Georgia - 2012 Master Gardener Training Class, Starts Jan. 24th

For those who love gardening whether a novice or an experienced plant lover, the Master Gardener training class begins January 24th. Classes will be held at the Lake Mayer Community Center and the Bamboo Farm. The class meets from nine to noon on Tuesdays and Thursdays and concludes May 24th. The course is open to Chatham and surrounding county residents.

The Master Gardener class is sponsored by the University of Georgia Extension Office and covers a wide range of topics such as soils, turf, fertilizers, organic farming, xerospace methods, herbs, vegetable gardening, plant propagation, native plants and habitats, irrigation, mulching, pruning and features guest speakers from throughout the State. The course includes field trips and hands on experiences.

Cost: $145.00 – Covers all books and materials
Registration information can be found for all area residents below:
For more information about registration, contact Dave Linville, Chatham County Cooperative Extension Horticulture Agent at 912 652 7981 or dlinville@uga.ed
Bryan County Extension - http://www.bryanextension.org/ or call (912) 653-2231
Liberty County Extension - 912-876-2133
Effingham County Extension - 912-754-8040
UGA Extension (main site) http://extension.uga.edu/

Graduates may become a member of the Coastal Master Gardeners Association who provide volunteer hours for projects such as Habitat for Humanity landscaping, caring for old camellias at Bonaventure Cemetery, working for the Botanical Garden on Eisenhower Drive, teaching at the “Roots and Shoots” program for area school children at Bamboo Farms, and other gardening venues benefitting the community. The Association meets throughout the year with informative gardening presentations and to socialize and swap plants with other gardeners.

Master Gardeners Graduates 26 New Members

Applications for 2012 course now available; deadline to enroll is Jan. 2 (Link to more info)

COLTS NECK, NJ – Twenty-six Monmouth County residents became certified Master Gardeners at a graduation ceremony Nov. 18 at Hominy Hill Golf Center.

The 2011 graduates are: Fran Ambio, Millstone; Lou Ambio, Millstone; John Connors, Ocean; Lucille Coviello, Spring Lake Heights; Kristen (K) Dasenbrock, Marlboro; Lee Deedmeyer, Freehold; Frank DiBella, Howell; Luba Durnya, Middletown; Pat Eisemann, Manalapan; Denise Fredericks, Tinton Falls; Carolyn Giovanniello, Marlboro; Cheryl Grant, Rumson; Barb Hindin, Colts Neck; Linda Honymar, Long Branch; Alka Lothe, Little Silver; Jennifer Marston, Atlantic Highlands; Jill Niehaus, Shrewsbury; Paula Padavano, Long Branch; Luisa Paster, Asbury Park; Maureen Puricelli, Morganville; Barbara Schinkel, Eatontown; Jackie Sharpe, Asbury Park; Cyndi Skove, Eatontown; Greg Sturgis, Freehold; Maria Veit, Cream Ridge, and Brenda Wilson, Aberdeen.

The Master Gardeners are now certified gardening experts because they have completed a course of classroom and hands-on training in plant biology, propagation, soil science and disease and pest control. The trainees then began sharing their knowledge with others by conducting garden lectures, demonstrations, school and community gardening projects, and answering calls on the county’s “horticulture helpline.”

The Master Gardener program, conducted throughout the United States and Canada, is a two-part educational effort in which avid gardeners are provided many hours of intense home horticulture training. In return, they “pay back” local university extension agents through volunteerism.

In New Jersey, the program is a cooperative effort of Rutgers University, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the county Boards of Chosen Freeholders. Monmouth County’s program involves the county office of Rutgers Cooperative Extension, Brookdale Community College and the county Park System.

The program is accepting applications for 2012. There is a $250 fee to cover material and program costs. Applications can be downloaded from the county Web site at www.visitmonmouth.com and are also available from the Rutgers Cooperative Extension Service at 4000 Kozloski Rd. in Freehold Township, or by calling 732-431-7260.  The deadline to apply is Jan. 2, 2012.

