WSU Master Gardeners will be busy at Chelan County Fair
By Marco Martinez
WSU Chelan/Douglas County Master Gardener Program Coordinator
The WSU Chelan-Douglas Master Gardener Program will again manage the Boswell Building during Chelan County Fair, Sept. 4-7.
The Boswell Building is where exhibitors can enter their flowers, vegetables and fruits for open class judging. Exhibits may be entered anytime between 9 a.m. and 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 3. Here’s a link to the 2025 Fairbook that includes details about how to enter fair exhibits: bit.ly/25ccfairbook.
The Master Gardeners have planned a seminar schedule during the fair that covers a wide variety of related topics, including an activity for children on Saturday afternoon. The following seminars will take place in the Boswell Building and are free to attend:
THURSDAY, SEPT. 4
2 to 3 p.m.: How to Incorporate Native Plants in Your Home Landscape, presented by Mel Asher, owner of Derby Canyon Natives
FRIDAY, SEPT. 5
10 to 11 a.m.: Turn Your Flowers into Unique Arrangements, presented by Sherrie Kill, professional florist and former owner of Kashmir Garden Florals
11 a.m. to noon: Tips for Growing Blue-Ribbon Tomatoes, presented by Master Gardener Jan Clark
1 to 2 p.m.: Fall Compost, Garden Cleanup & Maintaining the Compost Pile for Winter, presented by Master Gardener Bonnie Orr
SATURDAY, SEPT. 6
10 to 11 a.m.: The Washington Bee Atlas: Using participatory science to map native bees, presented by Caleb Lankford, Washington State Department of Agriculture
The Washington Bee Atlas is a volunteer-coordinated effort to map the 600+ species of native bees that call Washington home. In this session, hear from the WaBA volunteer coordinator about how volunteers gather data, the rare bees the project has documented, and how you can be involved!
1 to 3 p.m.: Make Colorful Flowers with Tissue Paper — with Master Gardener Tara Dearrieta
3:30 to 4:30 p.m.: Calling All Sauerkraut Fans!, presented by Margaret Viebrock, director of WSU Extension for Chelan and Douglas counties
Discover the secrets to making and canning delicious, homemade sauerkraut. Whether you are a longtime sauerkraut lover or just getting started, you won’t want to miss this fun and informative session!
If you have questions or would like additional details, email marco.martinez@wsu.edu.
A WSU Chelan-Douglas County Master Gardener column appears weekly in The Wenatchee World. To learn more, visit bit.ly/MGchelandouglas or call (509) 667-6540.