Master Gardeners sow seed of success in demo gardens

Continued from last week.

Efforts began early in the year to assess conditions, plan work parties, clean up and improve conditions at the Moses Lake Native Plant Garden and Drought Tolerant Garden at the Moses Lake Public Library. Weeding, pruning, replacing plants, and general cleanup are done periodically.

This spring in the Moses Lake garden, the gardens have been in the process of getting their annual tune-up. WSU Master Gardener Barbara Guilland organized a crew of eager Master Gardeners, including Duane Pitts, Tina Bradley, and Mark Amara as well as volunteers Louis Logan and Charlie Maynard, to spread almost three cubic yards of bark donated by Dave Jones, Basin Bark Landscape Supply Company for the gardens.

Weeding continues and will be succeeded with a load of gravel for the drought tolerant garden. For the bark spreading, MGs made short work of loading, dumping, and spreading this material uniformly over the beds to spruce them up.

At the Soap Lake Healing Waters Garden, Glenn Martin and Mark Amara worked alongside members of the Soap Lake Garden Club members (including Jane Chambers, Sharon Davis, Stella Eastan, and Steven Yakish) in a cooperative effort in doing some spring cleanup at the Demonstration Garden in Soap Lake in April 2019.

This work consisted of pruning, weeding, cutting back last years dried growth, clipping grasses, raking leaves and picking up garbage. The grounds are now clean and neat and the plants appear to be thriving. Plans are in place to update plant identification signage and to replant as necessary.

Volunteers are always needed to help perform these functions and the public is encouraged to contact the Master Gardeners to get involved.

For answers to your gardening questions, contact the Master Gardeners at the WSU Grant-Adams Extension office at 754-2011, ext. 4313 or by email at ga.mgvolunteers@wsu.edu.