Oak Harbor Garden Club

MONTHLY PROGRAMS 

On the second Tuesday of each month the Garden Club enjoys an educational session plus gathers to discuss local city gardening projects, floral design ideas, and what's growing in our gardens.

2026-2027 MONTHLY PROGRAMS   

On the second Tuesday of each month the Garden Club enjoys an educational session plus gathers to discuss local city gardening projects, floral design ideas, and what's growing in our gardens.

September

Short Topic

The Oak Harbor Garden Club Design Team, Ruth Scrivner and Carolyn Bishoff present: Japanese Landscapes by designer Extraordinaire Kazuyuki Ishihara

Program 

Tobey Nelson, Tobey Nelson Horticulture

Ground Covers: Planting in Layers to Create a Living Mulch. 

One of the rules for soil health is to “keep it covered.” Keeping roots in the soil is one of the best ways to maintain a robust soil microbiome. Using plants as a living mulch offers many benefits: weed suppression, maintaining soil water content, maintaining soil water content, nutrient cycling, and adding beauty to a garden!

October 

Short Topic

Jo Pavlock, Mountaineer Maintenance

Beneficial Bugs: Nature’s UnBOOlievable Pest Control: The Creepy Crawly Cleanup Crew. 

One of my favorite parts of gardening is working with nature instead of against it.  A healthy garden is full of tiny and not-so-tiny helpers that naturally keep pest populations in balance.  Some of these so-called spooky species are vital to our ecosystems, they’re part of nature's pest control crew and I can’t wait to introduce you to them. 

Program 

Laura Watson

Grow The Heck Up. Embellish Your Garden with Vines 

Vine expert Laura Watson has been gleefully growing vines for over 40 years and enjoys sharing her ever increasing knowledge with others. As a member of several clematis societies and an attendee at annual international clematis conferences in Europe and the US, Laura continually learns more about clematis and other vines. 

November

Short Topic

Lexi Ochoa, Owner of Forage, a local floral design company

Autumn Inspirations!  A design for the season with a step-by-step process for members to learn from, and perhaps recreate in some fashion on their own.

Program

Don Crafft

A Convenient Truth, The art of composting for the home and community gardener .

December  Potluck

January 

Short Topic: Ruth Scrivner and Caroly Bishoff present: 

Orchids a dazzling, mysterious, cosmopolitan species
 

Program

Seth Luginbill

Island County Noxious Weed Program Coordinator

Ornamental Escapees: Noxious Weeds and Designing Your Ideal Landscape.  This talk explores common noxious weed species found on Whidbey Island, with a focus on how many originated as ornamental plants that have escaped cultivation.  We’ll examine the ecological and practical impacts these invasive species can have on your property.  Participants will view live plant samples and learn effective, accessible best management practices (BMPs) for controlling noxious weeds-too and strategies suitable for everyday landowners looking to create a healthier, more intentional landscape.

February 

Short Topic

Kristen Stavros 

Valentine Floral Design Demonstration 

Celebrating the season of love with a fun and creative floral design demonstration led by Kristen Stavros.

March 

Short Topic

Penny Webb 

Hay Bale Gardening

Program

Bill Thorness

Growing Your Best Tomatoes Yes - Tomato Growing Success.

Bill Thorness is a writer and gardener who’s been doing both in Seattle since the mid-1980s. He is the author of Cool Season Gardener: Extend the Harvest, Plan Ahead, and Grow Vegetables Year Round and Edible Heirlooms: Heritage Vegetables for the Maritime Garden, and writes for many regional publications, including The Seattle Times. He is also a King County Master Gardener.

April 

Short Topic

Lyn Bankowski

Dahlias
 

Program

Alex Winstead 

Gardening with Mushrooms in the Pacific Northwest

Though often misunderstood, mushrooms can be fantastic companions to your garden or landscaping plan. Many fungi are allies to plants, enrich the soil, and provide a unique, delicious crop that you can enjoy seasonally or year-round.

Whether you have perennial landscaping, a fruit orchard, a seasonal veggie garden, or a greenhouse, mushrooms can fill and thrive in many niches to provide you with a unique and valuable culinary crop..

May 

Short Topic

Ruth Scrivner and Carolyn Bishoff. 

TO BE ANNOUNCED
 

Program

 Karla Freund 

Welcome the beauty of spring 

Karla Freund creates 2–3 stunning outdoor container gardens with a fresh, imaginative approach.

June 

Sean Wilson and Mike Gerhardt, Wilhardt Woods 

Whidbey Grown Tea & Herbs 

a tour of their gardens followed by a tea tasting. 

They have also established permaculture-style orchards anchored by various fruit & nut trees, berry bushes, and gardens for annuals and perennials. They love perennials, and many of the plants they grow serve multiple purposes — food & medicine for humans, beauty, ecosystem support, wildlife habitat, climate resilience, soil building. Supporting and nurturing diverse and abundant life is a primary goal

as they continue to experiment with plants.

July/August: No meetings. Summer break

Meeting Location

First United Methodist Church 

1050 S.E. Ireland Street Oak Harbor

Would you like to showcase your garden on a future garden tour?

Send us a message.