Start off your 2017 garden season with a free workshop covering the basics of spring planting, presented by the WSU Master Gardeners of Grays Harbor and Pacific Counties. This hands-on class will be held from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, March 4, at the WSU Extension office at the Grays Harbor County Fairgrounds in Elma.

Subjects to be covered include:

• How to select the best site for a garden and how to prepare the soil for planting.

• How to determine your individual planting zone and how to adjust the average last frost date for our dynamic climate.

• Exploring seed catalogues, with tips on how to read them, along with understanding seed packets.

• Which plants are best for early spring production, including cool-season vegetables, annual flowers and spring-planted bulbs.

All participants will get to start some seeds in class and take them home in small pots, along with several seed packets.

Future classes will be held the first Saturday of each month and will cover topics such as container gardening, attracting wildlife and tool maintenance