Our Lecture Series is presented on the 2nd Monday of the month from 7:00 to 8:00 pm at the Milwaukie Center – 5440 SE Kellogg Creek Dr. Milwaukie, OR 97222. Talks are free and open to the public.
- October 12: *Hot Topics in Vegetable Gardening – a presentation by Chip Bubl
- November 9: *Microplastics in Garden Soil presented by Anna Perry
- December 14: Greens & Gather: A Holiday Workshop
*Master Gardener Volunteers: Starred * lectures are approved for one hour continuing education credit.
October 12: *Hot Topics in Vegetable Gardening: a presentation by Chip Bubl
Chip has been an associate professor in the Department of Horticulture at OSU as well as many years as Columbia County Extension agent. He is a popular and beloved speaker and author of many publications used as reference in urban and community horticulture. He had a newspaper gardening column and radio gardening show from 2008-2024 and continues to be sought after as a speaker who can address just about any topic related to your garden.
November 9: *Microplastics in Garden Soil presented by Anna Perry
What are microplastics, and how might they impact my garden? Microplastics are ubiquitous in the environment, yet very little is known about their impact on garden soils or garden ecology. This talk will provide an overview of what we know about plastics in soils: where they come from, and how they might affect soils, plants, and other life within the soil.
December 14: Greens & Gather: A Holiday Workshop
Join us for a cozy holiday workshop where our Master Gardeners turn winter greens into beautiful, handmade wreaths, sharing creativity, laughter and seasonal cheer.
Past Lectures
June 8: Perennials: How to Choose, Plant, and Maintain for Year-Round Flowers – a presentation by Lisa Graff
Perennial plants are amazing – they give the garden beauty and food for wildlife plus they create an ever-changing tapestry of color. On top of that, they are a good investment since they come back year after year. Lisa Graff’s two-acre English-style garden at Lux Perennials Nursery showcases vibrant long-blooming perennials that provide color from early spring through late fall. In this energizing talk, you’ll explore a curated selection of perennials known for their spectacular, season-long blooms—and learn how to combine and care for them to create a stunning, nonstop display. Lisa will share her favorite long-blooming best sellers as well as the unique varieties that create that ‘wow’ factor, including easiest to grow, most hardy, longest blooming, most unique. She’ll share tips on helping perennials thrive throughout the growing seasons and overwinter successfully. Whether you’re planning a new perennial bed or looking to enhance an existing garden, this session will combine practical, research-backed guidance with vivid landscape ideas to help you build a colorful, long-lasting display. Her nursery and garden was recently featured in a 12-page article in the Fall ’25 issue of Garden Gate Magazine. For more information, visit the website: Lux Perennials Nursery | long blooming perennials | 13610 Northwest Skyline Boulevard, Portland, OR, USA
With a 28-year career culminating as Vice President and General Manager at Intel Corporation, Lisa Graff retired in 2015 to focus on her lifelong passion for gardening. Fascinated by densely planted, continuously blooming perennial beds, Lisa spent years researching and growing an exceptional collection of long-blooming perennials in her own garden. After retirement, Lisa became a Master Gardener combining her love of science with gardening and began propagating plants. In 2020, she launched Lux Perennials Nursery, specializing in long-blooming perennials. Her two-acre English garden (with over 8000 blooming plants) is open for tours and nursery customers. Lisa also holds a Landscape Design certification from Emory University.
May 11: *Microbiomes on Fresh vs Store Bought Fruits and Vegetables presented by Gwynne Mhuireach
Dr. Gwynne Mhuireachwill share her research regarding microbiomes of garden-fresh versus store-bought fruits and vegetables, as well as their potential impact on the gut microbiome after consumption.
April 13: Hardy Fuchsias. Jewels of the Garden: a presentation by Theo Margelony
In October 2019, R. Theo Margelony and his Fuchsias in the City were transplanted from a tiny urban garden of 1/94th acre in Manhattan to grow and blog anew at The Fuchsietum | A Garden in Portland. Theo likes to talk about fuchsias and how to grow and enjoy these diverse classics everywhere, as well as on the pleasures and challenges of starting a new garden in the Pacific Northwest. Theo is currently the President of the Oregon Fuchsia Society.
https://www.instagram.com/fuchsiarius/ https://fuchsietum.com/Bio/CurriculumFuchsiae.html
March 9: *Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Through the Use Of Pheromones: a talk presented by Dr. Darek Czokajlo
Dr. Czokajlo is the CEO of Alpha Scents, which researches and manufactures pheromone-based products for insect monitoring and control. Learn how to apply an environmentally friendly method of insect management in your garden. Dr. Czokajlo will also address IPM for many of our local invasive insect pests.
Dr. Czokajlo earned his master’s degree in forestry at the Agricultural University of Warsaw in 1987, and a doctoral degree in the field of insect chemical ecology and forest entomology at the State University of New York, College of Environmental Science and Forestry in Syracuse, New York in 1998. For the past decade, Dr. Czokajlo has designed new controlled release devices and traps at IPM Technologies, Advanced Pheromone Technologies, Forests Alive and APTIV. He spearheaded development of “Attract & Kill” technologies for insect monitoring and management in forestry, agriculture, and the public health sector. Dr. Czokajlo has also headed numerous research projects developing new products that are now commercially available.
February 9: *The Use of Pelletized Wool for Your Garden Plants: presented by Timothy and Kimberly Fulmer of Wild Wisdom Wool
Wild Wisdom Wool is 100% raw sheep wool available in a convenient pellet form. It is a multi-benefit plant fertilizer made ethically and sustainably, at their Mossygoat Farm, near Willamina, Oregon. Academic bodies including the University of Vermont and Ohio State University had conducted successful trials with pelletized wool. Several papers have been published by the broader scientific community about wool pellets for plants. Academia, state government agriculture bureaus, and the scientific community at large have all espoused the multiple benefits of pelletized wool for plants. The stage was set to develop what would soon become Wild Wisdom Wool Pellets.
Kimberly has a B.S. degree in Environmental Science. She is a biodynamic farmer, horsewoman, wildcrafter, mother, and an expert in rewilding. She became interested in natural living while in college where she studied biochemistry and ecology. Kimberly founded Wild Wisdom Botanicals to share the healing that nature offers. Timothy is a food service professional, retired fireman, novice blacksmith, biodynamic enthusiast, and father.
January 12 : *Dry Farming at the Multnomah County Master Gardener Demonstration Garden:a presentation by Sally Campbell and Marilyn Frankel
Since 2019, Marilyn and Sally have designed and coordinated the dry farm plantings at the Multnomah County Master Gardener Demonstration Garden. In this presentation, they will review the core principles of dry farming, including how to identify suitable sites, appropriate planting densities and timing, and crops that thrive under dry farm conditions. Drawing on six years of experience at the demonstration garden, they will share both successes and challenges and conclude with practical suggestions for adapting dry farming techniques to home gardens.
https://www.multnomahmastergardeners.org/demonstration-garden/in-the-garden
See the links below for details and program notes from previous years. *Note if lectures were presented as a webinar the links will be included.
2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 |2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025
Clackamas County Master Gardener™ Association 