The UC Master Gardener volunteers of Contra Costa County are actively involved in bringing you educational programming. We partner with the Contra Costa County Library and other groups located in Contra Costa County to present topics that will help you grow a healthy, thriving and sustainable garden.
Upcoming Webinar!
Landscaping with Edibles: Yes, You Can Have Both!
Tuesday, May 20, 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm
REGISTER NOW!
Come learn how to integrate fruits, vegetables, and herbs into your landscaped yard to grow amongst your flowers, shrubs, and trees. This is the perfect talk for anyone who doesn’t have space for a dedicated kitchen garden or simply wants to gain knowledge about adding edibles to established landscaping. Ideas will be shared about edible substitutes for ornamental plants as well as great plant combinations to try.
Presenter Deborah Christman has been a Master Gardener since 2016, spending much of her time at the demo garden in Walnut Creek. Previously she taught elementary school full-time for 38 years and conducted hands-on math/science workshops for teachers across the country. She was part of the team that built 22 raised beds at her Danville school for gardening and taught fifth-graders how to design and plant unused spaces for the gardens. Deborah acquired her Landscape Architecture Certificate from UC Berkeley in 2012 and is an active board member of the Association of Professional Landscape Designers. Deborah started gardening in the 70’s at the Cal State University Fullerton organic garden, the kick-start of the CSUF Arboretum that is well-used today. She worked as an intern with an Oakland Architecture/Landscape Design firm to install children’s green spaces at elementary schools. She spends many hours in her own edible garden that is nestled in with ornamentals, natives, and many gift plants from students and friends.
2025 Webinar Schedule
Co-Hosted by the Contra Costa County Library
- February 18: Direct Sowing an Edible Garden
- March 18: Bountiful Berries
- April 15: Container Gardening
- May 20: Landscaping with Edibles: Yes, You Can Have Both!
- June 17: Natives
- July 15: Climate Change and Your Garden
- August 19: Growing Winter Vegetables
- September 16: Oaks
- October 21: Weeds
- November 18: Orchids
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Past Webinars and Short Tips:
Container Gardening: Edible Plants in Small Spaces
Tuesday, April 15, 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm
Do you have limited space for a garden? Join us for an overview of what it takes to create and successfully grow a variety of edible plants in containers. We will cover the basics of how to choose a container, types of soil to use, watering, fertilizing, and sun for veggies, herbs and fruit.
Presenter Greg Letts worked for more than 30 years in the specialty outdoor industry as a retailer, manufacturer's representative and business owner. He became a Master Gardener in 2019. He volunteers weekly at Our Garden in Walnut Creek, currently coordinating the watering team. His home garden of many years includes year-round vegetables, small fruit trees, and potted citrus trees.
Bountiful Berries
Tuesday, March 18, 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm
Berries are a rewarding garden plant. Berry plants are perennial, producing fruit year after year making them a wise investment. This Master Gardener sponsored presentation will cover the planting, care and maintenance of 4 of the most common garden berries, blueberries, strawberries, raspberries and blackberries. Join us to discover and learn about the wonderful world of berries.
Presenter Bonnie Dwyer comes from a long line of Vermont dairy farmers and vegetable gardeners. Working in the family vegetable plot was a dreaded task as a child but it has become a life passion. One of her fondest memories , of days on the farm, is picking wild berries with her grandma Ada. Between the berries and the picnic, which always came AFTER the picking, berries have a fond place in her heart. Bonnie has been a Master Gardener since 2013, she is an active participant in many MG projects including the help desk and “Ask a Master Gardener” tables. The common thread running through her Master Gardener service is the love of imparting wisdom and knowledge to home gardeners which will inform and encourage them to KEEP GROWING!
Direct Sowing Seeds into Your Edible Garden
Tuesday, February 18, 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm
Have you ever thought of starting edible plants from seeds? Sowing seeds outdoors directly into your garden is one of the easiest ways to start some edible plants from seed. Join us to learn the benefits of directly sowing seeds into your edible garden, how to select and store seeds, how to successfully grow plants from seed through this method, and step-by-step how to grow, care for, and harvest many edible plants that you can directly sow into your garden. You will walk away knowing how to use this one propagation method, which in turn will produce yields in your garden and a lot of pride for the gardener!
Presenter Andrea Salzman has been a UC Master Gardener volunteer since 2019 and holds a Gold Badge for volunteering over 1,000 hours. She has a deep passion for learning and facilitating knowledge-sharing with others. Previously the Speakers Bureau lead, Andrea, in partnership with the Contra Costa County Library, started our monthly webinars and YouTube channel adding dozens of new educational talks.
