“The Island County WSU Master Gardeners will hold their annual day-long Whidbey Gardening Workshop on Saturday, March 4, beginning at 8 a.m. at Coupeville Middle School.Returning as guest speaker on the topic, Designing the Environmentally Friendly Landscape, is Ciscoe Morris, manager for grounds and landscaping at Seattle University and the radio host of KIRO’s Gardening with Ciscoe. The day will include more than 20 gardening classes, on subjects from antique roses to septic systems, plant propagation and bonsai. There will also be educational displays, local vendors, WSU publications and an opportunity to win a deluxe cedar potting bench. A rhododendron sale sponsored by the Whidbey Island Chapter of the American Rhododendron Society will be open to the public from 10-11:30 a.m. and for workshop participants from 11:45 to 3 p.m.Advance registration is $15 ($12 for seniors 65 and over), due by today, March 1. Registration at the door (only for classes still open) will be $20. Call the Island County WSU Cooperative Extension Education Center at 321-5111 ext. 5527; or visit the Web site at www.island.wsu.edu.Gardening classes include*Plant propagation: Show and tell program provides information at all levels and includes techniques of taking cuttings, layering, dividing plants and the best time of year for specific varieties.*Bonsai: For the beginning student in the art of bonsai. Explanation and demonstration of the shaping techniques, root pruning, plant selection and how to create the tree on the rock. *Ornamental grasses in the landscape: Varieties, maintenance and uses of ornamental grasses in the garden. *Landscaping with wildlife: Designing your landscape to attract wildlife, avoid certain wildlife and to have a beautiful yard*Fruit trees (beginning): Selection of varieties and rootstocks; growing your trees, and just getting started as a tree fruit grower. *Fruit trees (advanced): For those who have taken basic pruning classes at the Whidbey Gardening Workshop before; A quick review of the basics, then the more complex aspects of training trees and maximizing fruit production.*Care and feeding of your septic system: How does your septic system work? What can you do to insure that it works efficiently? Two free $75 reimbursement certificates for septic pumping will be raffled to class participants.. *Rhododendrons: Selection and care of rhododendrons, including disease and insect control. *Garden design with perennials: How to develop a contoured perennial bed using affordable, locally available perennials, vines, shrubs, herbs, small trees and bulbs. Advice on cutting and handling fresh flowers for the home included.*Organic gardening for market: Learn basic principals of poison-free organic gardening and how to market organic crops for profit. Material covers high dollar and cost effective crops, packaging for added value, displays that attract customers and personality of the seller. *Landscaping with native plants: Selection and care of landscape plants native to Whidbey Island and the Pacific Northwest. *Groundcovers: Alternatives to lawns: Groundcovers can help beautify your garden and reduce maintenance. Overwhelmed by your ground cover choices? This class will provide information on how to select ground covers for the Whidbey Island climate and soil conditions. *Get to know the bugs in your garden: Meet some of the bugs in your garden and learn the environmentally friendly way to deal with them. *Creating a garden with antique roses: Foresight and site preparation, soil conditions, and what to look for in a rose. *Discovering the charm, ease and beauty of antique roses: How to tell the differences in antique and other types of roses.*Storms and trees: Is your home and family safe? Class is new to the Whidbey Gardening Workshop and focuses on a problem many residents face during the stormy months: trees falling on their houses. This class will teach the basics of trees, recognizing tree hazards, how to prevent or reduce the hazard, and how to hire an arborist or tree surgeon. *The dog-gone garden: Learn gardening ideas for creating a landscape beyond grass that both you and your dog can enjoy. Solutions to current dog-related problems in the garden will be explored. *Yard waste composting; Or, what your garden really needs!: Do you know one of the secrets to a healthy garden – compost! Find out the ins and outs of making Healthy Compost. *Houseplants: Most people go to the store, see a houseplant they like, bring it home and are disappointed shortly after when it fails to thrive. You will learn the geographical sources of plants, the environments they live in, basic propagation techniques and how we can best adapt our homes to their needs.*Right perennial – right place: Select the right perennial for day shade, seaside gardens, the dry garden and hummingbird gardens.*Bees . . . from pollination to honey: Share the instructor’s enthusiasm for the wonderful world of the honeybee, from general information to how to start your own hives and attain your own bee population. . . .and of course, how to extract the honey and preserve this culinary delight*Basic lawn care: The most common things lawn owners need to know: fertility, watering, and pest management of lawns on Whidbey Island. *Seed basics, production and history: Learn the basics of seeds you buy, how they are produced and packaged, and history of seed production on Whidbey Island. Find out how you can be a part of the seed production industry*Bottle gardens and terrariums: Demonstration of containers, homemade tools, soil additives, plants, assembly and care of bottled gardens and terrariums. *Building your own Victorian hanging basket: The secrets and techniques to create your own hanging moss basket based on the style of those hanging around the city of Victoria, B.C. Also, the basic principles of container gardening, with discussions on types of containers, soils, fertilizers, and plant varieties. *Flower arranging: Learn the basics of flower arranging.. “