Link to full press release: Atlanta Highlands Herald

Iowa Master Gardener Program Accepting Applications for its Spring 2012 Class

Training for the Spring 2012 Master Gardener class is being offered jointly by the Benton and Black Hawk County Extension Offices in January, February and March on Tuesdays at 6:30 pm. If you are interested in becoming an Iowa Master Gardener, contact the Benton County Extension Office at phone: 319-472-4739 for an application or to find out more information. Applications will be accepted until December 20 and interviews will be scheduled later in December to select participants for classes that begin in January.

The requirements to become a Master Gardener include a $150 fee to cover the cost of educational materials and a commitment to do 40 hours of extension service. Individuals receive instruction in a wide range of horticulture and related areas: houseplants, herbaceous ornamentals, turf grass, vegetables, woody landscape plants, plant propagation, fruits, soils, wildlife management, pesticide safety, integrated pest management, plant pathology, entomology and garden design.

Source: http://www.vintoniowa.org/articles/News/article105243.html

Iowa State University Master Gardener Training

Master Gardener training for the ISU Extension Region 7 (Hamilton, Humboldt, Webster and Wright counties) will begin January 17.

To register for the training, contact Yvonne McCormick at 832-9597 or e-mail her at Yvonne@iastate.edu for further information on the program.

Indiana: Grow Organic clasess to begin

At least 17 instructors will present the course topics, which include history and philosophy of organic gardening, site planning and plant physiology, water and xeriscaping, soil and soil amendments, plant taxonomy, weed control, season extension, pruning, seed saving, seed starting and transplanting, annuals and perennials, insect interactions, plant pathology, genetically modified plants, tree planting and maintenance, composting / vermicomposting, vegetable gardens, and backyard habitat.

Optional Saturday field trips include a trip to an urban farm, a garden that grows medicinal and edible wild plants, the historic garden at Wylie House, and the permaculture garden in Green Acres neighborhood. There will also be a look at predators in the garden, a pruning primer and a lab at IU.

Read more at the Herald Times Online site>

Kansas: Class to offer tips on fall vegetable gardens

With the beginning of August comes the time to start your fall vegetable garden. Fall vegetable gardens can actually be more productive than spring gardens. Come to Room 8 in the Multi-Purpose Events Center from 6 to 8 p.m. Aug. 20 to learn more about your fall vegetable garden. This class is free. A few of the topics we will cover are location of your garden, soil preparation, weed control, insects, diseases, what to plant, mulching, watering and composting. If you have ever thought about starting a fall garden or already have one and are interested in learning more, this will be a great class for you. Call 716-8610 to register.

Illinois: Master Naturalist program offered beginning Aug 12th

For the second year, University of Illinois Extension in La Salle County is offering its Master Naturalist Program, beginning Wednesday, Aug. 12. Classes will be 5-8 p.m. each Wednesday, and field trips will be on some Saturdays. The last scheduled class is Oct. 28.“We will be starting next Wednesday with a botany lesson at Illinois Valley Community College and have a good variety of topics and a great bunch of instructors,” Malinsky said. “Last year’s class was a big hit and the participants had some great experiences and made some new friends with similar interests.”

There is still room for more people to sign up, he said. The cost is $250 and includes books and handouts.Upon completion of class and field work, students volunteer 30 hours per year in a variety of projects to earn certification as Master Naturalists.The program was offered last year for the first time and had 31 students.

For information, call (815) 433-0707.

Australian native trees course offered at the Australian Correspondence School

THE AUSTRALIAN Correspondence School (ACS) holds an Australian native trees course, within its plant varieties and horticulture courses.

According to ACS, the 100 hour course is designed to identify Australian native trees, in addition to seed propagation and germination.

The course covers the range of uses for Australian native trees, and how to better utilise them for landscape applications and biological control of pests and disease.

ACS says the course includes planting and establishing techniques for the trees, in addition to soils, feeding, watering. Participants will learn tree identification and the general characteristics of Australian native trees.

Source: Landscape Design News>

Australia: ACS provides gardening, landscaping and horticulture courses

THE AUSTRALIAN Correspondence School (ACS) says it offers over 150 gardening courses, from short amateur courses to long professional qualification courses.

According to ACS, it has been working in horticulture, gardening and landscaping for the past three decades. Staffs include a dozen qualified and skilled horticultural experts, from across Australia, the UK and New Zealand.

The courses can cover around 100 hours for topics such as growing fruit or vegetables at home and landscaping home gardens.

ACS says the landscaping home garden course is designed to teach you how to design or renovate a home garden and then, how to maintain it. The subjects covered are relevant to both small and large landscapes, suitable for developing a new home garden, or improving an existing one.

The principal of ACS, John Mason is said to have been editor of for garden magazines and is an author of over 40 gardening books.

Source: Landscape Design News>

Michigan: St. Clair County Community College is offering a new horticulture/landscape certificate.

The program will allow students to enhance their immediate and long-term goals in horticulture and landscape careers.

Completing this certificate will prepare students for jobs such as landscaper, nursery technician, greenhouse technician, groundskeeper and garden center technician.

The certificate incorporates newer landscape courses such as soil management, landscape plant identification and selection, greenhouse management, nursery management and turf management.

Classes in the program also will transfer into SC4’s landscape design, turf and greenhouse management associate in applied arts and science degree.

Registration is open for fall semester classes that begin the week of Aug. 24. To register for classes, visit www.sc4.edu/wave or call (810) 989-5500.

Hancock to offer ‘Wine Business’ & Environmental Horticulture classes this fall

By Laurie Jervis/Wine Country

Want to learn how an estate winery maximizes profits while continuing to add acreage each year? Or how a winemaker with an annual case production of fewer than 500 can best market his or her label?

Then “Wine Business,” a class debuting at Hancock College this fall, may be the ticket to expanding your knowledge.

Also new to Hancock this fall is Environmental Horticulture, which will focus on landscaping and horticulture as a career. Guillermo Guerra, who Koch said brings 20 years of experience to the table, will teach that class.

Read more>

Master Gardener classes offered

The Texas AgriLife Extension Service - Aransas County Office is offering Master Gardener certification classes beginning in August. The Master Gardener classes are held most Tuesdays from Aug. 11 through Tuesday, Dec. 1. Some classes will be held in Corpus Christi. Read more>

North Dakota: Garden classes starting

The 2009 Master Gardener Program will begin Aug. 28 and will be every Friday until Oct. 6. Each session will start at 8:30 a.m. and finish at noon. The classes will be in the lower level of the law enforcement center in Jamestown. This course is offered by NDSU Extension and will be taught via IVN. Read more:

Penn State Cooperative Extension will hold Master Gardener classes in September at Peters Township Library

Training will cover basic plant and soil science, plant propagation, integrated pest management, pruning and more. Master gardeners are gardening enthusiasts who volunteer for a variety of educational gardening projects. Fee for the class, including a training manual, is $225. Those interested should request an application from the Washington County Extension office, 724-228-6881.

Horticulture classes offered by Hernando County Cooperative Extension Service - St. Petersburg Times

County offering horticulture classes The following free horticulture classes will be offered next week by Jim Moll, extension agent with the Hernando County Cooperative Extension Service: "When Bad Lawns Happen to Good People," 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, East Hernando Branch Library, 6457 Windmere Road, Ridge Manor West.
Horticulture classes offered by Hernando County Cooperative Extension Service - St. Petersburg Times Source: tampabay.com

lhc sent this using ShareThis.

MIT courses on horticulture this month

New Zealand
Manukau Institute of Technology (MIT) is offering National Certificate Horticulture Level 2 courses at selected Manukau City Council community houses from July 20.

This is a joint initiative with the Manukau City Council aimed at bringing learning to the community.

“The courses will equip members of the community with key horticulture skills. Vegetable Growing will be available at Highland Park and Clover Park Community Houses to enable people to grow healthy vegetables and become more self-sufficient,” official sources said.

MIT will run its Soft Landscaping course at the Mangere Community House, teaching students to grow native plants, pruning techniques and selecting the best plants for landscaping.

These are full-time courses, running up to 18 weeks (four days a week) from 9 am to 3 pm and would cost $300 per course.

Enrolment is restricted to citizens and permanent residents.

Read more:

Learn to get rid of bad pests in yards

A free horticulture class, "Intelligent Pest Management," will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Hernando County Cooperative Extension Service, 19490 Oliver St. The speaker is horticulture agent Jim Moll, who will discuss what folks can do to more effectively rid their landscape of problem insects.

For information, call (352) 754-4433.