Andrea currently is a speaker and educator in our Growing Gardener, Speakers Bureau, and Community Garden Programs. Andrea loves year-round edible gardening and finding creative uses for the things she grows. Her greatest gardening joy is growing and creating interesting things with her youngest daughter and watching her older daughter harvest and make her own creations with what is growing fresh in their garden
Pruning Trees and Ornamentals
Tuesday, November 19, 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm
Pruning can be confusing and even terrifying for any gardener. Despite the huge variety of plants in the garden and pruning tools available, basic techniques exist for maintaining personal safety, as well as plant health, beauty and productivity. Join us as UC Master Gardener Anne Sutherland provides an overview of the specific techniques and resources for the pruning needs of both trees and ornamental plants.
Presenter Anne Sutherland is a volunteer with the UC Master Gardener Program from the Class of 2020. Her fascination with watching plants grow began in her Kansas grandmother’s garden, digging for peanuts in the rich, dark soil. She began gardening with her husband George when they were both medical residents at UC Davis Medical Center. It was then that she met her first tomato horn worm and discovered that rice hulls take longer than her residency to turn into compost. Now that Anne has retired from Medicine, she gets to take care of plants. They never ask for the prescription pad!
Anne is involved with the Program’s Help Desk, Executive Leadership Team and fills in at the Great Tomato Plant Sale. Her greatest joys have been forming outreach programs for Spanish-speaking residents of Contra Costa County and working with a terrific group of volunteers.
Backyard Grapes
Learn all about how to grow grapes in your backyard! Join UC Master Gardener Jim DeFrisco as he takes you through the simple steps of establishing your own small vineyard. From planning and installing to pruning and maintenance, Jim will give you the information you need to turn a pocket of your yard into a productive space for growing grapes. Jim will also discuss the most common diseases and pests, including how to deter the critters who want to benefit from your hard work.
Presenter Jim DeFrisco started with the UC Contra Costa County Master Gardeners in 2012. He’s grown wine grapes and olives at his Danville home for the past 25 years, and has devoted more time in the garden since retiring in 2022. Jim spent his career as a computer programmer, first at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in the mid-1980s and later at a series of small companies. Other interests include bicycle touring, cooking, and running after his young grandchildren.
Growing Roses for Biodiversity and Drought Tolerance
Roses are a great feature in almost any garden. In addition to their beauty and long flowering season, roses can be drought tolerant, disease resistant, and low maintenance. Learn how to care for roses in an environmentally friendly way and enjoy flowers from early spring through early winter.
Presenter Kirsten Mollo has been a Contra Costa County Master Gardener volunteer since 2019. She enjoys giving community talks on Common Vegetable Garden Problems, Grafting and Succulents. Her home garden includes roses and veggies in containers, and her nemesis is the pesky earwig. She is super excited to present on Roses and wants to acknowledge Master Gardener Holly Sauer for her amazing work bringing the beauty of growing roses to life in this presentation.
The Benefits of Growing Cover Crops in Your Garden
Have you ever considered growing cover crops in your garden? Cover crops are plants grown primarily to improve soil. Planted when traditional garden crops are not present, they enrich soil and provide numerous other benefits. Cover crops are often referred to as a “green manure.”
Join UC Master Gardener Mike Corby as he walk you through the science and benefits of growing cover crops in your home vegetable garden.
Presenter Mike Corby became a UC Master Gardener in 2013. Mike has been an active volunteer at ‘Our Garden,’ the demonstration garden in Walnut Creek for the past 10 plus years. Additionally, Mike has served on various UC Master Gardener leadership committees, managed several public education outreach programs and taught soil science for our new volunteer training course. Prior to joining Master Gardeners, Mike spent 40 years in the food industry in sales, marketing and logistics.
The Magic of Mulch: Water Conservation at its Best
What if we told you that mulch could cut your water use by at least a third, provide abundant soil biodiversity, making your landscape thrive like you could never imagine, AND contribute to the reversal of climate change? Could you even fathom a more magical scenario emerging from a bunch of chopped up tree clippings on the ground?
July is the month in California that the most water is applied to our landscapes because of high temperatures and long daylight hours. It’s the month that water bills soar. What could be smarter than applying mulch and simple strategies to reduce your water use in the landscape, at the same time preserving our precious water supply in California?
So, why is mulch magical? It can be used to minimize the effects of both drought and deluge on our landscapes. Join us for this talk as we share ways to leverage mulch, rainfall, and low-water plants to manage your thriving landscape confidently, no matter how much water shows up in any given year.
