Workshops and Special Events | UC Master Gardeners of Placer County

Visit our booth at Farmers' Markets in Spring 2026

Workshops and Special Events:

Fruit Tree Care, UEC

February 21, 2026, 10:00 - 11:30 a.m.
UEC 1501 Pleasant Grove Boulevard, Roseville, CA 95747

Learn 10 tips for caring for your fruit trees, including how to select the right tree, and the correct way to plant. Join a UC Master Gardener of Placer County as they provide pruning tips and care advice to encourage a fruitful crop.

Free but reservations required: Workshops - City of Roseville

Growing & Caring for Cane Fruit and Other "Berries," Lincoln Library

February 21, 2026, 2:00 - 3:00 p.m.
Lincoln Library, 485 Twelve Bridges, Lincoln, CA 95648

Cane berries - such as raspberries and blackberries - grow on woody stems called canes. Come learn tips on growing these delicious fruits, including choosing a cultivar, how and where to plant, fertilization and water requirements, and the secrets of pruning! This workshop will provide you with the necessary information to get you started on your journey to delicious cane berries! As a bonus, this presentation will also provide advice on growing other types of berries.

Tomato Mastery: The Art & Science of Growing Delicious Tomatoes, Loomis Library

March 14, 2026, 10:30 - 11:30 a.m.
Loomis Veterans Hall, 5945 Horseshoe Bar Road, Loomis, CA 95659

This class is dedicated to one of our summer favorites, the tomato! Learn about planting, growing, and caring for this delicious staple as well as how to control problems before they happen. Let us help you grow the ultimate tomato – firm and juicy, sweet, and tangy.

Fruit Tree Care, Lincoln Library

March 21, 2026, 2:00 - 3:00 p.m.
Lincoln Library, 485 Twelve Bridges, Lincoln, CA 95648

Straw Bale Gardening, Loomis Library

April 11, 2026, 10:30 - 11:30 a.m.
Loomis Library, 6050 Library Drive, Loomis, CA 95659

“Turn Straw Into Gold”--Growing your veggies and flowers in easily “conditioned” straw bales means NO SOIL, NO DIGGING, NO BENDING, ONLY A TROWEL NEEDED. Your used straw bales make great compost.

Tomato Mastery: The Art & Science of Growing Delicious Tomatoes, UEC

April 18, 2026, 10:00 - 11:30 a.m.
UEC, 1501 Pleasant Grove Boulevard, Roseville, CA 95678

Free but reservations required: Workshops - City of Roseville

Water Wise Plants for Year-round Color, UEC

May 2, 2026, 10:00 - 11:30 a.m.
UEC, 1501 Pleasant Grove Boulevard, Roseville, CA 95678

Do you desire a water-wise garden that positively impacts both humans and pollinators? Learn how to select low-water plants, to place in low water zones, and to irrigate with low water. We'll bring cuttings and focus on 16 desirable plants that together provide year-round color.

Free but reservations required: Workshops - City of Roseville

Growing Annual Cut Flowers, Loomis

May 9, 2026, 10:30 - 11:30 a.m.
Loomis Library, 6050 Library Drive, Loomis, CA 95659

Cut flowers (annuals) can be grown in both spring and fall in Placer County (Zone 9). Learn which varieties to plant in each season, and which ones should be sown directly in the garden versus started in containers.

Composting and Mulching, Lincoln Library

May 16, 2026, 2:00 - 3:00 p.m.
Lincoln Library, 485 Twelve Bridges, Lincoln, CA 95648

Who knew your kitchen scraps and yard debris could improve your soil? It's called composting, which not only improves your soil, but helps you save water. Learn about how to set up a system that works for you. Also learn about mulch and its many benefits - including weed suppression and reduced water use.

Spice It Up! Growing Culinary Herbs, Loomis

June 13, 2026, 10:30 - 11:30 a.m.
Loomis Library, 6050 Library Drive, Loomis, CA 95659

Consider spicing up your garden with fresh herbs!
Culinary herbs make food taste fantastic, and there is no better way to spice up your garden, than to add a few herbs to your planting list. In this class, learn growing techniques for traditional favorites and a few unusual herbs that are fun, fascinating plants to try on your herb gardening adventures!

Improve Your Water Efficiency, Lincoln Library

June 20, 2026, 2:00 - 3:00 p.m.
Lincoln Library, 485 Twelve Bridges, Lincoln, CA 95648

Hands-on gardeners will learn some low and no-cost ways to improve their water efficiency. They'll also learn tips for upgrading their irrigation system and/or downsizing their lawn (both of which may be eligible for rebates).

How Good Bugs Can Help Manage Pesty Pests in Your Garden, Loomis

July11, 2026, 10:00 - 11:30 a.m.
Loomis Library, 6050 Library Drive, Loomis, CA 95659

Join us for a hands-on workshop to learn how the components of Integrated Pest Management can help create a healthy garden and minimize the use of pesticides. Emphasis will be on working with nature’s pest control helpers (beneficial insects) in your garden. This interactive session includes a presentation on identifying common pests and beneficial insects, followed by a hands-on activity where you'll practice identification skills. The workshop is 1.5 hours to allow adequate time for both the presentation and hands-on components.

