Blaine Community Orchards for Resources and Education 
Don't miss a Workshop!
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GOALS: click to
Drayton Harbor Oyster Co.
Support our local aquaculture
Whatcom Master Gardeners
Link
RESERVE Plot/Raised Bed in the 7th St. Community Garden! LINK
Helping to Create Edible Yards in Blaine, Washington
Mission: To provide city wide enhancement and beautification on a multitude of levels by
planting food bearing trees, bushes and vines that offer food to residents of Blaine;
local wildlife food and shelter; soil enhancement and water retention.
Not near Blaine? other class opportunities on our Resources or Classes pages (see links to left)
REALLY passionate about gardening? consider becoming a Master Gardener (link)
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Unless noted, all workshops are FREE! NOW with TWO Locations Blaine Library in Blaine. Link Blaine Sr/Community Center Link BookWorm Bins for Sale, benefit the Friends of the Blaine Library - link for more info - You can now buy a Gift Certficate for a BookWorm Bin, which simplifies the giving (and wrapping) process!! - - - - - - - - - - - - Jan. 7, Wed. Mason Bees - Alternative Pollinators 5:00-7:00pm Blaine Blaine Community/Sr Center (text is link) The crisis in our bee population is very real. We want to help you
learn how to support all pollinators in your own backyard. This workshop will
present an overview of the problem and introduce you to native pollinators. We
will discuss how to establish and maintain a healthy mason bee colony in your
yard.This is a FREE class, plenty of parking. You can find the Community Center at 764 H Street in Blaine, just 3 blocks west of the Truck Route off of I-5. Jan. 17, Sat Rain Gardens, Barrels & Ponds Blaine Library 10am-12noon Now is the perfect time to walk out into your yard and figure out where the water "SITS". Come and learn about creating a rain garden. to manage the runoff and/or standing water by planting a "mini-forest floor" that will absorb and then slowly disperse the extra water in your yard. We will be talking about the do’s and don’t of ponds and water features! Requirements such as location, equipment/utilities, liability and maintenanceJan. 24, Sat. Pruning 101 Blaine Library 10am – 12noon Jan. 31, Sat Blaine Sr/CommunityCenter 9:30-11:30am This is the time to start WINTER pruning. You can easily see damage and disease as well as make decisions regarding form. Trees are breaking hibernation earlier (or not even going into deep hibernation), so take advantage of some of our sunny winter days and brush up on those pruning skills. We will discuss tools, why prune, decisions necessary (learning to understand growth habits of trees/bushes). We will also present on overgrown trees and how to get them back in shape. Bring your questions!Feb. 4, Wed. Orchids & Houseplants 5:30-7:30pm Blaine Library
We will discuss how to look at your yard as if
you were a landscape designer. Especially important for placement of fruit
bearing trees, bushes and vines. Considerations for placement of vegetable
gardens. In this presentation, we will talk about your overall yard including
hardscape assessments, materials use, integration with your home and/or views,
sunlight observations, air flow and other major landscaping decisions. Some
overlap for each class will naturally occur. Guest instructor, Cheryl Niles
from WSU Ext.Services will join us 2/12 Thurs.
Class 1 of 4 Looking at your Yard, All the Details - We will discuss creating a wish list of
improvements desired and how to start looking at your lot in an organized
manner. How to identify the components of your property. Including lot lines,
easements, utilities, slope, airflow, sunlight hardscapes and structures.
Measurements and notating them to include in written plans. Resources for
finding information about your property and creating a preliminary layout. 2/19 Thurs. Blaine Community/Sr Center Class 2 of 4 Design Considerations, Integration with your House In this second class of the series we will explore the most powerful tool in the Landscape Designers toolkit the integration of the exterior of your house with the interior and its importance to live-ability. We will delve into organizing the improvements that you will be making, organizing those as well as budgeting. 2/26 Thurs Blaine Community/Sr Center Class 3 of 4 The Process & Decisions of Harscapes/Structures In this 3rd workshop, we will begin to address the execution of your plan and the choices for plants - size, structure, growing requirements, addition of food bearing plants, etc. We will also discuss the issues of stormwater management on your property. Cheryl Niles, WSU Ext. Services may join us for this workshop. 3/5
Thurs. Blaine Community/Sr
Center Class 4 of 4 Right Plant, Right Place We like to refer to this class as "painting with plants". Just as an
artist understands the "balance" of a painting and uses texture,
color, repetition, unity, etc. to bring their composition to life - you can use
these exact same principles to "execute" the decisions for what
plants to use in your landscape design. HOWEVER, the considerations for using
native plants and always, the concept of “right plant, right place”. Learn how
to determine your plants needs. Cheryl Niles, WSU Ex. Services may join us in
this exploration. Dec 6, Saturday Point Roberts library meeting room, DELAYED to March 21, 2026 --- - - - Right Click this text to download Currently Scheduled List of Classes Jan-May 2026.
- - - - - Great Plant Picks website from the Elisabeth C. Miller Botanical Garden all specifically chosen to thrive in our Pacific Northwest environment. A great source of general information, plant lists, identification and resources. Managing Noxious Weeds - website location for Fact sheet from Whatcom County. Latest NEWS - Washington state has made it illegal to sell ivy in retail locations!! Explore Plant Shopping Opportunities you may not have heard about . . . Pacific Growers - 9131 Markworth Rd, Blaine, WA 98230 website Cascade Cuts, 632 Montgomery Rd, Bellingham (360) 671-6310 website Northwoods Nursery, 9191 Northwood Rd, Lynden, WA 360 559-1536 website ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- FREE Arborist Chips (truckload sized delivery, 10 yards -maybe find a neighborhood "central spot" and get a shared delivery) - link Native Plant Descriptions (pdf) - nicely done from King County - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - Cascadia Daily Northern Light ____________________________________________________________
Spring PLANT SALES !! (click on links provided to get dates from 2025 )
March 8 - Salish Seed Swap - Bellingham Unitarian Fellowship
March - Whatcom Conservation Dist. Plant Sale - Pioneer Park, Ferndale
March (Last Saturday) - Annual Fairhaven Plant & Tree Sale - Old Fairhaven Pkwy & 14th
April (first Saturday) - Whatcom Dahlia Society Tuber Sale - Bloedel Donovan Park
April - Birchwood Garden Club Sale, lower level of Bellingham Library
May - Washington Native Plant Society-Salal Chapter’s Annual Plant Sale
Mt. Vernon, WSU, NW Research Station, 16650 State Highway 536
May - Master Gardeners Annual Plant Sale at Hovander Park (always Saturday before Mother's Day)
May - DUPI Garden Club Plant Sale in Ferndale,
SEEDS, SEEDS and More SEEDS - Check out Resilient Seeds - locally researched and produced - definitely suited for our climate. This may be your last year to order seeds! so shop for your faves and order some TODAY. Limited quantities available.
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If you would like us to come and speak at a community activity or event to help inform your participants about the CORE project, please contact us. We have had several community meetings to introduce the CORE project. If you have any questions, or would like to volunteer to help with our mission and goals, please do not hesitate to contact us - fruit@blaine-core.com or call 360-332-7435 (please, leave message) Copyright(c) 2011-25 - Blaine CORE. All rights reserved. |
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