Discovery Garden 30th Anniversary Open House

MOUNT VERNON –The WSU Extension Skagit County Master Gardener Discovery Garden officially took root in 1996 and over the past three decades has flourished as a community hub for education, an inspiration, and a classroom for how to care for and protect the environment.

Master gardeners invite the community to celebrate the 30^th anniversary of the Discovery Garden at an open house from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, June 27, 2026, at the garden, 16602 State Route 536 (Memorial Highway), just west of the Washington State University Northwestern Washington Research and Extension Center (NWREC). Admission and parking are free.

Event Details

Event: Discovery Garden 30^th Anniversary Open House
Date: Saturday, June 27, 2026
Time: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Location: 16602 State Route 536 (Memorial Highway), Mount Vernon
Admission & Parking: Free

“Marking 30 years, the Discovery Garden continues to be a special place that evolves and grows under the dedicated care of the master gardener volunteers,” said WSU Extension Skagit County Master Gardener Hallie Kintner, who chairs the open house. “True to the master garden mission, this outdoor classroom provides the opportunity for home gardeners and our community to learn about topics ranging from growing local food and care for pollinators to water conservation and being nearby nature.”

This gem continues to sparkle today as the garden is visited annually by thousands of people from across the country and beyond, who all have the opportunity to learn and gain inspiration.”
Hallie Kintner, Event Chair and WSU Extension Skagit County Master Gardener

What to Expect

The open house will highlight the Discovery Garden and also includes the neighboring Salal Native Plant Garden and the NW Fruit Garden, showcasing a wide variety of trees, berries, native plants, and more on a total of eight acres.

The open house will feature three gardens:

Discovery Garden: This 1.5-acre oasis is maintained by the volunteers of the WSU Extension Skagit County Master Gardener Program. The Discovery Garden features 33 garden “rooms,” ranging from herbs and heathers to roses and vegetables, designed to educate and inspire gardeners of all ages. Master gardeners will be on site to answer questions, demonstrate best practices, and inspire home gardeners.

Salal Native Plant Garden: Adjacent to the Discovery Garden, this half-acre greenspace of native plants is maintained by volunteers of the Washington Native Plant Society’s Salal Chapter to demonstrate how native plants can be incorporated into the home landscape. A shaded trail leads visitors into a natural setting featuring dogwood, salal, cascara, vine maple, ferns, trillium, and more. Volunteers, representing north Snohomish, Skagit, and Island counties, will be on hand to guide garden tours and answer questions.

NW Fruit Garden: Next door to the Discovery Garden, the NW Fruit Garden encompasses six acres of fruit trees, berry bushes, and other fruit-bearing plants, along with nut trees. Altogether, the garden features more than 600 plants – from peach and persimmon to apples and Asian pears. The garden features a growing collection of larger antique apples, many of which were grown during the 1960s and 70s. Volunteers will offer guided tours of the orchard from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on June 27.

History of the Discovery Garden

Providing the public with a demonstration garden was an early goal for local master gardeners. The first master gardener in Skagit County was Joe Dupre in 1977, for whom “Joe’s Place” is named in the Discovery Garden. The group grew to several dozen by the mid-1990s when talk turned to forming a display garden. After two years of discussions and planning, a 1996 cooperative agreement with NWREC, WSU Extension Skagit County, and the Skagit County Master Gardener Foundation, turned over management of 1.5 acres of fertile, unplanted agricultural land adjacent to NWREC. In the words of project leader and class of 1994 master gardener Julie Hubner, the team of 44 volunteers envisioned a “jewel of a teaching garden.”

“This gem continues to sparkle today as the garden is visited annually by thousands of people from across the country and beyond, who all have the opportunity to learn and gain inspiration,” Kintner said.

Ground was broken on the demonstration garden in September 1996. The community, service clubs, and local businesses came together to support the vision by donating funding and labor for infrastructure, plus more than 150 trees and shrubs, and 300 perennials. The Discovery Garden opened to the public in time for the annual Skagit Valley Tulip Festival in Spring 1997, initially boasting 13 themed gardens ranging from herbs and shade to cool color and naturescape.

