To interest, inspire, and educate the public
The Discovery Garden is open year round for both self-guided tours and educational tours guided by Master Gardener™ Volunteers. The Master Gardeners have developed this garden for community use and enjoyment. Our goal is to enhance and preserve the beauty and quality of the environment by using sustainable gardening practices. The Garden and Pavilion are used for instruction and demonstrations on various aspects of gardening.
For school children and gardeners of any age, this living classroom demonstrates many aspects of home gardening in Douglas County.
The Garden is designed to show the benefits of a variety of ecologically sound management practices including
- proper irrigation including a rainwater collection system that is a part of our drip irrigation design
- use of mulch to suppress weeds and control evaporation
- water-wise (xeric) plant selection
- pruning
- composting
The public is invited to our outdoor classes throughout the year.
The Oregon State University Extension Service Douglas County Agricultural Learning Center
The Agricultural Learning Center or ALC is a conglomeration of facilities overseen by the Oregon State University Douglas County Extension Service in collaboration with the county government and parks department. The ALC is directly adjacent to and bordered by River Forks County Park in Roseburg, Or. The ALC is split into many parts and managed mostly by Master Gardener volunteers. The ALC is also home to research plots for OSU Extension Faculty.
Master Gardener Programs at the ALC
- The Discovery Garden
- Nursery & Greenhouses (Not open to the public)
- The Victory Garden