Presenter Lori Palmquist is a UC Master Gardener and an irrigation expert who has designed, installed, repaired, maintained, and upgraded hundreds of irrigation systems in her 35-year career as a landscape professional. She claims to have a fiery devotion to irrigation and water conservation.
As a water manager for several homeowners’ associations and large residential landscapes in the Bay Area, she has been responsible for saving millions of gallons of water from being wasted in the landscape. Lori also teaches irrigation at two local community colleges and has an online irrigation school where she teaches irrigation design to landscape professionals.
Selecting and Arranging California Native Plants for Your Garden
Are you inspired to plant California natives in your garden, but overwhelmed by all the choices? Do you want to embrace native landscaping, but want a neat and clean look? In this talk, we will present practical steps to select and arrange native plants for different growing conditions including various soil types, the amount of sun exposure, planting in small spaces or containers.
Whether you’re planning a native garden from scratch, incorporating new natives into an existing landscape or putting in a corner habitat garden, this one-hour webinar will empower you to choose plants suited to your landscape.
Anna Wendorf is a landscape designer and plant enthusiast. She has been designing gardens since earning her degree in Landscape Architecture from UC Berkeley over 40 years ago. She is currently focusing her work on designing sustainable gardens throughout the Bay Area.
Anna became a Master Gardener in 2020, and has been busy helping to install the Gehringer native garden in Concord, and volunteers at other Master Gardener projects throughout Contra Costa County. She spends her evenings perusing plant and biology books, and playing in her garden.
My Cup of Tea: Growing an Herbal Tea Garden
Veggies and herbs are not the only edible plants that you can grow in your home garden. Learn popular plant varieties that can be grown, dried, and steeped into an enjoyable tea! You will learn popular tea plant varieties to grow, proper site selection, as well as how to grow, harvest and store. Grab a cup of your favorite tea and join us!
Presenter Andrea Salzman has been a UC Master Gardener volunteer since 2019 and holds a Gold Badge for volunteering over 1,000 hours. She has a deep passion for learning and facilitating knowledge-sharing with others. Previously the Speakers Bureau lead, Andrea, in partnership with the Contra Costa County Library, started our monthly webinars and YouTube channel adding dozens of new educational talks.
Andrea currently is a speaker and educator in our Growing Gardener, Speakers Bureau, and Community Garden Programs. Andrea loves year-round edible gardening and finding creative uses for the things she grows. Her greatest gardening joy is growing and creating interesting things with her youngest daughter and watching her older daughter harvest and make her own creations with what is growing fresh in their garden.
Buzzing Gardens: Cultivating California's Pollinator Paradise
Join us in "Buzzing Gardens," a captivating journey into the world of California pollinators and the art of creating vibrant pollinator habitats.
- Discover the critical role these unsung heroes play in our ecosystem and the alarming decline in their populations.
- Uncover the secrets of pollination syndrome and explore the unique relationships between California's native pollinators and the plants they love.
- Gain insights into why their numbers are dwindling and, more importantly, learn actionable steps to reverse the trend and boost pollinator populations. Whether you have a backyard or balcony, discover how you can contribute to the buzz by transforming your space into a haven for these essential creatures.
For two decades, Presenter Annette Abbott worked as a UK publishers’ rep across the Asia Pacific region. Residing in a tiny Hong Kong flat, devoid of greenery, gardening was an unattainable luxury. However, upon relocating to the US, she found herself buying a house with a spacious yard, which ignited her passion for gardening. In 2019, she studied and earned the title of Master Gardener. Annette loves all creatures great and small (especially the small ones!) which fostered her fascination with pollinators. Join us as she shares her journey and insights into the vital role of these creatures in our ecosystem.
Growing Citrus
Do you love stepping out your back door to pick lemons, limes and oranges? Whether grown in the ground or in a container, citrus trees are a rewarding part of the Contra Costa County gardening experience. Join UC Master Gardener volunteer Robyn Barker as she walks you through science-based management practices to help you make your citrus growing experience successful. From planting trees to maintaining proper cultural care to watching out for pests and disease, the UC Master Gardener Program has a wealth of advice and resources.
Presenter Robyn Barker became a volunteer with the UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa County in 2017 and has since logged almost 1900 hours in a variety of activities including Help Desk, Plant Sales, Volunteer Support, New Volunteer Training, Growing Gardeners, and Speakers’ Bureau. She recently completed two years on the Executive Leadership Team for the program, helping to develop its strategic vision and mentoring project leaders. She loves growing citrus and looks forward to sharing her experiences with you.
