public through various educational outreach methods. Some of our most popular resources are the annual Calendar and Gardening Guide that explains what to do in the garden each month, if not each day of the year. Another important resource is the annual Mother's Day Garden Tour in May – watch for announcements on ticket availability. The calendar and garden tour are the two ways we fund our outreach and education. We are also on social media. The resource to point out this month is both the website and the calendar of upcoming classes and events. Bookmark this resource: https://pcmg.ucanr.org/ The high-level website page guides you to key resources such as the hotline, where you can call to get your questions answered. You can submit an online question or call 530-889-7388. And you can access our social media resources. Front and center are the upcoming workshops and special events. The workshops are in person at sites such as the Loomis Library, Roseville Utility Exploration Center and soon will return to the Auburn Senior Center. Some are available via Zoom, both coming up plus there are others on file to review, such as gardening with native plants, raised beds and growing citrus in the foothills. The topics are relevant to the season or help you prepare for your gardening efforts later in the year. There are ones that help you make your landscape healthy and safe and others that help you with attracting pollinators, watering, composting and mulching – actions that keep your garden sustainable. Popular ones such as explaining everything you need to know about growing tomatoes are presented each year. Of note is one workshop on Saturday, April 8, at Loomis Library from 10:30-11:30 a.m. for our residents to learn about defensible space landscaping: Firescaping: Get ahead and slow the spread! There IS a way to organize your landscape and maintain your garden that will help create defensible space around your home. We'll discuss what the research is telling us about the best practices we can implement in our landscapes to slow the spread of fire while still being able to enjoy a beautiful garden. With so many Placer County residents living amongst the wildland interface, the time is NOW to make a plan for your house and yard to create a fire-wise landscape. Again, bookmark the resource https://pcmg.ucanr.org/ and plan to attend one of the upcoming events or webinars. See you there!