Seed Saving Techniques: Select, Collect, to Sow and Grow, Loomis

August 8, 2026, 10:30 - 11:30 a.m.
Loomis Library, 6050 Library Drive, Loomis, CA 95659

Come learn the fundamentals involved in collecting, cleaning and storing seeds from your garden's plants, so you can grow them again in future seasons. This session will teach you how to select healthy plants, identify when to harvest seeds, proper seed cleaning methods and appropriate storage techniques to ensure seed viability for future seasons. Start saving seeds and participate in the UC Master Gardeners of Placer County Seed Swap in January 2027.

Lawn Replacement with Low Water Plants, UEC

August 8, 2026, 10:00 - 11:30 a.m.
UEC, 1501 Pleasant Grove Boulevard, Roseville, CA 95678

Tired of the time and cost that go into maintaining a lawn? Learn how to replace your lawn with low water plants, including California Natives, to reduce maintenance and watering needs while using fewer pesticides and supporting local birds, bees and butterflies.

Free but reservations required: Workshops - City of Roseville

Seed Saving Techniques: Select, Collect, to Sow and Grow, Lincoln Library

August 15, 2026, 2:00 - 3:00 p.m.
Lincoln Library, 485 Twelve Bridges, Lincoln, CA 95648

California Native Plants for Habitat Gardening, Loomis

September 12, 2026, 10:30 - 11:30 a.m.
Loomis Library, 6050 Library Drive, Loomis, CA 95659

In this workshop, you will learn about the importance of native keystone plants which are unique components of local food webs, providing habitat for birds, butterflies, bees and other wild creatures. View a colorful selection of native plants that will provide beauty as well as habitat in your home garden.

Cool Season Vegetables – Extend Your Growing Year, UEC

September 19, 2026, 10:00 - 11:30 a.m.
UEC, 1501 Pleasant Grove Boulevard, Roseville, CA 95678

There’s no need to abandon gardening when the weather cools! In fact, many vegetables, such as brussels sprouts, cabbage, and cauliflower, can only successfully be grown as the temperatures drop and the days shorten! Come learn about the advantages and disadvantages of cool-season gardening, overcoming the challenges of growing conditions, strategies for soil preparation, and what vegetables thrive in cool weather.

Free but reservations required: Workshops - City of Roseville

Bulbs for Spring Color, Lincoln Library

September 19, 2026, 2:00 - 3:00 p.m.
Lincoln Library, 485 Twelve Bridges, Lincoln, CA 95648

Fall is bulb-planting season! A time for gardeners to project themselves into the future -- specifically next spring. Anyone who wants clutches of tulips, clumps of hyacinths or dozens of daffodils in their spring garden must plan and plant in fall.

Cover Crops, Loomis

October 10, 2026, 10:30 - 11:30 a.m.
Loomis Library, 6050 Library Drive, Loomis, CA 95659

This workshop will introduce you to the world of cover cropping - what a cover crop is and how to utilize in your garden. Learn the general concepts behind cover crops but also specific types to use to nurture our area soils.

Firescaping: Get Ahead and Slow the Spread! Lincoln Library

October 17, 2026, 2:00 - 3:00 p.m.
Lincoln Library, 485 Twelve Bridges, Lincoln, CA 95648

Learn about defensible space landscaping, Firescaping: get ahead and slow the spread! There is a way to organize your landscape and maintain your garden that will help create defensible space around your home. We’ll discuss what the research is telling us about the best practices we can implement in our landscapes to slow the spread of fire while still being able to enjoy a beautiful garden. With so many Placer County residents living amongst the wildland interface, the time is now to make a plan for your house and yard to create a Firewise landscape. This Master Gardener-hosted event is presented to you by UC Master Gardener of Placer County Kevin Marini.

Extraordinary Japanese Maples, Loomis

November 14, 2026, 10:30 - 11:30 a.m.
Loomis Library, 6050 Library Drive, Loomis, CA 95659

Learn about the large variety of Japanese maples and their cultivars and similar small maples such as the Fullmoon maples from Japan. This presentation will cover how to select the right cultivar/variety, the specific care needed at the time of planting, and what maintenance is required to keep them thriving and healthy. Learn how to make your trees Extraordinary.

Composting and Mulch, UEC

November 14, 2026, 10:00 - 11:30 a.m.
UEC, 1501 Pleasant Grove Boulevard, Roseville, CA 95678

Who knew your kitchen scraps and yard debris could improve your soil? It's called composting, which not only improves your soil but helps you save water. Learn about how to set up a system that works for you. Also, learn about mulch and its many benefits, including weed suppression and reduced water use.

Free but reservations required: Workshops - City of Roseville