A new season of Master Gardener Workshops is about to start! The series begins September 9^th with a session on Neighborhood Habitat Certification, and concludes on December 3^rd with a timely workshop on Perennial Vegetable Gardening. In all, this Fall Series totals 14 workshops, including three new topics. There is something here for every type of gardener and every size of home garden, whether you maintain a balcony of plants in containers or produce fruit and vegetables on a large plot for your family, friends and neighbors. For full descriptions of all the workshops and to register, visit our website,

In the months to come, the foundational skills of creating soil-enriching compost; propagating plants through cuttings and divisions; and preparing the garden for winter will be covered. If you are interested in learning fundamental principles of landscape design you can employ in your own garden, our new two-part series on that topic may be just what you've been waiting for.

A new workshop on cultivating perennial vegetables offers a wealth of possibilities for planting vegetables that come back every year, saving labor and introducing new varieties to consider for extra interest in the vegetable garden.

If you are planning to convert all or some of your lawn area to a low-water landscape alive with native plants and humming with beneficial pollinators, our workshop on How to Remove Your Lawn will provide the valuable information you need for this process, from methods of lawn removal through the eventual planting of low water and native plants.

Critters commonly found in our local gardens feature prominently in this Fall Workshop Series, from beneficial visitors (Native Bees, Bats) to unwelcome intruders (Gophers, Moles, and Voles). Learn how to support pollinators and other native wildlife by making your own yard count in the effort to conserve water resources and rebuild local wildlife corridors in our workshop led by the coordinator of Altacal Audubon's Certified Neighborhood Habitat Program.

For the other side of the coin (those unwelcome intruders) our workshop on the basics of Integrated Pest Management focuses on solving pest problems while minimizing risks to people and the environment.

Need a way to keep track of all that's going on in your garden? We've created a Garden Guide and Three-Year Journal for just that purpose.  This publication is brimming with useful information on plants, climate, and soil, all keyed to our local environment. We're offering a workshop on how to use the Garden Guide as a resource for performing seasonal and weekly garden tasks as well as for keeping a record of what you've planted and what's been successful (or not) in your garden over the years.

Most of the workshops will be held in the outdoor classroom located in the Master Gardener Demonstration Garden or inside Pat's Barn; both are located at the Patrick Ranch (10381 Midway, between Chico and Durham).  The workshops on neighborhood habitat certification and native bees will be will be held in Paradise, at the Terry Ash Center on Skyway; and the Garden Guide workshop will be held at the Plant Barn Nursery on Entler Avenue in Chico. All of the workshops will take place in the morning or early afternoon.

The following is a list of workshop topics and dates.  All workshops are free, but they do require advance registration.  For full workshop descriptions and to register, visit our website.

SEPTEMBER

Neighborhood Habitat Certification (Monday 9/9). Learn how to make your own yard part of a larger movement to conserve valuable water resources and rebuild much-needed wildlife corridors.

Propagation (Saturday 9/21). Come to learn when and how to propagate woody perennials and divide plants; leave this workshop with plant cuttings from our Demonstration Garden to start at home.

Irrigation (Tuesday 9/24). Drip irrigation is arguably the most efficient method of providing water to trees, crops, gardens, and landscapes. This workshop provides an overview of different options available for drip irrigation systems and covers how to install, inspect, troubleshoot, and repair them.

How to Remove Your Lawn (Thursday 9/26). Learn the steps of killing lawn through sheet mulching or soil solarization, and the process of replanting an area with low water and native plants. A walk through our Demonstration Garden will provide plenty of inspiration.

OCTOBER

Gophers, Moles, and Voles (Wednesday 10/9). Learn how to deal with these little monsters that plague our yards; this workshop will include a demonstration on how to set a gopher trap.

Integrated Pest Management (Tuesday 10/15). In this interactive class learn the basics of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) so you can solve your pest problems while minimizing risks to people and the environment.

It's a Wrap! Autumn Garden Cleanup, Winter Prep and Preservation (Saturday 10/19). This workshop/discussion delves into some essential steps to ensure that next year's garden is even more successful.

Composting (Friday 10/25). Learn to make wonderful soil-enriching compost from leaves, garden waste, and kitchen scraps. This workshop covers the different ways to create compost, using techniques that range from simple to complex.  Knowing the choices can help you decide which style best fits your own resources and needs.

How to Use Our Garden Guide (Saturday 10/26). Join us to explore how to us our Butte County Garden Guide and Three-Year Journal to find the best times to perform seasonal and weekly garden tasks, as well as useful information on plants, climate, and soil for our region. An integral part of this workshop is using the Garden Guide to record lessons learned and keep track of useful plant and weather information for your garden over the years.

NOVEMBER

Landscape Design (Thursday 11/7 and Thursday 11/14). Learn the steps that professionals use to develop beautiful, cohesive, lower maintenance planting designs.

Bats (Saturday 11/16). Join our local bat expert, Butte College's Dr. Shahroukh Mistry, to learn everything you've always wanted to know about these fascinating creatures.

Native Bees (Monday 11/18). Did you know that 1600 species of native bees can be found in California?  This workshop focuses on a few of them: bumblebees, leaf cutting bees, mason bees, and carpenter bees.  Understanding the bees' lifespans and their plant and habitat needs will help you support these valuable pollinators.

DECEMBER

Perennial Vegetable Gardening (Tuesday 12/3). Learn the differences between perennial and annual vegetables, then delve into how to cultivate perennial vegetables. Thirty-five of the best perennial vegetables for our local gardens will be introduced. Why not explore new plants and reduce your gardening labor?

Our Butte County Garden Guide and Three-Year Journal is available in two versions: bound as a book and unbound, ready to add to a loose-leaf binder. It can be found at the Plant Barn Nursery (406 Entler Avenue, Chico), Magnolia Gift and Garden (1367 East Avenue, Chico), and Pat's Barn at the Patrick Ranch Museum (10381 Midway, Durham).  They can be ordered online via our website.

UC Master Gardeners of Butte County are part of the University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) system.  To learn more about us and our upcoming events, and for help with gardening in our area visit our website.  If you have a gardening question or problem, email the Hotline at mgbutte@ucanr.edu or leave a phone message on our Hotline at 530-552-5812. To speak to a Master Gardener about a gardening issue, or to drop by the MG office during Hotline hours, see the most current information on our Ask Us section of our website.