Learn How to Grow Berries at 2026 Homegrown Berry Series

January 22, 2026 1:30 am
Photo by Paul Stehr-Green Nothing tastes like a fresh berry plucked right off the vine! Join Clallam County Master Gardeners Jeanette Stehr Green and Audreen Williams for the 2026 Homegrown Berry Series and learn how to grow ripe, juicy strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and blackberries in your home garden. This 8-part series will teach you what you need to know to grow and care for your very own berry plants. Left to right: Jeanette Stehr-Green and Audreen Williams pruning a blueberry bush.
Photo by Paul Stehr-Green Nothing tastes like a fresh berry plucked right off the vine! Join Clallam County Master Gardeners Jeanette Stehr Green and Audreen Williams for the 2026 Homegrown Berry Series and learn how to grow ripe, juicy strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and blackberries in your home garden. This 8-part series will teach you what you need to know to grow and care for your very own berry plants. Left to right: Jeanette Stehr-Green and Audreen Williams pruning a blueberry bush.

Gardeners who dream of harvesting ripe, flavorful berries straight from their own backyard will have a chance to learn from local experts during the 2026 Homegrown Berry Series on the North Olympic Peninsula.

The free educational series is hosted by Clallam County Master Gardeners in collaboration with Lazy J Tree Farm and the Olympic Orchard Society. The series will feature a mix of classes and hands-on demonstrations focused on growing strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries in home gardens.

Clallam County Master Gardeners Jeanette Stehr-Green and Audreen Williams will lead the sessions. Both are longtime berry enthusiasts with years of experience growing a wide variety of berries. Stehr-Green joined the Master Gardener program in 2003, and Williams joined in 2012. Both have completed Oregon State University’s “Pruning and Training of Berries” online courses, and Stehr-Green has also completed OSU’s Online Blueberry School.

With its mild winters and relatively cool summers, the North Olympic Peninsula is well-suited for berry production. Berries tend to have few disease and pest issues, become productive quickly, and can continue producing for many years with proper care. However, successful berry growing requires the right techniques.

During the series, participants will learn how to select berry varieties suited to local microclimates, prepare and choose appropriate planting sites, plant at proper depth and spacing, and care for plants to ensure healthy growth and strong harvests.

Classes will be held at the Dungeness River Nature Center, located at 1943 W. Hendrickson Road in Sequim, while demonstrations will take place at Lazy J Tree Farm at 225 Gehrke Road in Port Angeles. All sessions are scheduled from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

The Homegrown Berry Series is free of charge, but registration is required as space is limited. Interested participants can scan the QR code provided on promotional materials or register online at www.signupgenius.com/go/berryseries

2026 Homegrown Berry Series Schedule

Pruning Dormant Berries (Demonstration): Saturday, Feb. 28, 10:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m., Lazy J Tree Farm, Port Angeles

Growing Blueberries in the Home Garden (Class): Saturday, March 28, 10:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m., Dungeness River Nature Center, Sequim

Selection, Planting and Spacing of Different Berry Types (Demonstration): Saturday, April 25, 10:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m., Lazy J Tree Farm, Port Angeles

Growing Strawberries in the Home Garden (Class): Saturday, May 30, 10:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m., Dungeness River Nature Center, Sequim

Midsummer Pruning and Trellising of Berries (Demonstration): Saturday, July 25, 10:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m., Lazy J Tree Farm, Port Angeles

Growing Raspberries in the Home Garden (Class): Saturday, Aug. 29, 10:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m., Dungeness River Nature Center, Sequim

Growing Blackberries in the Home Garden (Class): Saturday, Sept. 26, 10:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m., Dungeness River Nature Center, Sequim

Fall and Winter Berry Care (Class): Saturday, Oct. 24, 10:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m., Dungeness River Nature Center, Sequim

For local gardeners eager to enjoy fresh berries at peak ripeness—or to stock the pantry with homemade preserves—the 2026 Homegrown Berry Series offers practical guidance rooted in local growing conditions.