Master Gardener programs

[Opsa]

I could have sworn someone wrote in about master gardener programs somewhere in here, but I can't find it.

We have a master gardening program in our area, which requires 50 hours of classroom study plus 50 hours of volunteer service in return for a title of master gardener. After that, it requires 20 hours of volunteer and a few hours of refresher courses to maintain the title annually. I am considering taking the course. Has anyone else here done this, and was it worth it?

I figure that since I all ready have a good interest in the green world, I might as well learn more about our local particulars and help out in the community.

[Bruder Cuzzen]

I never knew such a program existed , is it a credit program linked to colleges ?

Oh I'd love to flaunt such a title , seems like a lot of work to achieve , there are sooooo many plants with diverse requirements....

Go for it ! We all can benefit with a master gardener in the forums .

[Opsa]

Yes, it is affiliated with local university extension offices and if you're interested, here is a link to such programs in the U.S. and Canada:

http://www.ahs.org/master_gardeners/index.htm

I suspect other countries have similar programs. Anyone know?

P.S.: I put my application in the mail today. Classes start next month.

[Bruder Cuzzen]

I'd like to learn more about our native species . There are lots of "weeds" out there that are suitable for the table .

[Opsa]

I agree! The only weeds out there are the ones for which we have no use.

During this drought I've let a lot of weeds grow in my garden in order to keep the soil shaded to keep it from cracking.

[Aggie]

mmmm.... purselane....  drought-tolerant goodness.

I was in Mexico for a vacation with the family in '97 or '98, and got a kick at seeing a fair number of what are called 'weeds' up here for sale in the local markets.

And I'm looking very forward to going back to Korea this fall - I don't think weeds exist in Korea.  They eat nearly any plant that isn't actually poisonous, I think.  HUNDREDS of different vegetables and herbs.



I'm thinking of going back to school to further my environmental studies.... I've decided that what I really would like to do is get involved building plant-based green systems, like constructed wetlands, biofilters, etc.  Kind of gardening with a purpose.  Eventually I'd like to get into other aspects of green home construction, but I'll have to see where life takes me.

[Opsa]

Well, I've had to scrap my Master Gardening Course for this year. I can't manage the evening classes. They say they'll do daytime classes again, so I'm now on the list for the next round of that kind, probably next year...

Ah well, I went to a free lecture today presented by the Master Gardeners. It was by a guy named David M. Roos and was called "22 Things Your Mother Never Told You About Gardening."  I loved this guy! Apparently he's writing a book and this was his last public appearance before he was to disappear and get it written once and for all.

Mr. Roos was very funny and very much into natural gardening. I loved him because a lot of what he said went completely against many rules I've heard and I'm a sucker for a renegade. He was totally against any chemical fertilizers, hated lawns, discouraged Fall cleanup, said Lain was for losers and called photos of perfect gardens "plant pornography". He had us laughing from the first sentence, but his message was serious.

One interesting thing he said was: "The best manure for a plant is the gardener's shadow". He said it doesn't matter how many books you read or how much stuff you put out there or how much money you spend trying to keep it up. The garden needs you to just stand there and appreciate it and observe what's going on. If you only go out there to weed, it just becomes a burden. If you are keeping it company, you will be able to see where work needs doing and see where you can just leave it alone. I liked that very much.

[Opsa]

Happy news! The Master Gardener classes have returned will be held in the a.m. this session, so I'm all signed up. They start in January.

As before, they require classroom hours and volunteer working hours in the community. I am hoping that since this is a winter session, I won't have to do a lot of public space weeding with mosquitos buzzing me. Winter gardening is a lot of clearing of carp, but I can handle that. I think!

[Opsa]

 

I start Master Gardening classes this coming Tuesday. Apparently we can get our volunteer hours a variety of ways. I am choosing to work the help desk because I am a botany info nerd and will enjoy scouring their great plant library to answer callers' questions about weeds and pests!

I'll let you know how it goes.

[Opsa]

 
I don't know why I chose that smiley.

UPDATE II:

The Master Gardening Classes are enjoyable. We meet for three and a half hours every week. Most of the class is lecture, but we have powerpoint-style visuals and guest speakers and we usually have an activity to do, like sticking our hands in soil to figure out it's properties, practicing pruning in the local graveyard, or doing scavenger hunts to find info on pesticide labels.

