Master Gardeners in your Community - Washington County Master Gardener Association

We provide information on sustainable horticulture through this website and social media, deliver educational sessions online and in our demonstration gardens, host family friendly events to introduce parents and children to the fun of gardening, and talk with people at local farmers’ markets about a variety of gardening topics.

We participate in OSU Extension’s gardening helpline, answering gardening questions from the public through email, phone, and in person at the Washington County Extension Office.

Grow 1/Give 1

WCMGA’s Grow1/Give1 campaign, now in its fourth year, provides vegetable starts grown by Washington County Master Gardeners™ to limited-income residents of Washington County.

Working with food pantries across the county, we distribute starts of different types of tomatoes (cherry, slicer, paste) and hot peppers (jalapeño, habanero) along with various packets of vegetable and herb seeds. Because many recipients live in situations without yards for planting, we select seed varieties for plants that would grow well in small spaces. Additionally, we include grow bags filled with potting medium for those without yard space, fertilizer, and an instruction sheet in both Spanish and English.

The support of OSU Extension Family and Community Health Program has been instrumental in providing Spanish language translations. Similarly, generous donations of grow bags by Root Pouch, and a discount on soil to fill them from Tigard Best Buy in Town, along with fertilizer donated by Clean Water Services, allow us to provide vegetable starts to more people across the county.

HomePlate Youth Services

Washington County Master Gardener volunteers began leading workshops at HomePlate Youth Services in 2023. HomePlate is Washington County’s only nonprofit provider of drop-in centers and street outreach for young people experiencing houselessness.

In the WCMGA gardening workshops at HomePlate Youth Services in Beaverton, youth alongside HomePlate staff get the chance to dive into short presentations and hands-on demonstrations. They gain valuable education and practical experience with vegetable gardening.

They explore a diverse range of topics like soil enhancements, planting seeds and transplants, slug control, container gardening, succession planting, weed and insect identification, fertilizing, harvesting techniques, cover crops, and any other topics requested by the youth or staff. The produce grown throughout the season is used in the evening meal programs or donated to those receiving HomePlate services, making every harvest truly meaningful.

Learning Garden Produce Donation to Oregon Food Bank

Produce from the WCMGA Learning Garden at Jenkins Estate has been donated to Oregon Food Bank partners since the Learning Garden started in 2016. Donations average around 1000 pounds of produce per year.

Master Gardener shown with 2024 vegetable harvest

In cooperation with the OSU Extension Service, the Washington County Master Gardener Association (WCMGA) provides relevant, research-based education and outreach to the public about horticulture and household pests. This information promotes sustainable practices that minimize risks to human health and the environment. The Washington County Master Gardener Association (WCMGA) sponsors a wide variety of gardening–related demonstrations, lectures, seminars and workshops in various Washington County Oregon locations. Most of our events are free and open to the public. The WCMGA is a 501c3 non-profit supported by hundreds of volunteers, who work to educate the public about sustainable, affordable gardening.

Oregon State University Extension Service offers educational programs, activities, and materials without discrimination based on age, color, disability, gender identity or expression, marital status, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or veteran’s status. Oregon State University Extension Service is an Equal Opportunity Employer.