WILLIAMS, CA (MPG) – Grandparents and grandchildren got their hands into the garden Sept. 12 as UC Master Gardeners of Colusa County opened the Donna Critchfield Demonstration Garden for a morning of harvesting, flowers and gardening education.
The event, held at the public garden located at the Education Village in Williams, gave visitors an opportunity to cut fresh zinnias and marigolds for bouquets, harvest tomatoes, peppers and eggplants and explore landscaping designed to attract pollinators. Visitors browsed the garden’s Little Free Library as well.
UC Master Gardener Coordinator and Colusa County Community Outreach Coordinator Karina Barrera said the event grew from a practical need to make use of the summer produce before the garden was prepared for the next planting season.
“Our initial thought in planning this was we need people to harvest and take all these vegetables that we’ve grown before we pull the plants out to plant for the winter,” Barrera said.
The activities introduced visitors to several types of gardening, including growing food and flowers and creating landscapes that support pollinators. The demonstration garden includes pollinator-attracting areas planted with selections from the UC Davis Arboretum All-Stars program.
“We have a little bit of something for everyone,” Barrera said.
Former Colusa County Supervisor Denise Carter, an organic rice farmer and Master Gardener, brought her grandchildren Jake and Benji to take part in the event. Others came alone or with their children. The remaining produce and flowers are free to the taking.
National Grandparents Day, observed the weekend after Labor Day, dates to 1978, when President Jimmy Carter signed a proclamation recognizing the contributions grandparents make to families and communities, and to encourage quality time between generations.
Barrera, who recently marked two years as the county’s Master Gardener and community outreach coordinator, said the program has added four new Master Gardeners and continued expanding educational opportunities for volunteers and the public.
One of the program’s newest Master Gardeners is Mary Fahey, owner of Wise Acre Farm in Arbuckle. Fahey said years of learning through trial and error gave her practical experience, while the 16-week program added research-based guidance on topics including fruit trees, vegetables and pests.
“The training was excellent,” Fahey said.
The Master Gardeners’ next public event will be a pumpkin centerpiece workshop Oct. 15 at 6 p.m. in the CIP Conference Room, 100 Sunrise Blvd. Ste E, Colusa.