Master Gardener Foundation of King County

Extension Master Gardeners of King County offer gardening classes and workshops, both online and in person. Whether you’re a beginning gardener or a veteran of many seasons, adult or youth, you’re sure to find a class of interest. Find details about these series on our Education page.

Bellevue Demo Garden Workshops are offered online Saturdays, from 9:30 AM to 10:30 AM, January to October. Participants can expect to learn about new methods and ideas to improve their gardening skills with an emphasis on ornamental plants, landscape planning, and pollinator habitat. Series subscriptions are available, and registration is required.

Growing Groceries Classes are offered online Wednesdays, from 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM, January to June. Participants will learn best practices for growing fruits and vegetables, many specific to Western Washington. Class content is appropriate for the time of year. Series subscriptions are available, and registration is required.

Children’s Programs at BDG 2023 Great Garden Picks for Children invites children to bring an adult to discover the botanist, gardener, scientist, horticulturalist, soil engineer … and the child within during these free, first Wednesday events, 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM at the Bellevue Demo Garden. Participants must pre-register, no fee required.

The Heads Up! newsletter, published by the King County Master Gardener Diagnostic Lab, focused articles on timely knowledge about what to be aware of in your garden. There are weather updates, Nerd’s Corner and fun facts with photos in Twigga Mortis. Here are some past issues for early spring that you might find of interest. Find all the back issues. 

Spring 2021: Nitrogen in the Spring Garden; European Chafers; Weather Station; A Systematic Approach to Plant Problem Diagnosis; Pop Quiz: Is it a Sign or a Symptom?

Spring 2020: Don’t Plant that Tomato Yet!; The Word from Captain Cleanup; 2019 Down to the Numbers; Asian Giant Hornet; Houdini Fly

Spring 2019: Ooh, It’s an Oomycete!; Warm Season Vegetables and Cold March Temps; Bunnies, Bucks, and Slime

Spring 2018: Gardens Awake, To Mulch or Not to Mulch, 2017 Lab Stats, Patience in Garden Cleanup, Organic Matter Matters

Just when you thought you could relax and pore through all those garden catalogs that have arrived, you realize that your yard and garden still need your attention. We’ll look at those catalogs later.

The winter months—January, February, and March—offer many opportunities to get outside. So dress warmly, put on your boots, and tackle some of these winter gardening tasks:

• Lawn care includes timing a lawn renovation of installation.
• Tools are necessarily an important part of winter gardening. Check that yours in shape for the coming gardening season.
• Rifle through the catalogs, walk through the garden and start the fun of planning the planting.
• Plant those fruit trees and flowering trees, bare-root roses and berries that are ready.
• Divide perennials that are summer bloomers.

Enjoy the quiet, the scents of late garden bloomers while you watch for the new growth of early bulbs.