Starting April 8, 2023, and every second Saturday through September, Veteran Clallam County Master Gardeners will lead a fast-paced walk through the Port Angeles Fifth Street Community Garden to examine what is happening (or should be happening) in local vegetable gardens.

For many of us without greenhouses in our home gardens, our area climate keeps dealing us multiple challenges getting our warmth-loving vegetable plants to produce well. This summer’s overnight temperatures in the low fifties Fahrenheit and daily highs below 65 degrees Fahrenheit have not been conducive to producing vine ripen tomatoes nor other warm season fruit and vegetables we long for.

Come join Master Gardeners Jan Bartron, Bob Cain, Laurel Moulton and Audreen Williams on a walk through the garden highlighting successful plants and gardening techniques, as well as a variety of other gardening challenges. The next Second Saturday Garden Walk is August 12, from 10 – 11:30 a.m. at the Fifth Street Community Garden, Port Angeles.

August walk topics will include but not limited to common tomato problems, powdery mildew issues and all things onions (growing onions. harvesting onions, curing onions for long term storage, allium rust, etc.). Come join the discussion, bring your questions and share your experiences.

All garden walks occur from 10-11:30 am., rain or shine. All garden walks are free and open to the public. The walks are beneficial to people new to vegetable gardening, new to the Pacific Northwest, as well as more seasoned vegetable gardeners.

Walk participants will:

• Learn what needs to be done in the vegetable garden each month.

• Learn what problems are likely to appear.

• Learn what integrated pest management control measures exist for common pests and diseases.

• Ask questions and get timely science-based advice.

Both interns and veteran Master Gardeners are welcome! All Master Gardeners earn continuing education credit for attending the walks.

The Fifth Street Community Garden is located at 328 E. Fifth Street in Port Angeles, just off Peabody and right across from City Hall.

The Master Gardener Foundation of Clallam County supports our efforts by paying our rental fees and providing necessary supply funding. Master Gardener volunteers tend two double plots in the southeast corner of the garden and the blueberry patch nearest the compost bins. Our presence encourages other plot renters and the public to seek answers to their vegetable gardening questions.