We have around twenty people in the class. We are encouraged to ask lots of questions, and we do. We have fun, make jokes. We have a mid-class snack each week provided by a couple of volunteers, usually fruit and cake and cheese. Our main instructor is this kind of shy man in his late thirties. He has taught high-schoolers before, but we are his first adult class and he is sort of bashful, which is rather endearing. He makes self-depreciating comments. We try to get him to feel at ease.

Every week we have homework, which consists mainly of reading one of the chapters in the 600-page manual, plus a worksheet to fill out about the previous class. We are not really graded on these, but the instructor writes comments on them.

Basically, we are being trained to help the extension service field questions from the public about growing plants, managing pests, etc. We'll ultimately volunteer at the help desk, at local community bazaars and farmer's markets, and at school presentations.

I feel like I'm getting a good quality class for not a lot of money.

[Earthling]

I would love to take the local Master Gardener class, but I can't coordinate it with my work hours yet, though the advent of work-at-home days may change that next time around. Friends of our were over Sunday evening with their rototiller and dug up our 20 foot by 40 foot garden patch - I spent all Memorial day hoeing in the rowns and mounds and planting the first bunch of goodies. I need to borrow a havaheart trap to relocate the woodchuck that lives under the barn, but at least the skunk from last year isn't back. They are advertising a community garden this year for local residents who can't plant in their own yard for whatever reason. I think some of the volunteer work by the MG's is coaching and otherwise helping out there. I love this:

One interesting thing he said was: "The best manure for a plant is the gardener's shadow". He said it doesn't matter how many books you read or how much stuff you put out there or how much money you spend trying to keep it up. The garden needs you to just stand there and appreciate it and observe what's going on. If you only go out there to weed, it just becomes a burden. If you are keeping it company, you will be able to see where work needs doing and see where you can just leave it alone. I liked that very much.

Now if I can just get the cats to shovel their own boxes, to free up a chunk of time...

[Opsa]

Hey Earthling!

How exciting, to have a brand new plot of earth to cast yer shadow upon! Have you posted what plants you're planting somewhere in our garden section? Forgive me for not responding sooner, I've been very busy, here.

I have completed the class hours and am now a Master Gardener Intern. I've been volunteering at the Help Desk, answering local gardener's questions on the phone. I've also been volunteering at a local public garden. It is situated on the site of an old historic one-room school house. Everyone who comes just picks an area and does whatever needs doing. Another intern and I decided to start an ornamental grasses comparison bed, and a native plants bed. We work, we take a break and buzz around, chatting and joking and consulting with the other gardeners, We trade plants. I love it! I am better than halfway through my 50 volunteer hours to getting my certification.

I have discovered that Master Gardeners get discounts at garden shops (usually around 10-20%) and fairs (up to 50%)! Please get on the email list for the program in your area, it'll so be worth it! They should keep you posted as to when the next classes are to be held. You can put in a vote for hours when you're off work. 

[Earthling]

Whoops, I guess I didn't list my goodies yet. I've got a row of beets, two rows of carrots, two rows of snap peas, two rows of beans (one each green and wax), eight giant squash mounds (four hubbard and four butternut) a row of qcumbers, a row of lettuce, four mounds of honeydew-type melons, a row for miscellaneous, and a row-equivalent of yellow onions. In pots we'll have eight or twelve tomato plants and a dozen or so hot pepper plants - looks like they will be cayenne since someone just gave me a bunch of seedlings. Also several pots of various herbs, and the wife has a big area dug up for sunflowers. We also have a few dozen raspberry bushes and blackberry bushes scattered around the periphery of the yard for yumsies, and the neighbors on either side have loads of surplus rhubarb. I have a few large sheets of glass from old slider panels - about 3 feet by 6 feet - that I'm thinking of using to make cold frames. I've heard they can be used to extend the growing season for several weeks in the fall, giving that many more fresh salads and herbs before winter really takes hold. Does anyone have any experience with cold frames?

[Sibling Zono (anon1mat0)]

I have a basil plant in a pot that I water daily, does that count?

[Opsa]

Sure it counts! But not as a cold frame.

I'd like to do cold frames, too, and have some old windows I've been meaning to box up for many years now but have never gotten to it. Last February we visited Williamsburg, VA and were very impressed that they had several cold frames full of yummy salad greens going strong. It was inspiring!

I think my main problem is finding a place to put them. Well, that and getting the husband to help me put them together. 

[Earthling]

Hopefully I'll get around to doing some research on cold frames in the next month or so. From where I'm sitting, Williamsburg qualifies as the deep south - I don't think folks from around here would count their February as winter in comparison to what we usually experience. I'll try to do some snooping and come up with some links and maybe an anecdote or two.