Consider going vertical with your garden

By Sequim Gazette Staff • August 14, 2024 1:30 am
Photo by Dave Eberle Vertical gardens provide excellent solutions for tight spots, help conserve water and can make use of under-utilized spaces such as fences and walls, local gardening experts say. Master Gardener Bob Cain presents “Vertical Gardening: Grow More in Less Space!” on Aug. 22 in Port Angeles and Aug. 24 in Sequim.
Photo by Dave Eberle Vertical gardens provide excellent solutions for tight spots, help conserve water and can make use of under-utilized spaces such as fences and walls, local gardening experts say. Master Gardener Bob Cain presents “Vertical Gardening: Grow More in Less Space!” on Aug. 22 in Port Angeles and Aug. 24 in Sequim.

For green thumbs who are short on space, local Master Gardeners suggest considering vertical gardening.

Join Clallam County Master Gardener Bob Cain for “Vertical Gardening: Grow More in Less Space!” in Port Angeles and Sequim next week, for “Vertical Gardening: Grow More in Less Space!” presentations.

As part of the Green Thumb Education Series, Cain offers the vertical gardening advice from noon-1 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 22, at St. Andrews Episcopal Church, 510 E. Park Ave. Port Angeles. Or join the presentation on Zoom at wsu.zoom.us/j/93629898830 (meeting ID 936 2989 8830, passcode 676224) or by phone at 253-215-8782.

Cain will offer his “Vertical Gardening” presentation from 10:30 a.m.-noon on Saturday, Aug. 24, at the Woodcock Demonstration Garden, 2711 Woodcock Road, as part of the Digging Deeper Saturdays Series.

Attendees of both venues are encouraged to check the Clallam County Master Gardener online calendar for updates about the location of both talks at extension.wsu.edu/clallam/master-gardener-calendar.

Vertical elements release more valuable garden real estate for additional planting and increased productivity, Cain said.

“Opening up more growing space allows us the possibility to try other techniques, such as long and short successional planting, inter-cropping and catch crops,” he said.

“This technique is, however, quite versatile and may be applied to containers of all sorts, and underutilized vertical structures such as fences and walls. This means the gardener has choices other than the usual raised or in-ground beds.”

Cain will discuss good plants for vertical growing, potential varieties to explore and some of his experiences at the Woodcock Demonstration Garden. This presentation will help home vegetable gardeners with a range of new ideas to enhance their garden and its productivity, what to try and where to find the best seeds.

“After all, half the fun of gardening is trying new things,” he said.

Cain earned his undergraduate and master’s degrees in biology and chemistry and has a Ph.D. in chemistry. He has 40 years of experience growing vegetables in Scotland, Ireland, Colorado and Washington state.

He has been a veteran of the Clallam County Master Gardeners since 2009. He has also written monthly articles on plant disease for the Clallam County Master Gardener Newsletter and is a frequent contributor to gardening columns in the local newspaper.

Cain has been celebrated as the 2009 Master Gardener Intern of the Year and 2011 Master Gardener of the Year. He served as the Garden Manager of the Woodcock Demonstration Garden in Sequim for seven years and is a past President and board member of the Master Gardener Foundation of Clallam County.

Visit the WSU Extension Clallam County website calendar (extension.wsu.edu/clallam/master-gardener-calendar) for the latest information on upcoming presentations. For more information, call 360-565-2678.