Rocks, stones and pebbles placed in your landscaping add interest, drama and texture to your greenspaces. They also provide support for vining or spreading plants and structure for water features. Want to learn more on how to rock your garden? Ring the bell because class is in session! Join Dr. Ross Boyton, Director of beautiful Heronswood Garden in Kingston for the Green Thumb Education Series presentation, “School of Rock: Creating a Rock Garden at Heronswood.”

This 2024 Green Thumb Education Series presentation will be held in person on Thursday,  April 11th from noon – 1:00 p.m. at

Saint Andrew’s Episcopal Church, 510 E Park Ave, in Port Angeles and will be broadcast live via Zoom.

Find a direct link to the live presentation here.

Or join by phone: 253-215-8782

Meeting ID: 936 2989 8830

Passcode: 676224

Ross will demonstrate the process of building a rock garden and choosing the plants to grow in it. He will also discuss the environmental conditions in which alpine plants thrive, and how to replicate those at home.

“Heronswood is owned by the Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe and our rock garden is also an attempt to replicate a habitat that used to provide resources to the S’Klallam before the arrival of Europeans. I hope attendees will be inspired to grow native alpine plants, some of our most endangered species, and living right on your doorstep in the Olympics,” Ross said.

London-born botanist and gardener Dr. Ross Bayton gained his PhD at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, studying the classification of tropical palms. He is the author of several books on horticulture including New Trees: Introductions to Cultivation (with John Grimshaw), Plant Families: A Guide for Gardeners and Botanists (with Simon Maugham), and most recently The Gardener’s Botanical: An Encyclopedia of Latin Plant Names, as featured in the New York Times. Formerly the Gardening Editor of the UK’s best-selling gardening periodical, BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine, he is now the Director of the world-renowned Heronswood Garden in Kingston, WA and is developing a five-acre garden at home in nearby Bremerton.

The Green Thumb Education Series, sponsored by the Washington State University Clallam County Master Gardeners, is held on the second and fourth Thursday of each month through October. In November, December, and January, one lecture is offered. Scheduled presentations are subject to change. Visit the WSU Extension Clallam County website calendar for the latest information on upcoming presentations. For questions, call 360-565-2678.