Over three decades, the Discovery Garden has continued to evolve, now totaling 33 “garden rooms” on the 1.5 acres in an ever-changing environment of plants, trees, shrubs, vegetables, and a pond. The garden is open daily from dawn until dusk.

Several of the volunteer master gardeners who were present from the outset remain active with the program and the Discovery Garden today.

“Because master gardeners love to garden, we wanted to share that passion with the Skagit community, said Diana Wisen who became a WSU Master Gardener in Pierce County in 1991 and came to Skagit County in 1996 as the garden was first forming. “I’m so proud of the garden. It’s a wonderful and very positive gift to this community. When you talk to visitors, they are always thankful. It is appreciated and, I hope, educational as well. We encourage people to stop by often.”

Herta Kurp became a master gardener in Skagit County in 1995 when the site that would become an outdoor classroom was just an open, muddy field.

“I said to myself, if there is going to be a garden, I will stick with the group,” said Kurp, who, 30 years later, remains a dedicated volunteer. “It’s unimaginable what it has become. There was nothing here. It was a blank page.” Kurp found her niche by using her skills as an architect to design several structures for the garden, including the hub building known as the “Pavilion.” With each project, Kurp said it was her goal “to take any opportunity to make things more beautiful.”

“We saw the need to serve the community. We’re doing something proactive and good for the earth and building community,” Kurp said. “It’s relatively little, at 1.5 acres, yet it’s very big for this community.”

Over the years, the garden has presented an ongoing place for learning, including master gardeners.

Jerry Sells, who became a master gardener in 2003 as the garden was starting to fill in, noted the ongoing challenge in the Discovery Garden – and any garden – is maintenance.

At this point, in 2003, we were realizing that some things had to come out. They were not in the right place. They outgrew their spots,” Sells said. “As you watch any garden mature, you see that this plant is crowding that plant. This plant needs to be removed, moved, or pruned.”

An Outdoor Classroom

Even master gardeners learn lessons. We learn things every day,” said Judy Callahan, who became a master gardener in 1995. “And, we enjoy the opportunity to share what we learn with the community.”

The event will offer booths and more:

Get your “passport” and enjoy each open house activity:

Check out the Children’s Garden
Learn more about pollinators
Learn about Washington Green School and how to become a master gardener.
Review the application and apply for the Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardener Program.
Bring samples to the Master Gardener Plant Clinic, located on the patio of the NWREC building.
Plant Sale: master gardeners will offer a variety of annual and perennial plants for sale, all propagated and nurtured over the past months by volunteers.
Check out booths by:
- Skagit County Noxious Weed Program
- Skagit County Clean Water Program
- Skagit Conservation District

Proceeds support:

Outreach and education programs
Community events
Sustainable gardening initiatives

The event also builds awareness of the master gardener program, encourages local food production, and inspires community members to get involved.

About the WSU Extension Skagit County Master Gardener Program:

Master gardeners are trained volunteers who work in partnership with WSU Extension Skagit County to educate the public and enhance the quality of life in the community by promoting sound and sustainable gardening practices. Training is tied to the master gardener program’s nine priorities: clean water, water conservation, wildfire preparedness, local food, pollinators, climate change, plant biodiversity, soil health, and nearby nature.

About the Skagit County Master Gardener Foundation (SCMGF):

The Skagit County Master Gardener Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that supports and promotes the WSU Extension Skagit County Master Gardener Program. SCMGF is a member of the Master Gardener Foundation of Washington State (MGFWS). The SCMGF mission, in partnership with WSU Extension, is to support Skagit County home gardeners by promoting science-based gardening practices and education.

Travel Advisory

Access to Mount Vernon via State Route 536 (Memorial Highway):

Starting in June, a Washington State Department of Transportation project will result in the closure of SR 536 to non-emergency vehicles eastbound over the Skagit River bridge. All eastbound passenger and freight vehicles must follow a signed detour.

Contact Information

For more information, contact:
Kari Ranten
Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardener
KariRanten@skagitmg.org

Discovery Garden Celebrates 30th Anniversary: