COMMUNITY AND URBAN HORTICULTURE
Garden Future: Inspiring Solution-Focused Action
Gardeners in Clackamas County are noticing changes in the garden, whether in their own, neighbors’, community, or container gardens. They are facing new challenges: water issues (both excess and scarcity), extreme weather, dry garden beds, struggling plants, and new pests and diseases, among others.
Recognizing these challenges, Master Gardeners have launched the “Garden Future” campaign, a statewide OSU Master Gardener Program initiative aimed at empowering gardeners through meaningful conversations about gardening in a changing climate. By listening to gardeners’ concerns and observing the specific challenges showing up locally, Master Gardeners connect community members with reliable resources rooted in science. These resources support gardeners in making climate-resilient changes in the garden— ones that conserve water, withstand weather extremes, and foster healthy plants and ecosystems.
Through these discussions, Master Gardeners have learned about local gardeners’ concerns, needs, and practices related to these environmental shifts. In response, they have shared reliable, science-based resources and guided gardeners in making their gardens more climate-resilient.
At community events, Master Gardeners bring this mission to life with interactive tools such as climate-smart gardening quizzes, a hands-on design station demonstrating native and low-water plant choices, and a survey inviting gardeners to share the real stresses they face as conditions continue to shift. Each activity, along with meaningful community conversations, encourages practical, actionable steps while reinforcing that gardeners are not facing these challenges alone.
Interested in learning more about the Garden Future initiative and sharing your gardening experiences? Visit: https://extension.oregonstate.edu/garden-future
Master Gardener volunteer and gardener talking Garden Future. Photo by: C. Hardy