Growing Microgreens Indoors Year-Round
Master Gardener volunteer Andrea as shows you how vegetables and herbs can be grown year-round into microgreens inside your home.
Presenter Andrea Salzman has been a UC Master Gardener volunteer since 2019 and holds a Gold Badge for volunteering over 1,000 hours. She has a deep passion for learning and facilitating knowledge-sharing with others. Previously the Speakers Bureau lead, Andrea, in partnership with the Contra Costa County Library, started our monthly webinars and YouTube channel adding dozens of new educational talks.
Andrea currently is a speaker and educator in our Growing Gardener, Speakers Bureau, and Community Garden Programs. Andrea loves year-round edible gardening and finding creative uses for the things she grows. Her greatest gardening joy is growing and creating interesting things with her youngest daughter and watching her older daughter harvest and make her own creations with what is growing fresh in their garden.
Capture the Light
We love sunny days, and so do our plants. Learn more about the effect of light on plants, and acquire some useful tools for your gardening bag of tricks. What is the right amount of light? What is the impact of cloudy days? How can you take advantage of the way sunlight falls in your garden through the seasons of the year? This presentation addresses these questions and more to help you provide the best possible environment so that your plants thrive.
Presenter Monika Witte is a retired engineer from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Since becoming a Master Gardener in 2017, she has volunteered at Our Garden, the CCMG demonstration garden in Walnut Creek, and has been active in the Growing Gardener Program. At home Monika enjoys growing edibles and California natives, along with other plants suited to our Mediterranean climate.
Transitioning to a Cool-Season Garden
What if you, and/or your garden, are tired after a long summer? Should you plant a fall garden? This fun and informative talk will make it hard to resist! For the small or large property, the presentation addresses fall gardening options and practices that will reward you with colorful and delicious vegetables and a bright spot in your yard in the winter and early spring.
Presenter Marian Woodard has been a UC Master Gardener since 2011 and a successful vegetable grower for many years. She’s also a Master Composter and permaculture aficionado. Marian has been the Garden Educator at El Monte Elementary in Concord for seven years, teaching Science in the Garden from kindergarten to 5th grade. She and her husband cofounded Rodgers Ranch Urban Farm in Pleasant Hill in 2012, which is where she’s gained most of her gardening experience.
Turfgrass Alternatives
for a Mediterranean Climate
Are you thinking about replacing your lawn, but still want a “green flat place” in your landscape? Although turfgrasses have a unique set of attributes that are difficult to replicate with other plants, there are many reasonable alternatives if one is willing to make some compromises. This webinar will cover:
- Turfgrasses, what are they?
- The history of lawns and why we have them
- The “water problem”: growing cool-season turfgrass in our Mediterranean climate
- Turfgrass alternatives and their strengths and weaknesses
- Resources for more information
You’ll learn to identify these problems, hear recommendations for when and how to treat them and learn techniques for preventing problems from developing or reoccurring.
Presenter Henry Shaw is a graduate of the 2022 UC Master Gardener class. He has loved growing plants since he was a small child. He has a community garden plot and has an extensive container garden for vegetables and in-ground fruit trees at his home in San Ramon.
Henry retired in 2019 from a 35-year career at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. His formal academic training was in geology and chemistry, and for the last 10 years at Livermore, he was the Chief Scientist for the roughly 1000-person Physical and Life Sciences organization there.
These days, in his spare time, he volunteers at the Exploratorium, is the current President of the Diablo View Orchid Society, and, with his wife Marina, is an avid forager of edible mushrooms and seaweeds.
Managing Common Diseases and Pests
in Your Home Orchard
Learn how to diagnose and manage common diseases and pests that can spoil the fruit in your home orchard. We’ll discuss common fruit tree problems including:
- Peach leaf curl
- Fire blight on pear and apples trees
- Codling moths that lead to wormy apples and pears
- Shot hole disease that shows up as holes in leaves and blemishes on fruit
- Eutypa disease that could kill your apricot and cherry trees
- Scale, aphid and mite infestations that can overwinter in fruit trees.
You’ll learn to identify these problems, hear recommendations for when and how to treat them and learn techniques for preventing problems from developing or reoccurring.
Presenter Terry Lippert became a UC Master Gardener volunteer in 2010 after retiring from her career as a business attorney. Terry is an active member and has contributed over 4,200 hours to the program since then.
Terry has grown vegetables and fruit year-round in the Bay Area for over twenty-five years, and regularly creates and presents programs on growing edibles for the Master Gardener’s Speakers Bureau and Growing Gardeners Program. Terry has also served as Coordinator for the Help Desk and continues to try to spend at least one day each week answering Help Desk questions..