UC Marin Master Gardeners

10/14/2026

The UC Marin Master Gardeners’ Native Plants Guild was honored and privileged to hear from Dr. Chris Swanston, Science Director of today. Thank you Dr. Swanston!

10/06/2026

OCTOBER 2026 GARDEN MESSAGE

Since all plants burn, there is no universal fire-safe plant list.

Creating a Safer, Earth-Friendly Garden

The best wildfire defense starts with the location of plants in your yard. Start with ensuring your defensible space zones are established

 Keep Zone Zero (the first five feet around your home, decks, and sheds) free of plants and combustibles.
 In Zone One (5–30 feet from the home), aim for “lean, green, and clean.” Space plants well, water and prune them regularly.
 In Zone Two (30-60 feet from the home), keep plants well maintained; eliminate continuous, dense vegetation both vertically and horizontally.

Plant Spacing

Once you have established your zones, you can look at spacing.

 Group plants in islands separated by stone and other non-combustible materials to slow fire spread and make maintenance easier.
 Plant islands near the home should have fewer, lower growing plants, the islands can be planted more densely and with taller plants as you move away from your home.
 On slopes, increase spacing – the steeper the slope, the more distance required.
 Maintain vertical spacing by pruning tree branches up 6–10 feet (or one-third the tree’s height), and avoid ladder fuels by planting only low-growing vegetation beneath trees.

Choosing the Right Plants
Plant characteristics such as size, shape, bark type, or whether it has oils are just some of the examples to think about.

 Favor plants with high moisture and open branching over resinous, dense, or thatchy ones. Choose species that you can keep properly maintained, and keep in mind that leaves, needles and peeling bark – such as eucalyptus bark – can ignite easily.
 California natives are drought-tolerant and ecologically valuable. Choose natives that are not summer dormant as dry vegetation will ignite more easily.

Maintenance is Key
No matter what you plant, upkeep is essential.

 Regularly remove debris, hydrate plants, and thin or replace vegetation to
maintain fire-smart spacing.
 A well-cared-for garden looks beautiful and strengthens your home’s wildfire
defense.

10/03/2026

Proud to be part of Marin Art and Garden Center through our Exploring Habitats program where 2nd graders and parents come and learn about Soil, Woodland, Pond and Pollinator Garden habitats and how to appreciate and preserve them! The spirit of Mrs.Terwilliger is alive and well!

09/29/2026

Thinking of a Winter Garden? Try Asian Greens!
A Marin Master Gardener Presentation

Thu Oct 8, 2026

2:30 pm - 4:00 pm

Founders Room

Growing Asian greens is a great choice for a cool-weather winter garden in Marin County. Get ready to plant this month and grow tasty greens in 40-60 days!

Two Master Gardeners, Bonnie Marks and Mamie Yee -- one living in Point Reyes and the other in San Rafael -- will discuss why you may want to grow Asian greens in your garden and teach you how to grow them - from planting to harvest, including ideas about growing them in containers, seed sources, potential pests, and even ways to prepare them.

Bonnie Marks has been a Marin Master Gardener since 2017. She lives in San Rafael, where she grows edibles on hillside terraces and in raised containers. She has planted native plants around the vegetable garden to attract pollinators and support biodiversity.

Mamie Yee, also a Marin Master Gardener since 2017, grows vegetables in raised beds and berries and fruit trees in other parts of her garden. She also maintains a large native plants garden for its beauty and biodiversity.

TO SIGN UP: https://www.beltiblibrary.org/event?id=17243593

INSTAGRAM:

09/28/2026

October is not so frightful when you have UC Marin Master Gardeners to help! Come to one of our library talks/events and Happy Halloween!

09/25/2026

Monarchs in Marin: A Practical Guide to Help Them Survive

Saturday, October 10, 2026 from 10:30am to 11:30am
Pt. Reyes Station Library
11431 State Route 1
Point Reyes Station, CA 94956

About the Event

Program: Monarch butterflies, as much as we love them, are in danger of extinction here in California. Learn about their life cycle/needs and practical steps that we can take in Marin County to help with their survival.

Speaker: After 40+ years of office jobs in the finance industry, Peter Norton retired in 2013. Since then, he has become an avid gardener, with a particular interest in creating native plant habitats. He is one of the lead volunteers at the Marin Master Gardener demonstration gardens at the Falkirk Cultural Center in San Rafael. Come see and be inspired to make your yard a friendly natural habitat for the creatures around us.

Cost: Free

Sponsors: Marin Master Gardeners and Point Reyes Library

Contact: Annemarie Russo
West Marin Literacy Coordinator
Community Library Specialist
415.663.1849

https://ucanr.edu/site/uc-marin-master-gardeners/event/monarchs-marin-practical-guide-help-them-survive-1

09/22/2026

09/11/2026

Date Dec 09, 2026

Time 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM

About Succulents
Come and discover succulents and their culture. Learn about their growing habits, how to propagate them, prune them and see a demonstration on how to repot them. If you have questions regarding problems with your succulents you may bring a printed photo or iPad for discussion

Location San Rafael Public Library - 1100 E Street, San Rafael

Speaker
Gary Bartl, a UC Marin Master Gardener since 2001, has over 25-years of gardening experience. Trained in counseling psychology, Gary, known as an 'edu-tainer', has combined his passion for gardening, particularly succulents, with his professional work with severely emotionally disturbed youth. Gary was lead designer in the development of the succulent garden at the Falkirk Cultural
Center in San Rafael that is now managed and maintained by UC Marin MasterGardeners.

Cost FREE

How many CE hours are earned? 1CE credited to Speakers Bureau

Sponsors Marin Master Gardeners and San Rafael Library
Ann Bertucci

Contact
[email protected]
415-473-6057

09/11/2026

Date Oct 22, 2026

Time 3:30 PM to 5:30 PM

Civic Center Library Seed and Plant Exchange
Program: A seed and plant exchange where patrons can get seedlings and seeds to plant, information on planting wildflower seeds and other pollinator seeds, and other planting information from Marin Master Gardeners.

Location Civic Center Library - Room 427, 3501 Civic Center Drive, San Rafael

Cost FREE

Sponsors Marin Master Gardeners and Friends of Civic Center Library