Learn about top gardening reads from the experts

Now that green spaces have been put to bed until spring, it’s time to cozy up in a comfy chair and bone up on your gardening knowledge for next year.

Join Master Gardeners Susan Kalmar, Shelly Deisch and Jan Danford for the Green Thumb Education Series presentation “Best Books for Gardeners,” for a panel discussion on an eclectic assortment of gardening books, interesting reads and topical references for your wintertime perusal.

The presentation is scheduled for noon-1 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 14, at St. Andrews Episcopal Church, 510 E. Park Ave., Port Angeles. Or, join online at wsu.zoom.us/j/93629898830 (meeting ID 936 2989 8830, passcode 676224), or join by phone: 253-215-8782.

Find out more about these Master Gardener’s all-time favorite titles, which books they love to gift and which ones to borrow from the library.

“If you have a natural curiosity and love to read, this will be a fun presentation,” Kalmar said.

In addition, a recommended book list will be available that includes great gardening references and additional titles reviewed in the Master Gardener Between the Vines newsletter over the past few years.

About the presenters

Kalmar has been a WSU Master Gardener since 2017. She said she loves learning through research and experimentation and enjoys working with the community. Kalmar is a regular volunteer at the multi-faceted Woodcock Demonstration Garden, dabbling in succulents, berries and greenhouse horticulture. Other hobbies include a serious addiction to houseplants and reading. Currently, Kalmar is delving into the art of plant propagation.

Deisch is a recent resident of Clallam County as well, moving from the Black Hills of South Dakota. She is a retired wildlife biologist specializing in habitats from bats to elk. Deisch is learning about native plants on the Olympic Peninsula to convert a disastrous lawn into a native landscape for birds and pollinators, especially bumble bees.

Danford joined Clallam County Master Gardeners in 2014. She began mentoring the Sequim Boys & Girls Club Gardening Club in 2015, helping the youths learn all phases of growing a garden as well as enjoying the harvest. She chaired the Woodcock Garden Operating Committee successfully for several years. Danford was the 2014 Intern of the Year and the 2016 Master Gardener of the Year. She received the Golden Trowel Lifetime Achievement Award in 2021.

About the series

Sponsored by the Washington State University Clallam County Master Gardeners, Green Thumb Education Series events are held on the second and fourth Thursday of each month through October; in November, December, and January, one lecture is offered.

Scheduled presentations are subject to change. Visit extension.wsu.edu/clallam/master-gardener-calendar for the latest information on upcoming presentations.

For more information, call 360-565-2678.